working in mental health

I have worked in mental health for nearly 6 years now and have found there have been many changes over the years.

Does anyone else work in mental health and have you found that it has changed over the years?

Hm.. A friend of mine was a counselor for several years. I don't know about changes but he didn't like doing it enough to stick with it. Now he's getting his MA in social psychology.

But I am curious to know what changes you have seen!

well, the only cganges ive seen ( as a patient) are my doctors changing all the time because the MH here in cali cant seem to hold onto their doctors.. ill also say this is very distressing to us patients!! especially if we have to tell our life story over and over agaain, you want to just type it all out on a card and hand it to new dude,and you cant tell him too awfull much because you know he'll be gone next month..its like, i can tell my doctors whats works and what doesnt, but then you'll get a new 'fresh out the academy' doc that want to try new meds on you..that sucks!! so i would say to the doctors out there, listen to your patients, they know what works for them, they just cant communicate it to you, so YOU need to learn to ask better questions!!! and if you dont like your job, dont be there because we can tell when you dont like us.. also, most people dont take their meds because they just make you feel 'wrong,' ive had so many side affects till i found the right combo,from my knees giving out from under me to major agression where i wanted to kick everyones ass.( im not usually a violent person at all, got off those meds real quick) most meds just knock you out sothey dont have to deal with you, luckly MH drugs have come a long way..but still long way to go..

The changes that have happened in the UK is what is called care in the community. It is meant that when people come out of hospital there is support for them. Also if they have to return to hospital for a short time the same support will still be there when they come home again. I support people with mental health problems to live in the community and build self-esteem, independance and for the support to go at their pace. As no one is the same support can vary with each person and some people may need support for longer, they aim is not to put a time limit on them, which could also put pressure on them. The aim is also not to make them feel that they have to have the support, so visits are usually agreed together and reviewed. The support is there to help people to stay out of hospital and to build their life skills, I am not there to take anything away from them.

I HAVE WORKED FOR 33 YRS IN MENTAL HEALTH FIELD. WORKED WITH BEHAVORAL CHILDREN, AUTISTIC, DEVELOPMENTAL, MENTAL ILL. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CHANGES OVER THE YEARS. SOME FOR THE BETTER, SOME NOT. SOME HAVE PUT US BACK A FEW STEPS. I RECENTLY SPENT 4 YRS. SUPERVISING A CARE FACILITY FOR 6 DISABLED CHILDREN. I RETIRED FOR GOOD LAST MONTH. I LOVED MY JOB AND THE CHALLENGES IT HAD. MOSTLY I CARED DEEPLY FOR THE CLIENTS. THEY GAVE ME MORE THEN I COULD EVER GIVE THEM. THERE HAVE BEEN A VAST CHANGE IN TYPES OF MEDICATION, AND MENTAL THERAPY. IF I HAD TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN I WOULD STILL HAVE CHOSEN THAT FIELD. I AM A LICENSED PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIAN WITH NURSING. THE LAST TYPE OF CLIENTS IN THE INSTITUTION WHERE FERENSIC. THAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET.

Thanks to those who have replied to me on the subject of mental health. I am still new to mental health compared to some, but I feel I will never know everything and intend to stay open to gaining new knowledge to help me be of support to others. I have now become an NVQ Assessor in Health and Social Care and found that this has hepled me to re-look at my knowledge and to look at areas I can improve my skills. I have found it worthwhile being an Assessor and see others gaining their NVQ award.

I am a psychiatric nurse and really enjoy a challenging job. I suppose that coming to this profession 8 years ago after long employment elsewhere has shown me how difficult life is for some people in our society. The public can be so judgemental,and very often I get the feeling that a lot of people think that poor mental health is a sign of weakness and that it could not happen to them, it could. I work in an admission ward and believe me the experiences that some of my patients have had it is no wonder they end up in hospital, I do not know how I would cope with some of their lives. All sectors of the community arrive on the ward,poor mental health can affect anyone from any sector of our societies.

Thanks for your reply, I also feel that some people who come to have mental health illness have had a difficult past life. I feel giving them support and understanding is a step in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go. I sometimes believe that people forget that it can happen to anyone and will never know when it will happen. It could come from stess or a loss in a persons life, we always feel it cannot happen to us. As you said some people may have had a good job, family and something in their life changed, they did not ask to become unwell. I work in the community with clients and work to support them to have a 'normal life' question what is a 'normal life'.

Mousey I read your post and thought I'd let you know that the job is great and I enjoy the relationships I have with both my colleagues and the people who are admitted to the ward, many I have met before. As you know for some the illness never goes away, while I meet revolving door patients? it does not make them any less special. My life has been all the more enjoyable for the people I meet through the job. I am ward based, working in the community, now that is a challenge!

I enjoy working in the community, which I have been doing now for 4 years, before I was in a residential home. When working in the home I found that clients did not want to move out into the community as they felt safe in the home after being in hospital. The main draw back I see now is the isolation when people live on their own in their own homes. There are a few flats where two of three people share a home together, these are when social services have been able to arrange for people to live together. I have spoken to them and they have said that living together does give them company and are happy to stay together. I do not know what the answer is.

Hi Mousey I worked in residential setting some years ago and really enjoyed it. It was care of the elderly and I have to say the residents were great their life experiences to be listened to. It could be heavy work but the benefits in terms of humour, consideration and being appreciated for my efforts were something to take home at night.
For those in the community who live alone it must be quite a problem, wanting to be accepted but, perhaps, aware that their particular illness may surface again to cause problems. Sharing an accommodation sounds like a good idea,it is not a situation I know much about although there is supported accommodation in the area I work it tends to be more than just a couple of people.

Like all other professionals in the health service we do take good offers when they come along. I would agree that the rapport that can be built between a patient and health worker which sometimes takes a while to build is hard to break but for those of us who have moved on it is difficult too.
I would always hope that the next person to take my place if and when I moved on gives the patients on the ward their very best.
The main thing is that mental health issues are kept in the forefront of health care, just like any other illness it could affect anyone in any family.

I do understand that when someone leaves after working with a client for sometime it can be done badly. I have always aimed to give the client plenty of notices to my leaving and for them to meet the new person taking over. Recently I have just changed my job, but within the same building. The department I was leaving were going to close my clients I have been working with for over 3 years. So asked my new department if I would be able to take my clients with me and so still work with them, which I was able to do. I had told them about my leaving and so then told them I would still be working with them. I am still unsure if they were pleased I would still be working with them. Or looking forward to starting afresh with someone new. I do aim to be open with the clients and hope they feel the same. To respect that we are all individuals with or with out an illness.