3 Suicide Attempts, Serious Self-Harm Etc. - Not Serious Enough?

[johnnym]

Hello,

I visited another psychiatrist yesterday and he told me I don't BPD or any other mental health issues. Seems like serious benzodiazepines overdose, suicide ideation, and regular self harm with quite deep cuts is not enough...

[Roses]

Hi there Johnny I understand. Sometimes I stand screaming out loud and stamping my feet and nothing happens. Other times the wrong word and I'm on the psyche ward with no way out. Doesn't make sense. Just keep trying hun. Have you contacted PALS???

[johnnym]

I don't know what PALS is, but I just remembered another funny thing from the counselling. The psychiatrist/psychotherapist said he doesn't think I have any serious problems, because I was smiling. I told him of course I am smiling, because I think that's polite but also that's not how I really feel.

[Roses]

PALS = patient advisory and liasion service. You in the UK? They are based at most major hospitals so call up switchboard for the hossie and ask for PALS and they should put you through or know where the nearest one is. I used them for my Dad when he was getting treated badly and they sorted it out really quickly. They are for complaints of problems with NHS in general. xxx

[johnnym]

So, is it possible to commit suicide without having a serious mental health issues / diagnosis? According to my formal doctor, it is...

[Roses]

Yeah it is. People with no medical history commit suicide. But where is this going hun? The human body is so different and the mind is different in everyone. It is like the English language there are no constants, always exceptions and everyone is different as much as they try and put us in boxes we just don't all fit.

[johnnym]

But where is this going hun?

I mean... If healthy person with no personal disorder, depression etc. and no serious problems (bankrupt etc) can commit a suicide then... why to worry about mental health at all? Basically I was told that I have no problems and everything that didn't go well in my life is therefore my fault/decision. Even if I kill my self, it will still be my 'healthy decision'. C'mon how can a psychiatrist talk like that? The problem here is that I tend to believe him: There is nothing (medically) wrong with me - I am just wrong/bad person...

[successful_workthru]

Depression is a diagnosis, and a symptom.

Has your psych helped you explore your need to do these harmful things to yourself?

Can you get more support.

Even the samaritans can help you explore your thoughts, and why you feel the need to do them.

TRIGGER

Explore what goes through your mind when you do them.

See what sparks each individual incident off.

See if there is anything you can do to stop them, and maybe explore reasons why you feel you cant, if that is the case.

Go gentle with yourself when you do this.

I get sudden tantrums of rage on myeslf and have been known to bruise (black eyes) and cut myself superficially. I get annoyed with myself for various reasons and this is when it happens.

Keep plugging away at getting that support. Go back to your GP if necessary.

[angel tears]

I would say that self harm shouldn't be ignored, people do it for a reason though i guess it doesnt have to mean that you have a mental health problem. Maybe a coping mechanism or to release some pain??, not saying that isnt serious though hun, you need to explore your thoughts and feelings with professional help, especially with the suicide issues too. Get another opinion, i had to fight to be diagnosed properly, it was very frustrating.

[pepsimeg]

I would fight it too, of course if your feeling that way you need help, i had similar probs getting them to understand me, took me nearly a year just to get seen by a psych - at first i saw a cbt therapist and she kept saying you cant be depressed cos yu get up and go work everyday, made me feel like i was lying - i smilled too, but its all an act to cover how i really feel - i find it hard to express openly how i really feel.

But i kept saying just cos i carried on with life - on the insidie i felt like sh@t, harmed myself when alone and feel like im a different person from what everyone else sees.

for years i have been in and out of psych wards and they say your just depressed but i knew it was more than that - finally after yeasr i have a dx of bpd, so now i can start work on trying to deal with it.

I would def keep on at them, change your dr even and get a 2nd opinion - we have to keep fighting dont let them keep fobbing you off. you need help

best of luck

xxxxx

[roxy222]

i often find i get told how well iv done to survive what iv been through and havent i came out well yadda yadda yadda, cause that helps soooo much

[pepsimeg]

Roxy

Im with you on that one - i get told that too - it really annoys me when they say that :angry:

[roxy222]

Roxy

Im with you on that one - i get told that too - it really annoys me when they say that

yep bugs me loads, cause obviously no one ever spends time/money/energy getting support for things they actualy have problems coping with, we just go through all that for a nice pat on the head!!

[anastasia]

i've been told before that i have no issues however, they all then admit this isn't true. twice in the last months have i been told that a professional doesn't think anything is wrong because of the way i present at that time. however, within days / weeks they change their mind. and then they read my notes too.

are you going back to see this guy?

[just.me]

Doesn't it make you want to puke when you have an appointment and on the day you feel relatively normal? Yet the day before you would be a total different person?

Makes me so pissed that these so called health professionals never see you at your worse, they expect you to be ill all the time, but the thing is we aren't, we have good and bad days, it is the bad days that show how ill we really are.

Sometimes I think they expect you to go in without your hair brushed, and wearing your pj's or the clothes you been wearing for five days.

[anastasia]

Sioux, that's exactly my plan for my next appointment. oh and in slippers. have to have slippers and big wooly hat

[just.me]

If I could get to my Tribunal that is how I would go, instead no way I could emotionally do it, so told them they more than welcome to come to my home.

Assholes. aaaaaaaaagh.

[confusedangel]

i would seriously get another opinion. some psychs dont have a clue- i've seen plenty of them. i kept switching them until i found one i got on with and felt actually wanted to help me. you dont have to stay with the one you are with- there is no rule which says you cant ak to see someone else. He sounds like a dick to me. go get some proper help from someone who actually knows what they r talking about!! cuz he certainly doesn't!!

[wordsmithy]

I had very similar problems when I started asking for help 4 or 5 years back, things have only gotten worse for me, so I strongly suggest that you ask for a second opinion from another psychiatrist, or ask for a referral from another gp. This is important to you and don't take no for an answer.

Whereabouts do you live, perhaps you can use this site to look up services for personality disorder?

[SKyler1311]

seeing a different psych can be so bad for your health, mine went on maternity leave for about 8 months and during that time I saw a different psych everytime I went, and they all had different opinions, I was told I wasn BPD, and then I wasn't, one said I had PTSD and BPD traits, if they had ran out of acronyms they would have probably diagnosed me with tonsilitus, but seriously, it's rubbish unless you have a decent and regular psych, that knows you and your problems, everytime I went I had to explain all over again what my problems were and what had caused them, I have no idea what they write notes for. This week I had a letter from my Psych with regards to my mental health and it actually states that I have BPD, I feel like having it framed. I also totally agree with you when it comes to the, 'well you look well, or happy', doesn't matter that I have a shaved head, I weigh 25 stone and feel like shit, I've smile so I must be OK.