martavee

I would just like to gain some insight from you into how the NHS works here for people seeking mental health help. This way I'll know what kind of service I should expect and determine if I'm satisfied with their treatment of me. If I'm not satisfied then I will be seeking a private psychiatrist.

I am an American, age 24, that currently lives in England. I moved here in September for law school because I want to be a solicitor. Have been diagnosed the past ten years with general anxiety disorder/panic attack disorder/depression/PTSD by general doctors. I've been on and off SSRIs for those disorders, but never stuck with them because I didn't like how they made me feel.

I went to a NHS GP here in England in December and tried two different SSRIs between then and February. Had a horrible reaction - the worst ever. Basically this time around it was a complete breakdown. Finally I have been granted an appointment with the local NHS psychiatrist via letter. That is this Wednesday and it states that the appointment will last approximtely one hour and that the East Sector Community Mental Health Team Manager will also be present. I'm probably just extremely paranoid, but is this normal that someone is overseeing the appointment? One of the times that I called the psychiatrist's secretary (my doc had screwed up and forgotten to refer me which I caught onto after two weeks of lost time) she once mentioned something along the lines of "If we decide to take your case." I don't recall the context of that comment now. So now I'm all paranoid that they won't help me because (a) I feel like they don't take me seriously (b) I'm American. I have this weird belief that they feel like I'm wasting government money because I'm American (even though I'm eligible for the NHS due to being a full time private student).

It seems like I only ever hear negative things about the NHS. I had suggested to my GP in December that I feel I've been misdiagnosed all these years and that I'm BPII. They said no, we'll stick witht he past diagnosis. Then after my first complete flip out (which was very scary) in early January I brought it up to the GP that SSRIs have that result in BP people. She chose to ignore my concern and told me to take sertraline (another SSRI) for six weeks. That totally screwed me over. I had to drop my law course - luckily the school is allowing me intermittent leave to return next year. But there is the issue of my student visa with Home Office ... they may choose to not renew it because I've had to take an intermittent leave I have become a prisoner of my flat because I am so out of it. My emotions are all over the place.

I don't see how one hour is enough to evaluate me.