I tried getting help for my depression and anxiety at 21 and I got no help from the NHS

[FireFox]

At 21 years old when I was at university my depression and anxiety started after my 21st birthday. I tried to get help. When I went to a GP the GP was lovely and she made a referral for me to IPAT which is a NHS therapy service to help people with anxiety and depression. I was told they will get in contact with me but they never did.

After graduating university I tried again to get help again and went to learn more about my local NHS mental health services. The city area I live in NHS trust provides not only mental health services to people living in the borough I live in but also multiple neighbouring city boroughs.The service as result is enormous, overstreched and getting help is uphill struggle.

In the UK depending where you live NHS mental health services are a postcode lottery, some areas have a longer waiting list than others. After enquiring I learnt the waiting list in my area is over 10 months and getting on the list is also a nightmare because you can't move up the list like with housing. NHS can turn you down if you don't meet their criteria even if you are ill.

In the end I just gave up. At 26 years old I am finally fed up of living and i plan to kill myself at 30. I really wanted to live and enjoy life. I fought so hard to improve my life. I am done fighting and everything that has happened to me this year has shown me life is not worth living. I fought till the very end and I am now done fighting.

 

[Enlighten]

I'm sorry you didn't get the help you deserved. You are worthy of help with these issues.
I'm proud of you for holding on this long.
I'm not a health professional, but i'd love to listen to you <3

 

[UKscotty]

I personally think its unfair to blame the NHS and professionals.

There is just not much that can be done for mental health other than talking or pumping people full of pills.

Even if you get appointments, they won't help.

 

[Jolene79]

In my late 20s found a counsellor who I still speak to 20 years later. I also started sertraline. Both these things helped me immensely back then. I pay for the counselling.

Forget the NHS. It's falling apart and apathy has only got worse post COVID.

Significant health issues bring me here now. We know it isn't easy to die. So what choices do you have. If I were in your position, I would seek out a counsellor ( female was best for me). I'd also try the SSRIs out if you can tolerate at least six weeks.

 

[godsseepiestsoldier]

Sorry to hear that but i feel you the NHS (especially mental health sector) is an absolute nightmare. I have so many mental and physcial medical conditions that i simply dont have the energy to try to get fixed when its such a battle and i already have such little energy. If you ever just need someone to talk to im always here.

 

[suicidalgirl96]

The NHS being a postcode lottery is so true. Getting a call back, not even an actual appointment at my old gp required you to submit a request form that opened at 8am, at 8:05 the requests for the day would be full and you're not supposed to call them or go in person to ask for an appointment or callback. Same shit again the following day. Whenever I spoke to people at work about the frustration, especially after being put on more new meds they're meant to follow up with, they couldn't believe it and said that they get same day appointments and no crazy queues waiting.

I'm really sorry you're going through this.
I gave up on any help, I was relying on medication working and since it hasn't all these years I don't see the point.
I appreciate the NHS and most of my family members work within it, but like you said everything is so stretched and mental health care really seems to suffer the most. They tell people to get help and when they try to they can't access it or are put on huge waiting lists.

 

[NoHorizon]

Unfortunately I've had the same experience trying to access MH services on the NHS. They're so underfunded and crippled they can't help people. I'm just getting referred from one waiting list to another. You basically have to constantly shout for help and even once the process has started as soon as you stop shouting for help you fall off their radar.

 

[smokingfish99]

In my late 20s found a counsellor who I still speak to 20 years later. I also started sertraline. Both these things helped me immensely back then. I pay for the counselling.

Forget the NHS. It's falling apart and apathy has only got worse post COVID.

Significant health issues bring me here now. We know it isn't easy to die. So what choices do you have. If I were in your position, I would seek out a counsellor ( female was best for me). I'd also try the SSRIs out if you can tolerate at least six weeks.

Your story is near identical to mine. Sertraline and private therapy saved me when I was 18, now I'm 23 with crippling health issues. Isn't life a joy:')

 

[FireFox]

I personally think its unfair to blame the NHS and professionals.

There is just not much that can be done for mental health other than talking or pumping people full of pills.

Even if you get appointments, they won't help.

@UKscotty I always wondered what my life would have been if I got help under the NHS and it's doesn't help that preveilged arseholes on reddit and online communities I hang out in keep telling me to " go see therapist" " ring your GP" whenever I open up about my struggles particularly this year.

 

[FireFox]

In my late 20s found a counsellor who I still speak to 20 years later. I also started sertraline. Both these things helped me immensely back then. I pay for the counselling.

Forget the NHS. It's falling apart and apathy has only got worse post COVID.

Significant health issues bring me here now. We know it isn't easy to die. So what choices do you have. If I were in your position, I would seek out a counsellor ( female was best for me). I'd also try the SSRIs out if you can tolerate at least six weeks.

@Jolene79 I think the NHS will go bankrupt in the future and then collapse, its possible in the UK we have experienced local councils going bankrupt. NHS going bankrupt is going to be the next big national scandal of a generation. The NHS has lived for a very long time but it will reach a point where it can no longer cope with the demands of the health problems facing the public.

The problem is here in the UK is we can't have a serious discussion about NHS reform and how broken our healthcare system is without people accusing you of " not caring about NHS" or "a tory who wants to destroy NHS" etc this is why there will not be a NHS in the future. By the time people realise how bad things have become it would be too late.

Unfortunately I've had the same experience trying to access MH services on the NHS. They're so underfunded and crippled they can't help people. I'm just getting referred from one waiting list to another. You basically have to constantly shout for help and even once the process has started as soon as you stop shouting for help you fall off their radar.

@NoHorizon This is what makes me so angry when people on reddit and online communities and the real world keep throwing the pharse "go see a therapist" . If seeing a therapist was easy we would all be doing it.

 

[Kit1]

I actually joined this forum due to being let down by the GP surgery quite badly and by the hospital earlier than that. I decided that there is no way I am going to be able to survive now. NHS is underfunded - but what drove me away and eventually to my ending will be some of the uncaring professionals. Increasingly they are better at catering for the mainstream society than those of us who are at hhe edges of society due to acute mental health issues, neurogivergence etc. A middle class system that serves the middle classes most of the time.

 

[The Schizoid]

@FireFox

Hi, I'm sorry the NHS services let you down. You have every right to die, but have you considering paying for a psychologist/therapist instead? If you can afford it, it's a way to be seen a lot quicker and at least you've tried.

I don't want to make decisions for you, but I think you should consider at least trying one mental health professional and pay for it if you need to.