In the UK we have something called a CRB check, which we have to have done as part of the recruitment process. It gives the company details on criminal convictions etc. There are different levels of CRB check such as basic or enhanced. The basic one just has unspent convictions I believe, the enhanced one has pretty much everything, even what they call 'soft intelligence' which is basically just subjective notes they keep on you. But you wouldn't think that mental health history would come up on a CRB check, after all, CRB stands for 'Criminal Records Bureau' and mental health issues doesn't make you a criminal. Well, apparently it does.
Guest blog revealing mental health discrimination in CRB checks | Alastair Campbell Shocking, right? I don't know what level of CRB check it comes under, I would guess that it is just the enhanced check, but still. I have had to have an enhanced CRB check before.
Thanks for all your responses. This is clearly an issue for a lot of people. The world needs to fix up and stop demonising mental health issues.
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Originally Posted by atomicc
My advice...don't let it get to that point. Get help before you DO lose control
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I appreciate your wisdom on this one. This is the sort of advice that can potentially save peoples lives.
I think I can survive on my own but I guess there is a big difference between just about keeping your head above water in a cold and lonely ocean with the occasional lungful of salt water compared to sitting on a sunny beach. And you're right, you never know when a shark is going to find you and pull you under. I guess by getting help it is like having a raft and a compass to find your way back to shore with.
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Originally Posted by (JD)
I'm confused. You already have the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder?
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Self diagnosis at the moment. I know that is looked down upon and discredited but to be honest I am fairly sure at this point. I thought I was bipolar/cyclothymic for awhile and perhaps I have those tenancies too, and anxiety, but the more I read about borderline personality disorder the more it just explains everything about me which I thought was so unique and inexplicable. That's what has made me consider getting help because if there is a name for what I suffer from and research done, maybe there is actually some hope.
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A checklist of internationally recognised criteria is used to diagnosis BPD. A diagnosis can usually be made if you answer yes to five or more of the following questions:
- has an intense fear of being left alone caused you to act in ways that, on reflection, seem out of the ordinary or extreme, such as constantly phoning somebody (but not including self-harming or suicidal behaviour)?
- do you have a pattern of intense and unstable relationships with other people that switch between thinking you love that person and they are wonderful to hating that person and thinking they are terrible?
- do you ever feel you do not have a strong sense of your own self and are unclear about your self-image?
- do you engage in impulsive activities in two areas that are potentially damaging, such as unsafe sex, drug abuse or reckless spending (but not including self-harming or suicidal behaviour)?
- have you made repeated suicide threats or attempts in your past and engaged in self-harming?
- do you have severe mood swings, such as feeling intensely depressed, anxious or irritable, which last from a few hours to a few days?
- do you have long-term feelings of emptiness and loneliness?
- do you have sudden and intense feelings of anger and aggression, and often find it difficult to control your anger?
- when you find yourself in stressful situations, do you have feelings of paranoia, or do you feel like you are disconnected from the world or from your own body, thoughts and behavior?
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The only bullet point here which didn't leave me shocked by the extent of it's accuracy is the self harm one. Even when reading about the factors that contribute to a person having borderline personality disorder they all apply to me, my childhood and my family history. I think its a pretty safe bet.
Hopefully I can get a proper diagnosis and the help I need one way or another I just need to rationalise the whole having it on my record and other people finding out thing. I've never even talked to anyone in real life about mental health issues before, always been too much in denial. Just now am I starting to realise that maybe it won't all just go away and everything will be fine.