ESA Daughter WRAG

[jackieandwayne]

Your daughter will get put in the support group IF the community mental health team, or her GP or consultant writes "this lady is not in a position to hold down employment as not only she a a danger to herself, she is a serious risk to everyone around her". Don;t think for one minute they care about the danger to herself, but they will care about the risk to everyone around her. This I know because it is what was written about me which got me into the Support Group. It is a true statement about me, and as I have several friends now with bi-polar, I can bet a pound to a dollar it is true about your daughter.

 

I wouldn;t be at all surprised to hear that your daughter had a complete bi-polar "s*** fit" whilst in these awful jobcentres. And neither would I be surprised she had then been put into the correct group. It would educate every member of staff working that day in the true meaning of "bi-polar" Geez, what it takes to get these people to realise that mentally ill people are just that....!

[jackieandwayne]

Keep a very good eye on her at the job centre even though she has never had a violent episode.

 

I have PTSD which although well controlled now with medication and bloody mindedness (I am in charge brain, not you!) can make me go up like Vesuvius. Its because if I have an episode, its a fear related thing, I get flashbacks, and good lord all hell lets loose. The Job Centre actually caused this to happen on one occasion. 3 years ago when i was really, really bad with it, they insisted I attend some sort of disability focused interview at a local Holiday Inn of all places. I had to sit in the cafe area with all the business men and holiday makers booking in and out and getting coffee, sobbing as i was so ill, confused and frightened. How embarrasing. Of course, the fear of strangers completely took over and the two women interviewing me must have thought I was rabid! Fortunately one of them had experience with mental health and got me out of there. After that, I only ever went back to the job centre twice, both times I was seated in a quiet area (if there is such a thing), and a very pleasant and calm older lady came and got me. And then escorted me off the premises to make sure i was ok.

 

I have several friends, all in their late 40's early 50's who have bi-polar. I'm really pleased to hear your daughter doesn;t have the anger problems. But they can be a part of bi-polar, and being at the job centre and being put under stress can be triggers. And also the bi-polar blow ups that I have had to deal with with one particular friend was because she was one of those who felt better mentally on her meds, but hated the side effects (wieght gain) so left off them thinking she was cured, then hey ho, here we go again. She's only 5ft 2" but when she goes off on one she has the strength of ten men. Its much better today, but 6 years ago she used to frighten the hell out of me. At her very worst we believe it was to do with the menopause aggravating her condition, HRT sorted that out, and then things calmed down again. Today she runs her own hairdressing business (qualified two years ago!). Yes, its safe to let Susie near the scissors again! So, that just shows you about not writing off mentally ill people! (And older ladies)

 

Its good you go to the job centre with her, but I expect, had she to go alone, she might well be adversely affected by it, frightened even, and its that sort of thing that starts the problems off with the mental health side of things. I really hope she gets it sorted. I would say, remember that even though she does not display the angry side of bi-polar, it is a characteristic of the condition, so a psychiatrist describing it to DWP in a report might well include this as a possibility.

 

Sure as eggs is eggs she's in the wrong group and i really hope this gets sorted quickly (and that DWP staff get some basic training into what mental illness is rather than having to rely on their customers to give demonstrations).

[jackieandwayne]

Now what was the name of that man - Wat Tyler - started the peasants revolt in the mid 1300's. Thats what we need right now. Has anyone noticed how much fat Cameron has around his face now as opposed to when he first got in? Grrr! I

[jackieandwayne]

We need a modern day Wat Tyler OR this High Court thing to go good. (And if its going to be Wat Tyler I'm voting for either Ibruk or papasmurf)! Where do the mentaly ill stand re Human Rights, if they are being discriminated against?

 

I tell you what is going to happen, someone is going to be forced into the workplace with a serious mental illness, and harm will come to someone.

 

Hensteeth, I do think that if the DWP are told that a person who is mentally ill is a danger to themselves and others then this should be taken seriously. Its a very serious statement to make, and one that would not be made lightly. As in my own case. They've been told that if I have to go to the JC or a work placement I am likely to harm someone because of my PTSD. Therefore they have left me in the support group. I am lucky this time, and to my way of thinking so is every person I may have otherwise had to come into contact with. I have limitations which help me manage my condition - outside those limitations my whole world can turn upside down and i can become a completely different person. I'm sure there are certain people who use "depression" as an excuse for a few weeks holiday. Lets hope they never encounter a clinical or reactive depression.

 

As to the mentally ill and otherwise disabled being villified - well I witnessed this first hand yesterday afternoon when one neighbour was roaring foul mouthed abuse at another nieghbour and who is seriously mentally ill. I heard the one idiot shout at him "you mentally defective retard"! It was awful and I'm sure thats not allowed. Of course it goes without saying that the person being abused is an ex-grammar school boy, and the one abusing can't even read a tape measure!

[jackieandwayne]

Laura, like I said before, when your daughter has a complete mental **** fit on these people they will begin to understand. That's what it took to get them off my back - at my very very worst with PTSD I blew up on them like a glass bottle being dropped. They now understand how far they can push me. If they start again and they force me into one of these stupid jobs, then who is responsible when I break down and hit someone out of fear? Interesting. They have been warned.

[jackieandwayne]

This is disgusting Laura. I feel for your daughter, I really do. And I am behind you 100% and about to go through it all with my nephews lifelong friend.

 

I've known the lad all his life, and all his life, he has had major epileptic fits. He missed most of his school because of it so he can't read and write as well as the rest of us. His life is controlled by the fits. He just got a letter and of course he failed to ATOS thing. All benefits to stop 18-2-2013. One of the reasons they have given is his refusal to have an implant inserted into his head to try and control some of the fits! I am so angry. Of course we are going first for a redetermination, then an appeal.

 

What I have said to him is that I will go with him to any interviews and he is not to worry about having a fit. If it happens it happens, and its their floor that is going to be made a mess of. So, it seems that your poor daughter has to "be made to go" - fair enough. When she has a complete PTSD breakdown, as i said to you ages ago on here, then so be it.

 

What else can we do?

 

Good luck Laura. Don;t give up.

[jackieandwayne]

I've just started seeing my High Intensity Practitioner again for another 20 weeks. She's connected to our local CMHT. She was telling me how, at least here in Dorset, the GP's have recognised the terrible effect all this is having on mental health patients, the service is completely overwhelmed, but the GP's have refused to redirect any funding away from this service. Or however it works. She says she likes to think it is out of care for these patients; the reality is if the CMHT has funding cut, the GP's surgeries will be full of mental health patients with nowhere to go.

 

My lady looked exhausted. She's after me to help some less articulate patients with these forms, because their own support staff are so over worked they can;t cope. I've given the matter some thought, and I've taken a look around me, had a good read on here. I have to consider my own mental health as well, I'm already helping a friend out with one of these performances with ATOS. And I suppose I could help two people a week, so we'll give it a go.

 

So I've signed up to that the site which shall not be mentioned and we'll see how it goes. I have another friend living nearby who was a legal executive for 20 years, until something nasty came her way and left her with PTSD like me. Mind as sharp as a razor. Yet another friend had a complete mental breakdown but is excellent with accounting etc., so we'll haul her on board for budgeting help etc. finances. So, within our limitations and finances allowing we'll see what we can do to help.

 

Take heart Laura, we might come across someone just like your daughter. That Cameron fool said he wanted to see community spirit and everyone helping each other - this is what us three ladies will do, and it won't be to this Govt's advantage.

 

I can only suggest, since support is now slowly being closed off from Mind etc., that if you are in a position to be able to help someone else out, you offer to do so. I'm sure its common knowledge that some mental health conditions can make people like a terrier with a bone, and when that's combined with a skill you thought you'd never use again - it can be a wicked tool.

 

Laura this is shocking. Pat on the back and gold star to you a) for being the caring soul you are and b) for clearly belonging to the terrier club.