Starting A Campaign

[albaqwerty]

was wondering the best way to go about this?

Write to your MP would be fine if you had faith in him/her.

How does one go about gathering signatures so that if enough signed a petition it would hopefully reach the UK government and get them to discuss it at least?

Am fed up with platitudes and 'money is being ploughed in to things', it's not getting ploughed in quick enough.

(I'm talking about mental health issues btw)

[Old_Geezer]

Writing to your MP will result in reasons why what you want won't happen. There are petition sites out there if you want to collect signatures.

[ummmm]

On a petition site.

You won't get anywhere though. They can't magic beds.

Saying that...I had an issue with my son and his self harming. I phoned the doctors and spoke to the receptionist. The doctor was on the phone to me within 1/2 hour and had him an appointment at a youth mental health team the following week. It worked wonders. Within two sessions I could see a difference in him.

[Peter Pedant]

I would have thought there are already pressure groups
and you should hitch your cart to theirs

( rather than re-inventing the wheel )

sorry the metaphors are a bit mechanical ( note to me: needs coffee)

[albaqwerty]

thanks both.

I know it's futile, but I just feel I need to do something.

[albaqwerty]

Thanks PP

(you weren't there when I answered!)

[Peter Pedant]

// You won't get anywhere though. They can't magic beds. //

I love AB ! Hope ! Inspiration ! Encouragement !
( but its raining today - so today we have .....)

[ummmm]

Albs - I used to work in a psychiatric hospital. The waiting list was massive.

[albaqwerty]

thanks Ummm, I'd forgotten that, you did mention some time ago too !

[ummmm]

PP - have you any idea how much it costs to stay in a psych hospital per day?

If someone is on suicide watch or considered a danger to others two members of staff have to be within arms reach of them 24/7. That's before you even bring in all the other costs.

Mental health is very very expensive. It can't be solved with a pill.

[Peter Pedant]

There is absolutely not reason ( = there is every reason ) that someone who thinks that Care in the Community is really Lack of Care in the Community
should publicise the fact

even more so - if people say - been there - seen that and done owt

[ummmm]

Publish it by all means.

Care in the community means work on both sides. If the patient doesn't turn up for appointments there's jack they can do because they have a long list of other patients needing them.

[albaqwerty]

am going to think about this for a while, don't want to just knee-jerk into something I'll later regret.
as GIMF, I'll have a look at what's out there already.

[Peter Pedant]

erm sorry are we arguing that decent psych care is SO expensive that
1) we can understand why there isnt any
2) the chances of getting it ( since it costs so much) are zero ?

if we are then I think the argument is flawed

[ummmm]

No...that's not what I'm saying.

It's like a points system so people with considered mild mental health issues fall through the net. We know the problem with that...mild issues can develop into severe within a short space of time.

People are walking these streets who should be sectioned. They aren't sectioned because there's no beds available. Give them some pills and hope for the best seems to be the attitude!

[mccfluff]

try looking at the mind website - there is a lot of information there https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/

my niece committed suicide last year - she was bi-polar and had been suffering terribly. part of that was due to her medication, when she took them and all was well, she thought she was better and could stop taking them and then she would crash and suicide attempts would follow, she woould then with the help of her docter and social service support works get back on an even keel and repeat. She was in supported housing and seemed to be doing well then she just crashed, was drinking heavily and had repeated suicide attempts - each time the hospitals (after psych eval) just let her go, according to my brother she asked to be kept in the last time. and it was the last time...
I do think she was massively failed by the system, i appreciate that her history was the same pattern over and over again and she was very convincing when she wanted to be but at the end, she was getting worse that should have been picked up.
Having said all that, she is out of pain now, her QOL wasn't brilliant and I believe if she had been committed it would have stopped her from killing herself that time but she would have gone on to do it at a later date. She was too unhappy and didn't want to fight.

[ummmm]

Fluff...that's so sad :-(

[albaqwerty]

Fluff, I am so very sorry and sad to read that.

I'll have a look at their web-site, thank you xxx

[trt]

Alba,
got to the government website, for petitions, and there is place to start it, then you can post it on FB, and other social networks, and they are counted up for as people vote you up.

[wolf63]

Fluffy - I am really sorry about your niece. It is a horrible illness.

I went to see my doctor one morning, he phoned me in the afternoon and I was in a psychiatric hospital the next morning. That was a while back but it is doable. I like to think that I wasn't 'that' far gone, but who is going to trust the judgement of a psychotic manic depressive.

alba - is your problem specific to one person, one area or generally? You can share petitions on Facebook.

[albaqwerty]

thanks trt x

I am getting increasingly frustrated and annoyed at slow progress in attacking (if that's the right word) mental health issues.

gawd, slow progress? There doesn't seem to be any!!
People need help now, not in 2 years time.

Soory, getting aerated.