Therapeutic Communities

[Catwoman]

I attended a non residential therapeutic community for a year. Depending on how I feel day to day, it was either the best or the worst decision of my life. Before I went there I was able to hold down a full time job most of the time. Ok I was unhappy and turned up at the gp's every year or so asking to go back on anti d's, and numerous short term treatment with psychologists hadn't helped, but I was functioning more than I am now. I'd not attempted suicide in 13 years and hadn't self harmed for a long time either. Now I'm unable to work at all, frequently self harm and spent a month in hospital following an overdose. I think about suicide every day and the smallest amount of stress sets me back. I think the reason is that being there made me learn how to feel again and now I can't ignore those emotions. I also moved away from blaming everyone else for my problems to having to accept responsibility. I basically spent a year learning that I'm a bad person and that any failure to cope on the outside world is down to me. So when I couldn't cope with the responsibilities in my new job, when i stopped being able to concentrate, when i couldn't face opening my mail etc, i blamed myself entirely and i couldn't cope with that.

Therepeutic communities aren't nice safe places where you get lots of sympathy and get to talk about your past. They couldn't care less about my abusive childhood and told me to let it go. It was very confrontational. They basically break you down and build you up again in the mold they want you to fit. You are treated like a naughty toddler and praised when you act maturely. I learnt to give them the answers they wanted and left with everyone thinking i was fixed. Now I'm limited to pills and gp visits because i've had my quota of free therapy on the nhs. When everything started to fall apart a few months after leaving the main programme, I pleaded for help. But they like to focus on self responsibility so I was turned down. That's why i tried to end my life. I was told to choose between having a social worker or continuing to go to the follow up leavers group once a month at the community. I knew i needed the practical support of a social worker or cpn more because i was about to lose my home due to not opening any mail. I was forced to drop out of the group and the therapist then told the community mental health team not to let me have a social worker either so i was left out in the cold. They don't like failures. It messes up their stats. I wish I'd never gone there. The only positive is that it helped me to re-establish contact with my family and that i made friends amongst the other group members whom i still see now, although that's strictly against the rules. I know from those other group members that i'm not the only one who's struggling.

Hi Yorkiegal,

Sorry you had such a bad experience of therapeutic community, and the fact that you cannot get a CPN or social worker after leaving would make me think twice before going again myself.

All the best.

Cat x

[brokenmind]

I attended a non residential therapeutic community for a year. Depending on how I feel day to day, it was either the best or the worst decision of my life. Before I went there I was able to hold down a full time job most of the time. Ok I was unhappy and turned up at the gp's every year or so asking to go back on anti d's, and numerous short term treatment with psychologists hadn't helped, but I was functioning more than I am now. I'd not attempted suicide in 13 years and hadn't self harmed for a long time either. Now I'm unable to work at all, frequently self harm and spent a month in hospital following an overdose. I think about suicide every day and the smallest amount of stress sets me back. I think the reason is that being there made me learn how to feel again and now I can't ignore those emotions. I also moved away from blaming everyone else for my problems to having to accept responsibility. I basically spent a year learning that I'm a bad person and that any failure to cope on the outside world is down to me. So when I couldn't cope with the responsibilities in my new job, when i stopped being able to concentrate, when i couldn't face opening my mail etc, i blamed myself entirely and i couldn't cope with that.

Therepeutic communities aren't nice safe places where you get lots of sympathy and get to talk about your past. They couldn't care less about my abusive childhood and told me to let it go. It was very confrontational. They basically break you down and build you up again in the mold they want you to fit. You are treated like a naughty toddler and praised when you act maturely. I learnt to give them the answers they wanted and left with everyone thinking i was fixed. Now I'm limited to pills and gp visits because i've had my quota of free therapy on the nhs. When everything started to fall apart a few months after leaving the main programme, I pleaded for help. But they like to focus on self responsibility so I was turned down. That's why i tried to end my life. I was told to choose between having a social worker or continuing to go to the follow up leavers group once a month at the community. I knew i needed the practical support of a social worker or cpn more because i was about to lose my home due to not opening any mail. I was forced to drop out of the group and the therapist then told the community mental health team not to let me have a social worker either so i was left out in the cold. They don't like failures. It messes up their stats. I wish I'd never gone there. The only positive is that it helped me to re-establish contact with my family and that i made friends amongst the other group members whom i still see now, although that's strictly against the rules. I know from those other group members that i'm not the only one who's struggling.

that is terible how you've has such a bad experience. it is actually sickening to hear you've been treated this way. surely they have to help you, im shocked they have left you out in the cold. this really makes me think twice about ever entering one of these. i was actually thinking about one but im not so sure. i suppose its like a gamble, everything could work out or it could get much worse.

[yorkiegal73]

Sorry, I don't want to put anyone off going to a TC. I'm having a particularly bad day on account of a two hour stand off with my local council tax department! It has probably impaired my reasoning. What I would say is that you can't expect a TC to cure you. It will give you tools to cope with your condition. Whether you choose to use them or not is up to you i guess. It's important to make the most out of your stay there, leave your dignity at the door and talk about everything. I was far too controlled to do that and just couldn't trust anyone. However, they should have realised that. And there should be a lot more follow up support. One person was asked to leave during my stay because he'd formed a relationship with another member. He left 6 months in which is a critical point, when you're very emotionally vulnerable. He wasn't given any follow up help. They just dumped him. I think there's a big risk of becoming too much of a patient too. I went from being independant to relying on a group of people for every decision i made. I needed to be weaned off that gradually but i wasn't. Most importantly, the term BPD was never mentioned. No one told me they thought i had a personality disorder. If they'd been upfront about it i think i could have acheived a lot more. Anyway, i'm very grouchy today. i might come back tomorrow and sing their praises!

[feistymiss]

What I would say is that you can't expect a TC to cure you. It will give you tools to cope with your condition. Whether you choose to use them or not is up to you i guess. It's important to make the most out of your stay there, leave your dignity at the door and talk about everything.. I was far too controlled to do that and just couldn't trust anyone. However, they should have realised that. And there should be a lot more follow up support. One person was asked to leave during my stay because he'd formed a relationship with another member. He left 6 months in which is a critical point, when you're very emotionally vulnerable. He wasn't given any follow up help. They just dumped him. I think there's a big risk of becoming too much of a patient too. I went from being independant to relying on a group of people for every decision i made. I needed to be weaned off that gradually but i wasn't. Most importantly, the term BPD was never mentioned. No one told me they thought i had a personality disorder. If they'd been upfront about it i think i could have acheived a lot more.

I attended a non residential therapeutic community for a year. Depending on how I feel day to day, it was either the best or the worst decision of my life. Before I went there I was able to hold down a full time job most of the time. Now I'm unable to work at all, frequently self harm and spent a month in hospital following an overdose. I think about suicide every day and the smallest amount of stress sets me back. I think the reason is that being there made me learn how to feel again and now I can't ignore those emotions. I also moved away from blaming everyone else for my problems to having to accept responsibility. I basically spent a year learning that I'm a bad person and that any failure to cope on the outside world is down to me. So when I couldn't cope with the responsibilities in my new job, when i stopped being able to concentrate, when i couldn't face opening my mail etc, i blamed myself entirely and i couldn't cope with that.

Therepeutic communities aren't nice safe places where you get lots of sympathy and get to talk about your past. They couldn't care less about my abusive childhood and told me to let it go. It was very confrontational. They basically break you down and build you up again in the mold they want you to fit. You are treated like a naughty toddler and praised when you act maturely.I learnt to give them the answers they wanted and left with everyone thinking i was fixed. Now I'm limited to pills and gp visits because i've had my quota of free therapy on the nhs. When everything started to fall apart a few months after leaving the main programme, I pleaded for help. But they like to focus on self responsibility so I was turned down. That's why i tried to end my life. I was told to choose between having a social worker or continuing to go to the follow up leavers group once a month at the community. I knew i needed the practical support of a social worker or cpn more because i was about to lose my home due to not opening any mail. I was forced to drop out of the group and the therapist then told the community mental health team not to let me have a social worker either so i was left out in the cold. They don't like failures. It messes up their stats. I wish I'd never gone there. The only positive is that it helped me to re-establish contact with my family and that i made friends amongst the other group members whom i still see now, although that's strictly against the rules. I know from those other group members that i'm not the only one who's struggling.

i agree with an awful lot that yorkiegal has to say about TC .. as you can see i posted earlier in this thread, as i had attended a TC for two full days a year and i agree that "service users" were left to bearbait and goad each other, rather than as i expected, support being offered to be able to offload and have this analysed or opened up, there simply wasnt the time to devote to individuals and i personally railed against the implied community care that was "on offer", that resulting in pulling vulnerable ppl to pieces whilst there was no support for individuals to understand what they were dealing with

i have highlighted the actual sentences that yorkiegal experienced that i also experienced, now isnt that making sense !! i wasnt informed for many months after i had left that i had the BPD diagnosis and it has been explicitly implied and said to me that i will get no further help or support for PD. i have also been told to attend a daycentre, where ppl with multiple mental health need use, which is extremely limited in resources and understaffed and in which i have NO FAITH whatsoever, so i also am offered the duty care team, or umpteen amount of medication, when i have NEVER been on medication in my life prior to this, so i tie this in with having "used my quota" and that i should "be grateful" and that "i have failed" them and myself by non attending, another negative that is used against me in the summing up

i also was still under domestic violence whilst i was attending, and had a lot of serious ongoing stuff that i needed support with, from their social work team, particularly relating to abuse against my children, yet they wanted me to wean myself from the only support i had at the time, my housing support, and to become "more responsible" which is an insult, as i consider i have borne more responsibility throughout my life for all and any of my actions than any who have abused or sought to control me

i think for me, it aroused all the things i had laid to rest, the different personalities in the TC became the very ppl i had guarded myself against, and altogether bought up too much for me to deal with, i became even more isolated and used my own resources and techniques for coping with life when i left

i learnt nothing positive by attending, other than the very positive message that there is little enough support for ppl with PD - definitely by TC definition, i probably went in to the TC as a 80-90 % vulnerable adult, but who was functioning, and left as a person with PD, operating at a 40% level and THATS NOT GOOD

i get a T support now, but its rubbish basically, at this point and i cant see it improving. i have no experience of DBT or CAT or any of that, i am a level headed responsible adult who no longer can cope with the demands that life places on me and for this, this site is the only one i have come up with any kind of positivity and support

[Aztec]

Hi,

I am so sorry to hear of the terrible experiences people have had in TC's. Were they actually in specialist PD services? If they were even reluctant to give you a proper PD diagnosis, that doesn't sound very helpful at all.

There are a few people at my local TC who are just about at the end of their 18 months, and they report a very positive experience; a very different outlook on life, and no desire whatsoever for further therapy! they now feel able to move on and live an independent life. So despite hearing about some very negative experiences, I am still very keen to go. I suspect that like most MH services, the quality of service provided varies wildly from place to place. I also know that people with PD's are often sidelined in the MH services, and I am sure they rub their hands in glee when they can send us off to PD services. However, when that doesn't work, I feel they then lose any small amount of patience they had with us in the first place.... Like we continue to struggle 'on purpose,' cos we enjoy making a nuisance of ourselves. I have experienced enormous amounts of rejection and small-mindedness from the MH services, which is one reason why I'm so glad to go to a PD service.

[Aztec]

Hi,

The Priory clinic is a specialist drug and alcohol rehab service. they are well known in the field, cos they have a big, expensive clinic in London where all the celebs go, but I feel that the service they offer is rubbish, and certainly from the clinic I went to their success rate is abysmally poor.

I OD'd cos I'd run out of hope. I was on a drip (parvolex, an antidote to paracetamol) in hospital for 3 days... it got complicated cos my drip fell out ( it got pulled when I was transferred), and cos I'm an alcoholic with a PD she naturally assumed I pulled it out on purpose and i was made to leave at 4.00am. Luckily I had the sense to re-present myself at A&E, and they said if I didn't continue treatment, my liver would probably fail. Just one of many, many, many, many, many negative experiences I have had.

I was very very angry with my CPN at the time. I now have a SW instead, cos she moved jobs.

Claire

What is a priory clinic? Did you OD because your CPN blocked you out of it? I am so glad your liver made it through, if not you would have been a gonner. Does your CPN know why u did this? She is not meeting your needs? How long were u in hospital for?

[yorkiegal73]

I'm sorry but not surprised to hear that others have experienced the same as me in a TC. In answer to Aztecs question, my TC was a long running institution which is also a member of the Community of Communities. It wasn't until we had a visit from another community that it was let slip that ours was specifically designed to treat people with personality difficulties. In fact, when I first went there to be assessed I thought I was on a waiting list to see a psychologist for an hour a week, which is what I've had in the past. Instead I was told to give up my job, go on benefits and attend there for a year. I stormed out in high dudgeon, having waited six months for that appointment, and went back a year later when things had gone bad again. It was constantly rammed into us that we were extremely lucky to be there, as not many parts of the country can offer such a service. The frustrating thing is that there was obviously so much scope there for real and long lasting treatment, but by refusing to be open with the patients from the outset about their diagnosis, many just fell by the wayside. Aztec I hope your TC is different and wish you luck.

[feistymiss]

mine was the Therapeutic Community day unit, as part of the what was known as the Francis Dixon Lodge Residential, as an overspill to see if this kind of program could work, so i was one of the new influx to join in its first year - in Leicester. a therapy service for people with personality disorder

it then needed to create its own identity as it was receiving more referrals and changed its name to be known as The Jasmine Lodge, at the old Towers (mental) Hospital and the land that the hospital previously owned was being sold off, redeveloped, split up, into housing, a high security unit (Arnold Lodge) and hospital and some office pertaining to a hospital setting etc (it had previously been quite a big sprawling victorian hospital with a spooky atmosphere, catering for mental health need)

within its first year it was already 6 million overdrawn, in debt, whatever ! but the unit was receiving grants, which had to be spent by the "service users", their choice, yet when we mentioned what we wanted, these suggestions were denied and what the unit wanted was obtained ... on our behalf instead

at the time i attended, i took on whatever was suggested or thrown at me, until i could no longer cope, simply because i kept believing it would get better, or in my mind that i could make an improvement and the fact that it was a personality disorder unit, really didnt hit me, as i never accepted that i had a PD, (it was only the others, LOL) and that i was "naively" attending to find out what was wrong with me

i didnt get a disagnosis of a PD until i had left the unit and needed support, some 14 months later - if i had been aware i might have understood and stuck at it more, but at the same time, i needed more tailored help than even this specialist unit was offering

to my mind the TC was changing too fast, it was already a sinking ship, and it needed to prove that it was a viable option and by the time i knew i was not going to attend for the following year, there had already been numerous change of staff at different levels, all across the board, including psycotherapists (very unsettling) and many changes including us, service users, vetting and sitting in on interviews, in the capacity of chairman and note-taker, to introduce the centre to other prospective service users, and to see if they were suitable or acceptable to attend

i found this very odd, as the emphasis was on the service user, (great name huh, i saw myself as a patient, and i wanted to be helped, not really take on any more than i could deal with) to become motivated, selective, vocal, energised, all of that, but there was no real help to assist when you didnt feel like this

the day was split up into designated sessions, but to my mind it was run badly, with patients/service users railing and actually physically attacking each other, throwing things, no apparent restraint, no one going to help anyone when they left the room in distress or meltdown, the emphasis was most emphatically on the patients getting out and putting the most in, to the well running of the centre

so if for instance we sat in a session and no one spoke, if no one offered advice, then none was forthcoming from the therapist either, and that was a waste of a session entirely

my experience, my perspective, too many chiefs, not enough indians, too much money being wasted, and it becoming a white elephant, too many "good" ppl leaving, who needed help and too many staying who had no desire to break out of the mold or self imposed prison they were in, but were attending, cos they "had to"

there were at least three others who were attending, who would lose their children or freedom if they did not, and to my mind its the adage you can bring a horse to water, but you cant make it drink

there was too big a disparity with what went on outside of the community and what took place within it

i gave up uni to attend, and others were either in part time jobs, (one woman had a baby she was still breast feeding), or on day release, but most werent well enough to attend to anything else

i would emphatically not attend such a TC again, unless it was proven that the structure of the output to the service users was more in place than it was - the day was split up and structured, but this didnt allow for ppl who didnt know how to open up and begin talking and there was little to no structure when communication did take place

it was run as if we, as the community .. wanted it, with the therapists taking away the overall control, we organised the meals and cooked them, opened and closed the sessions, interviewed prospective others, attended sessions but it was all stressed that as a community we were to help each other

and i just couldnt, i had too much to deal with and not enough resources at my disposal, so i left each session absorbing so much negative and no way of discharging it, going home to more negative, and no support to sieve thro it or work thro it and the next session started with a new round of calamity, disorder, and chaos as each member presented their own way of coping (or not)

[icu_baby]

Hi,

The Priory clinic is a specialist drug and alcohol rehab service. they are well known in the field, cos they have a big, expensive clinic in London where all the celebs go, but I feel that the service they offer is rubbish, and certainly from the clinic I went to their success rate is abysmally poor.

I OD'd cos I'd run out of hope. I was on a drip (parvolex, an antidote to paracetamol) in hospital for 3 days... it got complicated cos my drip fell out ( it got pulled when I was transferred), and cos I'm an alcoholic with a PD she naturally assumed I pulled it out on purpose and i was made to leave at 4.00am. Luckily I had the sense to re-present myself at A&E, and they said if I didn't continue treatment, my liver would probably fail. Just one of many, many, many, many, many negative experiences I have had.

I was very very angry with my CPN at the time. I now have a SW instead, cos she moved jobs.

Claire

Dear Claire, thanks so much for explaining that to me. I am really sorry about what happened to you at the Priory. How dare taht nurse kick you out and not believe you when the drip came out. I would have protested and called the manager. And to discharge you at 4.00am, well thats a bit negligent. I would have filed a report, you could have died!

Its really a shame what happens to people with PD. I understand its not a mental illness but rather an enduring pattern of behaviour but that is no excuse to almost kill someone negligently!

The more I read these stories, the more I realise that even though emotionally we suffer, no one can help us but ourselves and the more we rely on the mental health profession to fix our problems, the more we dig a hole for ourselves. If you are ever faced with that kind of callous disregard to your life, you make sure you let that nurse know. I myself have become disillusioned with the entire mh profession. Whenever I have had contact with the MH profession I actually feel like I need a year of therapy to get over the psychological harm caused by my contact with anyone in the MH profession! Its ironic. I know this sounds aburd and and Its almost as though they want as many borderlines to die as much as possible. I think the best treatment is probably going to a clinic where they practice DBT or a place that is specifically set up to actually wanting to help borderlines.

cheers

icu_baby

[aussiebabe]

Has anyone been to The Brenchley Unit in Maidstone? I have just found out that i am the waiting list to go there. It is 3 days a week, non residential. I am currently going to a group which 'feeds' it.

thanks

sharon

[Aztec]

Hi, I have heard a lot about Brenchley, as I know someone who goes there. It sounds excellent. It sounds very similar indeed to the TC I have just started (a month ago) in Nottingham. Exactly the same assessment procedures and same set up in the TC. If you want to ask me anything, feel free!

For me, I think its going to be the best thing I've ever done in regard to my BPD and struggles with life.

Claire xx

Has anyone been to The Brenchley Unit in Maidstone? I have just found out that i am the waiting list to go there. It is 3 days a week, non residential. I am currently going to a group which 'feeds' it.

[samz]

Hi,

I have been referred to a residential therapeutic community (Henderson Hospital), and am currently waiting for a funding decision. They may argue that as there is a non-residential TC in my city, that I should go there. But I feel that in order to go thru the process on in-depth therapy on some really painful stuff, i would need to be in a safe, supportive environment 24/7. Especially as I have a history of impulsive self-harm and suicide attempts.

I am interested to hear of people's experiences of TC's, both residential and non-residential. or if anyone has decided not to go, what were your reasons? How has being in a TC helped you in the Long Term? Many thanks,

Claire

[aussiebabe]

I read that The Henderson hospital has 'temporarily' closed a couple of weeks ago. They are fighting to get it opened.

Sharon

[summersun]

I have left again. Does anyone else really find it hard to stick to a theraputic community ? I havn't even got in the proper therapy yet either !

[aussiebabe]

I'm starting a prep group next week to go to TC. I am dreading it! 4 weeks prep then you wait until space to start, which could be a month or longer.

Would like to know other people's experiences. I am going to Brenchley Unit, Maidstone. Thanks

sharonx

[yorkiegal73]

It took me 6 months to settle in and stop thinking about leaving. I stayed til the end (12 months) but several people left early during that time, which had a huge effect on the group. Not everyone is ready to be in a tc and i think that's why an extended assessment is a good idea. It's not a failure if you leave, it just means it's not right for you.

[pmilkman]

I'm starting a prep group next week to go to TC. I am dreading it! 4 weeks prep then you wait until space to start, which could be a month or longer.

Would like to know other people's experiences. I am going to Brenchley Unit, Maidstone. Thanks

sharonx

I was finally referred to the Brenchley Unit at Maidstone after a 6 month wait due to the doctor leaving and waiting to see a new one, who stubbornly referred me. I have recieved the BPD4+ (i think that was its name) form from the Brenchley unit, filled it in and returned it several weeks ago and have heard nothing yet.

Is it a long 'wait' ?

[aussiebabe]

I'm not sure how long the wait is. I didn't even know i was on the waitnig list until about a month ago, i was on the list and not told!! I go to a group which feeds the TC so i think it was through this i received the place. I didn't have to fill in a form. I assume they have assessed me through the group and being with the MH team for 2 years.

I hope you hear from them soon and i will let you know how i get on.

Sharon

[Aztec]

Hi Sharon,

I started at a similar TC,

[Aztec]

Hi Sharon,

I started at a similar TC about 7 weeks ago, so its all still quite new to me. I was in the prep group for 3 months, which is shorter than most people, but i had already come off all my meds.

its going really well for me. I feel accepted into the group, which was a massive issue for me, and I've even been brave enough to check out my paranoid thoughts about one of the therapists! I'm digging into some painful stuff in therapy, bit by bit, and I believe it will help me in the long run. I also feel that group therapy will be more useful for me than individual therapy. It replays my difficulties in other groups, especially family; in getting on with folk/ my intolerance to other people, etc; and so gives me a chance to explore why I'm crap at relationships. I'm also pleased to be in a specialist PD service: I don't feel judged or criticized for my symptoms.

Claire xx

[aussiebabe]

Hi, thanks for letting me know your experience. The prep group is for 4 weeks, 1 1/2 hours.This isn't therapy just to be introduced to what they do, what we want etc. The group i have been going to weekly for 6 months feeds it and the therapist is one of the therapists's at the TC.

When i have my CPA on Mon (which is 1 hour after group! not good timing!) i am going to ask lots of questions, what happens if i decide not to go etc. We haven't been told about coming off meds so will have to find out that. I saw psychiatrist about 3 weeks ago and he doesn't want me to come off them at the mo anyway. He'll be at CPA and then i see him next Fri too. If i 'freeze' and can't ask questions my 121 therapist is going to ask them for me, i freak out at meetings and get very panicky.

Anyway, will let you know what happens next week.

Is yours a residential or daily Community? Mine will be daily 3 days.

Thanks again

Sharon

[pmilkman]

We haven't been told about coming off meds so will have to find out that. I saw psychiatrist about 3 weeks ago and he doesn't want me to come off them at the mo anyway.

I saw psychiatrist last November and he reccomended that i went to the Brenchley Unit, but before he could refer me i had to be drug free for 3 months, and as i had weaned myself off of the drugs i was on apart from Buspiron (sp) he said come back in 3 months for a referal. I went back 3 months later, in February of this year and he had left, 3rd doctor i have had in one year that has done that but i digress, a further 3 months later they got a replacement doctor who i saw. Being a new doctor he basically wanted to put me straight back onto meds after being drug free for 6 months and suffering but i refused and he begrudgingly did the referal to the Brenchley unit, which i am waiting to hear back from after doing a form for them.

I do not want to scare you and i am sorry if i did, but you might need to be drug free so they have a blank canvass to work with if you know what i mean, to meet and see the real you if that makes any sense?

Again i am sorry if it is the wrong thing i have said, but it is just a friendly heads up incase it does happen and it will not come as a big suprise to you...

[InterruptedHappiness]

makes me so mad i mentioned it to my therapist and she said there was a tc but it was only for people for servere mental illnesses north wales is so far behind everywhere else in the country we dont even have therapists trained in DBT yet! Just makes me think if they did would i be on the path to getting better quicker?

[aussiebabe]

We haven't been told about coming off meds so will have to find out that. I saw psychiatrist about 3 weeks ago and he doesn't want me to come off them at the mo anyway.

I saw psychiatrist last November and he reccomended that i went to the Brenchley Unit, but before he could refer me i had to be drug free for 3 months, and as i had weaned myself off of the drugs i was on apart from Buspiron (sp) he said come back in 3 months for a referal. I went back 3 months later, in February of this year and he had left, 3rd doctor i have had in one year that has done that but i digress, a further 3 months later they got a replacement doctor who i saw. Being a new doctor he basically wanted to put me straight back onto meds after being drug free for 6 months and suffering but i refused and he begrudgingly did the referal to the Brenchley unit, which i am waiting to hear back from after doing a form for them.

I do not want to scare you and i am sorry if i did, but you might need to be drug free so they have a blank canvass to work with if you know what i mean, to meet and see the real you if that makes any sense?

Again i am sorry if it is the wrong thing i have said, but it is just a friendly heads up incase it does happen and it will not come as a big suprise to you...

I am worried about having to come off the meds, especially as no one has said anything! I will definately ask at my CPA as everyone there!

Thanks again!

Sharonx

[Aztec]

Hi,

I'm not sure if all TCs have the same policy, but we all have to be medication free (as in Psychiatric meds) to join the full TC. I can definately see the benefits to this, as since I stopped my anti depressants, a lot of stuff has come up:; more memories, nightmares, etc. This might not sound much like an advantage, but actually if all this stuff is being squashed down by meds, you are not going to address it in therapy!

Also, it hasnt been as bad as I thought. Been off them for 8 months now. There is a non-prescription pill you can take, which I find quite helpful, called 5HTP. Its quite pricy in the shops, but cheaper online. Its similar to St johns Wort, in a way, but less well known. It helped regulate my sleep pattern a bit better.

Claire