[Anonymous37919]

I've called the social work building up the road from me for like 3 years. Well, I live near there now because of the flat I ended up in, but they never return my phone calls regarding obtaining support. I've left voicemail over and over again, just not too frequently, but I know that I've did it enough times by now to at least merit getting a return call anyway. Just taking any rubbish support from unqualified people promotes inner weakness.

The frustrating thing is that nobody in this building makes any real sort of effort to ring me back - ever. Even recently, I've attempted to get a new social worker from there because I think the one I currently have works against me (although they all do pretty much the same job, my mother keeps telling me). I'm asked to leave X person voicemail by a receptionist, then I'm fully ignored forever more. The cycle of calling and being neglected repeats.

This guy has done absolutely *NOTHING* productive for me since I met him. He once found me two guys that didn't have flexible hours, as that agency they're from has fewer staff than the agency that supported me from 2008 to 2014 (the one I had problems with). Other than that, the guys were generally okay as people, but I clearly stated that 'fixed' hours is no good. Then I gave them up in next to no time. Following this decision, I waited around a year for him to find alternate support, as it was like I was back at square one. He found me a Moroccan support worker from a nursing agency who just wound me up from the jump, so I ditched him, and that was like a year ago. I've ran into him a few times outdoors, but he just acts lippy if I say anything.

This social worker likely tells all these potential support places that I cannot work with women due to that legal ordeal from before, but I already agreed with him years ago that I'd only have guys (although it's likely mandatory that I don't be supported by females in any case). So already, I'm sure they're probably running a mile and this is before they have even laid eyes on me.

To be honest as well, there's really not unlimited amounts of support agencies in cities like Edinburgh either, so I reckon he has been around the lot of them, gas bagging about me. Not to mention, social workers have to agree on how to fund the support, so they want to make sure their money isn't being "wasted" (as he puts it across) on things the client selects the support for, that they perhaps don't agree with providing it for. Like with my desire to be an extra in films for example, I've often told him that I have intense anxiety and so this means I usually cannot go alone to film sets. But, yeah. I've covered all this in my prior topics.

I could scream sometimes. How am I going to even meet people in general without any help? Being on the Internet all day long and doing this every single day is vastly unhealthy as well, and it actually makes me feel irritable. That and some of the members on the other message boards I've been on aren't terribly nice.

Have you visited this office in person?

Visiting my office in person always resulted in an immediate response.

If you can, visit the office. If doing so is difficult as a result of your mental health disability then have someone attend with you as an advocate. You may be able to obtain such a person to assist you from your local mental health association.

My own office and case worker do not return phone calls.

[Anonymous37919]

I don't think I have, but I don't know how I can get to that stage when my calls are ignored. I know that social workers are probably answering tons of other people's calls every minute of the day, sure, but it has been 3 years of getting mucked around that has lead to my extreme frustration. My mother tries to defend him by saying that he just puts an ad out there and it's whoever answers it, but surely, surely there's nowhere left by this point. Simply put, social services have had so many cutbacks, that they really don't want to 'justify paying for support' that they think will not be useful. But apparently, according to what my mother told me, the social worker is okay with assigning support for sporting events. Really?

Where I live (which is in Edinburgh), there's only really two major mental heath related agencies in my general circle. The other care agencies are mainly for care required in the home. Elderly people and the physically disabled fall into this category. It was daft of him to acquire a guy from a nursing agency to support me when I have nothing wrong with me physically. Therefore, some poor old granny likely lost out on 6 hours of support, because he was assigned to me instead of who actually truly needed it. Autism support workers are who should help autistic people and so on and so forth, yet from my own experience of dealing with them, they haven't got a clue about anything and certain support workers like to behave in a pretentious way to come across as being smarter than their clients are.

Can I ask a question about a semi-related matter while I'm here? What law states you cannot add an entry regarding a film on a database, or submit an entry on the biggest film database online, if you're actually in it? I'm asking this question because I had someone gripe at me before about me putting a short film on there. She wasn't happy that I added it on YouTube either. That's fair enough, as I did pinch it, and I don't have a say in what gets uploaded where and when, seeing as how I don't have any ownership of the film or major involvement beyond being an extra. However, putting an entry on a film database is not illegal. It all seems a bit petty to me. Now she has cost me parts in a few short films, as she is working as a camera assistant on them just now, and instructed several people she knows to fob me off when I asked about being an extra on Facebook very recently.

Think how that sounds. I'd asked to be an...extra! That's rather malicious. Ain't it? It was actually her own producer that added it on YouTube almost a year ago. All I did was save it. Who is it really hurting? It's a 6 minute film, for crying out loud. Nobody will even remember any of these short films that are shown at the festivals by no-name directors in a few years from now. Will they?

[*Laurie*]

In my experience social services agencies do not return phone calls, not for anyone. It's terrible, but true. You absolutely must go into the office. There is no other way to get the help you need.

Peter, regarding the movie thing, I thought this was already discussed and the matter closed? There is only one thing that comes to my mind why you are having repeated troubles. This is a questioning as to what have you done previously? Is there a prior history here? Has a prior issue caused you to be persona non grata. Maybe give the whole thing a rest if this is the case. After a while attempt to do so again but you have got to play by the rules. Respect begets respect. A final thought, are you providing adequate documentation when it comes to these submissions?

[Anonymous37919]

Yes, I am. As I explained before, a director of a little film is annoyed because I added an entry for it on IMDb and it was put on YouTube without her permission. Well, I can see why she isn't happy, but to be fair, I saved it because someone she knows uploaded it first. She told me that if a film goes online, it cannot go through the festivals. They would be ineligible after that.

Now, I wasn't aware of any of these rules. However, I did get slandered a lot by other people, which I cannot actually prove, but I just have a hunch. I'm likely going to give up soon anyway. I'm not sure if acting is really something for people with autism and anxiety. Getting angry about it and posting about it all of the time due to being upset isn't productive either. Also, I think people with loneliness see the bigger picture as something that will make them gain popularity, but that's an illusion.

To survive in the industry, you need a strong backbone. You also don't get much major film work in Edinburgh, so even the established types don't make a living from it unless they are able to go further afield, but even then, it's so hard. They are stuck doing short films and YouTube material. They often go and work in offices or warehouses, doing other work not related to films. The film world eventually becomes a distant memory, just like with those former pop stars who quit making music after their popularity declines. At least they know when to get out while they're ahead with things, I suppose.

This obviously matters a great deal to you but it has also become quite clear that you have managed to become a thorn in their sides. You need to accept that this isn't going to go well, that the only result is increased frustration, disappointment, and perhaps even anger.

Some 'tough love here'...

Please, stop and consider all the energy you have wasted on this endeavour already. Is this what you wish to be remembered for? I say you need to move on and put this behind you. Better to invest your energy into something realistic that will bring you joy than to continue to go down this path to continued unhappiness. Finally, let us say you are successful... so what? What will the result be and how will it affect your life and further your cause? To what end is accomplishing this one task going to improve your life? No Peter, you need to step back and take a wider look at this. If you want to be appreciated there are other ways to achieve this.

[unaluna]

Justafriend - good advice. We all must try to bloom where we are planted. Consider how we can make a contribution in the neighborhood where we are.

[seesaw]

Originally Posted by Peter A

Yes, I am. As I explained before, a director of a little film is annoyed because I added an entry for it on IMDb and it was put on YouTube without her permission. Well, I can see why she isn't happy, but to be fair, I saved it because someone she knows uploaded it first. She told me that if a film goes online, it cannot go through the festivals. They would be ineligible after that.

Now, I wasn't aware of any of these rules. However, I did get slandered a lot by other people, which I cannot actually prove, but I just have a hunch. I'm likely going to give up soon anyway. I'm not sure if acting is really something for people with autism and anxiety. Getting angry about it and posting about it all of the time due to being upset isn't productive either. Also, I think people with loneliness see the bigger picture as something that will make them gain popularity, but that's an illusion.

To survive in the industry, you need a strong backbone. You also don't get much major film work in Edinburgh, so even the established types don't make a living from it unless they are able to go further afield, but even then, it's so hard. They are stuck doing short films and YouTube material. They often go and work in offices or warehouses, doing other work not related to films. The film world eventually becomes a distant memory, just like with those former pop stars who quit making music after their popularity declines. At least they know when to get out while they're ahead with things, I suppose.

I work with a lot of directors and producers. What you did is a huge no-no. You are an extra in the film. It is not your intellectual property. The creator of the film has the right to choose when and where they share it, not you. So I can understand why they are blacklisting you now from working. They don't want the same things happening to their films. Not being able to enter films into festivals is a HUGE problem. When they spend thousands of dollars to create a film, they do all the fundraising to pay for all the sets, actors, costumes, etc., and then you ruin their chance of making any money off of it by putting it online? Festivals pay filmmakers money. You screwed her. So yeah, she was pissed.

It wasn't your intellectual property so I don't know why you would have thought it was okay for you to post it anywhere. So that's why you're having issues with that.

As far as social services, I have never received a call back either. You have to go, in person, to the office and that typically gets an immediate response.

Good luck,
Seesaw

[Anonymous37919]

I'll send her an apology for how I reacted, but not just now as it will still be fresh in her memory and this all occurred recently, so I'm upset and she's upset. However, her producer put it online first. This is actually how I got it in the first place, and I don't know if I'd ever have gotten to see it otherwise (so I took the chance to back it off) and he maybe shouldn't have added it on YouTube if he didn't want anybody finding it as I had, although it is theirs, I suppose, and I could have just watched it on my laptop without adding it on any websites, so I guess I screwed up big time by making it known it was there on my channel.

[*Laurie*]

I wonder how the internet has changed the "rules" of who can post what. I mean, what if someone anonymously posts music or a film or whatever...would that disqualify, for example, a film from being in a festival? I don't know anything about this; I'm just curious.

[seesaw]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

I wonder how the internet has changed the "rules" of who can post what. I mean, what if someone anonymously posts music or a film or whatever...would that disqualify, for example, a film from being in a festival? I don't know anything about this; I'm just curious.

If you post things you don't have the intellectual property to, you often will get a cease and desist letter or, if the person reports it to the service (like YouTube or Facebook) then the service will take it down.

So as a choreographer if someone posts my work and I didn't give them permission, I can report it and have it taken down or I can send a cease and desist letter. It's no different than taking a photograph you don't own and posting it. Technically you aren't allowed to.

I am not sure how an anonymous posting would go, but it could damage the chances for a film festival. That's why they often don't share the footage until they are ready to release it. I'm not sure the deal with the producer sharing it to YouTube or whatever. It's one thing if you find a link and share a link, because you are linking to the original source. But to repost as your own is highly frowned upon.

Seesaw

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by seesaw

If you post things you don't have the intellectual property to, you often will get a cease and desist letter or, if the person reports it to the service (like YouTube or Facebook) then the service will take it down.

So as a choreographer if someone posts my work and I didn't give them permission, I can report it and have it taken down or I can send a cease and desist letter. It's no different than taking a photograph you don't own and posting it. Technically you aren't allowed to.

I am not sure how an anonymous posting would go, but it could damage the chances for a film festival. That's why they often don't share the footage until they are ready to release it. I'm not sure the deal with the producer sharing it to YouTube or whatever. It's one thing if you find a link and share a link, because you are linking to the original source. But to repost as your own is highly frowned upon.

Seesaw

Really interesting info. Thanks, Seesaw.

[cool09]

Mine did too back in the 90's. The Community Services Dr. was deplorable. He didn't even consult with me yet told me that I had breaks with reality and put me on clozaril. I told him I wanted off of it and he said No. I felt so walked on.

[Anonymous37919]

Yeah. That's what they did with me too. I told them I have anxiety, and they were prescribing me beta blockers, but I don't know if they actually work, because I was reluctant to start using tablets like they were Smarties. Doctors are just fickle, because medication like that only addresses the physical symptoms of stress, while ignoring the root cause of the depression.