Self discharge from CMHT

Can anyone tell me if a service user has the right to discharge themselves from MH services (CMHT) if they are still extremely depressed and have ongoing suicidal ideation? Or can a Psych / CPN / MH team object and prevent the person from discharging themselves?

Would appreciate anyone's thoughts on this.

I discharged myself a few years back.

I mean, if they felt you were a threat to yourself, I assume you would have been involuntarily hospitalized. Otherwise, unless you were court mandated and/or have CPS involvement, yes you can demand to be discharged.

*I have experience working for a CMH agency.

It depends on the jurisdiction and their laws. The OP is in the UK not the U.S.

Then I have no clue.

They can section you if they think you are a danger to yourself or others . This probably happens a lot less than it really should because of funding issues.

Have you not been helped at all? I remember you were with a T who changed their mind about what kind of therapy you should do. Did it not work out?

I'm sorry if nobody has helped you.

My feeling would be to try to talk to the T or nurse or whoever you have contact with, about how you are feeling, and see if they have anything to suggest. I'm sorry though if that is not helpful or if you've already tried that.

Thanks for your reply satsuma. Yes you are correct, I started off doing Schema Therapy and then it was changed to EMDR. it's all just got too much. At last meeting with CPN, I had a bit of a meltdown, she thought I was at risk and called duty Psych in. I think I am better off without MH services intervention, because every encounter with them leaves me feeling worse.

I don't have personal experience with EMDR, but my understanding is that it can make things worse when it is not done carefully, or when clients have certain issues, such as dissociation. You might ask if they can offer a different therapy, and let them know that if not, you'll need to discharge yourself.

I'm sorry to hear this.

Was it helpful when the nurse called the duty Psych? I think if that happened to me I would find it scary on the one hand but I would also take it as a sign of someone caring about me and whether I was ok.

I think that you would be able to self-discharge from the MH services, but my worry would be that then you might still be left with difficulties, suicidal ideation or other things, but no help. That's why I thought maybe you can keep on raising how you are feeling with the service providers and see if you can finally get to a person or a therapy that helps you.

To be honest, the CPN calling the duty Psych completely freaked me out, I just wanted to get up and run. It did nothing to reassure or calm me down.. I think that's why I don't feel able to go back - if I can't be honest about how I'm feeling without MH services going into overdrive, then I'm better off without them.
I'm afraid I can't think of it in terms of them caring about me as a person, more that it's an arse covering exercise on their part in case something goes wrong.

Yes, I'm here calmly saying that I would take it as a sign of caring, in the cold light of day, but it's totally possible that in the moment I would have freaked out as you did.

I totally see what you're saying - it seems pointless seeing MH people if you're not able to be honest with them and you feel like you have to pretend to be feeling ok and stable.

I think one of the many things I appreciate about my T is his unflappability. If he ever lost it then I'm sure I would too. There was just one time he said he was going to call an ambulance (I felt like he "threatened" to call an ambulance. He didn't see it that way.) But then I have to admit I had called his mobile phone late at night which has never happened before or since. I think being able to stay calm is a really major and important skill for people who work in mental health.

I wonder if it would be possible to see the counsellor you were seeing before and talk to them (her?) about how you are thinking of discharging yourself, I wonder if your previous counsellor would have a useful perspective and maybe be able to support you in thinking through these things.

CMHT in my opinion are rubbish. They didn't have any real tools, to be of help to me. They're robotic. Can only think in robotic, box ticking thinking.

Well my T who I see privately also works in the NHS and has worked in a CMHT, so there must be good people out there! But it's a shame it seems to be down to luck, being lucky or unlucky, and also that they have all kinds of constraints like time constraints which might make them go for the box-ticking rubbish.

These things shouldn't be down to luck.
Like having heart surgery and being told if you're lucky your surgeon will know what his doing.

Overdue hugs for you East...I was thinking about you the other day, and hoping I might be able to catch up with you soon.

The situation is much like this here in Ontario, as well. Woefully understaffed...and the people who are there fancy themselves infallible, to boot.

I haven't faced anything like what you're enduring, East. But I do understand completely the frustration of not getting the very basic care required, and sympathetic attention for the issues you want addressed.

Regardless of how individuals involved may make me feel, I do have to routinely remind myself that, logically, these folks actually are on my side, although it often looks and sounds different than that to me. If I did not do this, over and over, I would never make it to any medical appointments, ever again.

((((huggggg))))

Great to hear from you again MuseumGhost... You make a good point here. Yes, it's easy to forget that these people are on our side but it doesn't always feel that way. Especially when they are acting in our best interests but it's difficult to see it in those terms.

(((hugs)))