mental health

Some mental health links added over at the right, and the existing links put in a more logical sequence. Most of these organisations have been linked to in previous posts where they've been discussed - see particularly asperger syndrome or lonely and shy and SA vs AS in April 2006. But a quick run-down of the history:

I have long-standing difficulties forming social bonds. I have only a few friends and have had very few long-term relationships. The problem first became apparent around age 9 and grew slowly more pronounced as school progressed. Over the years despite trying hard to expose myself to social situations, despite long periods of study, a variety of jobs, and having lived in London (briefly), Cardiff and Manchester, it's gotten worse if anything. It's only in the last four years that I have seriously started to try and get help.

Before that there was a brief course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in Cariff in 1999, but it felt throughout as though my actual concerns were being ignored - this is something of a theme.

In late 2004 another attempt was made to track down help through my GP, this time here in Manchester. I had been thinking about and specifically mentioned Social Anxiety (or Social Phobia), and was given some useful information and referred on to psychiatric services.
The meeting with the psychiatrist was frankly rubbish, it was wholly a box checking exercise concentrating on depression. The information given afterwards was poor - mention was made of Adjustment Disorder but it wasn't explained what that meant, and I understood that I'd now be passed on to clinical psychology.

By this time my partner at the time suggested Asperger Syndrome might also be an explanation for my difficulties.

In 2005 I joined National Phobics Society, and accessed some useful information from them, but due to shortage of money at renewal let the membership lapse until now.

After several months of nothing happening I tried a few attempts to call both psychiatric and psychology services to find out what was going on. Eventually in the second half of 2005 I was told the referral had to come from my GP, so back I went and got the referral made immediately. Since then nothing, other than six-monthly letters asking if I want to stay on the waiting list.

Last year, while waiting for an appointment with the clinical psychologist, I took advantage of a work-based programme for some talking therapy and CBT. These were useful in tacking anxiety and do provide a toolkit to help with immediate problems, CBT might even help in coping with putting myself in social situations, but it's difficult for me to test.

Which brings us up to date - thinking about accessing further services through work, and waiting for an appointment.

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