A Mental Health Crisis Within a Crisis.

Over the past ten years here in the UK we have experienced a time of austerity, measures implemented by the Conservative government to reduce public spending.
It has cut back services to a bare minimum and in many cases closed down support services all together. Spending on domestic abuse services has been cut by quarter over the past seven years and 44% of women fleeing abuse last year were 'sofa surfing' for around 6 months before being offered a refuge place. Sofa surfing is just a sugar coated term for homelessness in my opinion.
Beds for mental health patients have been cut by 30% and service users can be waiting around 18 months for any kind of meaningful treatment.
In a recent Guardian article it was revealed that since the corona virus lock down has begun a quarter of people who sought medical attention for their mental health got no help or treatment.

One respondent told Mind: “My mental health has got worse because there is no help anywhere. I went to A&E suicidal and was told that there was nothing they could do. I contacted the crisis team and they said the same.”

I myself suffer from depression, anxiety and two years ago was diagnosed with PTSD. I am not afraid to admit that since the lockdown was implemented I have experienced very distressing mental health issues. Frequently I have felt so overwhelmed that I have lost my ability to reason and have had extreme emotional fluctuations. It has effected my ability to function 'normally' and has pushed me to my limits.

 I have started to use ACT (ACT develops psychological flexibility and is a form of behavioural therapy that combines mindfulness skills with the practice of self-acceptance. When aiming to be more accepting of your thoughts and feelings, commitment plays a key role.)
You can find the workbook I'm currently using here. I have found so far that ACT has helped me to some extent accept my thoughts and feelings. I hope to be able to enrol in a physical program after lockdown is lifted and work with therapist to address these thoughts/feelings and also my PTSD.

Mental health facilities and access to treatment was already at breaking point in the UK before Covid-19 hit. The public health crisis has fully exposed the brutality of government cuts to health and social care. We will see an increasing demand for mental health services as a result of the pandemic, a service that already cannot cope. This is why we have a crisis within a crisis. Until mental health services actually receive the funding they require we will always be playing catch up. Lives will be lost, families left without support, children and young people suffering necessarily waiting to be seen by CAHMS. Imagine waiting years for an autism diagnosis? Or trying to care for a loved one with psychosis without any support? Or being turned away from hospital when you want to end your own life?
As a student psychologist it is my aim to do everything I can to implement change, lobby government for increased funding and fight for the most vulnerable in society.
I would like to see the UK as world leaders in mental health care. A shining example of support that is implemented from the cradle to the grave. Working towards prevention as well as cure. Teaching mindfulness and resilience to primary school children, mental health workers in all schools and youth centres.
Walk in mental health services in at least all cities so people can by pass seeing a G.P and get fobbed off with the same SSRI's and then wait months/years for therapy.
Elderly care that offers a holistic approach to physical and mental well being especially regarding conditions like alzheimers and dementia. Finally an informative and accepting culture surrounding death and grief. Setting up projects like death cafe's and the death positivist movement.
There is no reason why mental health should not be fully supported at every stage of life and be as normal as seeing a dentist every 6 months.

The government would argue the cost of implementing this kind of change would be huge. However the amount of work days lost due to mental illness in the UK is staggering. So by investing money into the mental health service the government would actually be doing the economy a huge favour. 

Mental ill health is responsible for 72 million lost working days a year and research estimates this cost to be as high as £74–£99 billion.

Occupational health within business and industry needs to take care of employees mental health, work load has been one of the main problems cited by those suffering depression as a result of their job.

• One in five workers ‘embarrassed to take time off for mental illness’
• Half of managers ‘consider mental ill-health a liability’
  

You can find all the official statistics here and it makes for a very grim read.

I could write thousands upon thousands of words regarding mental health treatment in the UK and I probably will over the course of my studies. Just writing about it is not enough though. I aim to be a loud and annoying advocate for change.