I have just finished watching last night’s episode of 999 what’s Your Emergency, my husband and I watch it weekly, yet last night we had a film night so he recorded it.
I had been pre warned that the topic was mental health and a few have asked me what I thought of it.
What do I feel after watching it? Angry
I am angry that one of our countries most vulnerable groups of people is being failed in such a way. I empathise with the emergency services who are trying their very best under finance cuts, lack of staff and of course being left to pick up the pieces of a broken society.
Where are the qualified mental health professions in times of need? How is a police officer or paramedic not trained to deal with a mental health patient supposed to do their job correctly? I admire the way they do respond, how they try to treat everyone the same, yet we are not the same, we do need specialised help at times.
Narrator Hugo Speer said: “A quarter of the UK population will suffer from mental health problems at some time in their lives.
“And with the number of psychiatric beds falling by 80 per cent in a generation, inevitably the emergency services are dealing with more people with serious mental health problems.”
Lee the schizophrenic as I am led to believe he was, terrified and scratching at the itching inside of his head, literally ripping his own hair out sat in the back of an ambulance. Lee and Frederick become quite apparent and the descriptive note that the paramedic gave offered a real insight into the world of mental health, his head rolled back and his eyes glazed over, a frosty stare and even the lines on his faced changed, he looked like a different man. There were 2 men in that ambulance, not 1. Is a paramedic qualified to deal in these circumstances?
I have no reason to doubt that the paramedic was terrified of what she was witnessing, yet I admire the way in which she was able to deal professionally with her patient. But that was not her job; she is neither a mental health nurse nor a psychiatrist.
“Take me somewhere safe” he pleaded and she did, to the local hospital, where she stayed by his sound. My throat chocked up when he repeatedly apologised to her. What has he to be sorry about? It is the government and the mental health services that should be saying sorry.
I hope Lee was given the correct care and support and not just tossed to one side and shoved back out into the community with no continuous support, like so many are.
The police officer stated he spent most of his career working as a social worker, not as a police officer, so where are the social workers?
I felt the pain the daughter’s voice from the lady, their mother who threw herself out of the window of her 14th floor flat. For twenty years she had battled with depression, she could not find a job, who would employ a women with a long line of mental health problems? Go on I dare you to tell me we live in a world where we are all accepted as equal. Bollocks.
She jumped because the pain of living in this world another minute was too difficult, she didn’t do it for a cry for help, she knew what she was doing. Where were her support workers around this time in her life when she was at her lowest? Did nobody notice?
It angers me, it frustrates me and it makes me disgusted.
There has been a huge increase in mental health related calls, I wonder why. The lack of support we receive from the system that is there to care for us is diabolical, the antidepressants they shove out quicker than pick a mixes in a sweet shop are by their judgement, enough for us. We live in a world where it’s easy to brush everything under the carpet and pretend it is not happening.
The mental health system offers short term solutions; they do not solve the problem. The moment you appear to be 60% well you are thrown out and expected to go away and get on with your life, if you’re lucky with a repeat prescription of a concoction of pills, but no support.
There are no jobs, there is no money and we are losing our benefits because nobody will employ us. The system for mental health benefit claimants has been written by a two year old and the Job Centre staff who process these interviews are no more qualified in mental health than a window cleaner is. Yet we have to go to these interviews for them to tell us we are fit for work, and the cycle begins again.
We are made to feel outcasts, judged by society, with no long term support. Yet who is there to pick up the pieces? The emergency services it seems.
About The Real Supermum
#999 what’s Your Emergency & Mental Health http://t.co/USEwcIv6
I watched it, and cried my eyes out all the way through. I’ve been in a situation where I’ve needed the service of the paramedics due to taking an overdose so it bought back a lot of bad memories for me.
I was very offended at times though, with the way the call handlers spoke about some of the sufferers. I thought, at times they were very rude about the callers when, I felt it wasn’t needed.
I believe we were referred to as the “FRUIT LOOPS”
Yes! And I think (not 100% tho!) as attention seekers? As I tell people, yes, I’m crying our for attention, desperate for help and support. They are right though, with the mental health budget being cut, what else are we to do? I’m currently going through a bad patch, well, very bad patch, and all my Dr does is push more pills on me. I’ve had no offer of a suppport group or even to see a psychiatrist (sp?) or a counseller during this bad spell. In fact, I’ve only ever been offered help once, when I was 18, I accepted the help, but then as I got “better” it was a case of ‘we dont need to see you anymore, and that was it, never heard anything again!
I have been kicked out of the system twice the last time and I vowed never to back, I was at deaths door when I promised I would give it a last try, they fail so many
Unforunately, it’s the only option I really know, when I asked my my mum for support (despite suffering herself when I was a child) , she accused me of trying to manipulate her and and my stepdad into doing what I wanted them to do, not quite sure how but there you go! My partner is trying to get to grips with me when I’m in this ‘state’ and is willing to learn how to be more supportive, which is nice. (sorry if it’s not the place to say all of this, sometimes, it just all spills out! lol
I watched it tonyt the bit about Lee gotme because my nan had it, but the lady ho stayed ith him n kept him “safe” was wonderful! it shudnt fall on them but I am glad they r therefor the people who need them most n who av been failed by the mental health teams xx.
#999 what’s Your Emergency & Mental Health http://t.co/K3CsphVa
I cried for Lee, I was scared of Frederick, even though the tv, the look in his eyes. That was clearly a different person, everything about him changed.
Where is the help for him? The person who rang 999 said “I didn’t know who to call?”
i watched this aswell as to be honest the way lee changed into fredrick it was scary, i said to my OH i wouldnt have been able to sit there like the paramedic did, people with an illness need help and from what i gather, yes they are being let down but that paramedic did the right thing when asked to take him somewhere safe. i hope he now gets help that he deserves to get x
I’m watching it now online, http://www.channel4.com/programmes/999-whats-your-emergency/4od#3421247
#999 what’s Your Emergency & Mental Health http://t.co/DkRXrsbf
Ok then. Fruit loops is a bit offensive, but I think that young lady was just trying to not let her job get to her.
Lee/Fredrick was scary! The blonde ambulance lady is awesome, and i’m shocked it costs £200 per ambulance call out.
I am struggling, and last week that was me saying I want to die, BUT I was phoning out-of-hours gp not the 999 numbers. I phoned a number was given by a social worker, and told off for calling the wrong dept. Lady I got through to was a mental health worker, and was pretty hostile “who is this, who gave you our number, talk to crisis team not me” etc. Helpful eh?
I agree with how the alcoholic man was feeling (just to be clear i do not drink or take drugs or even smoke), that he just wanted everything to stop, not nessacairly die, just everything stop. They told him come to hospital and we’ll help you, and they were good with him. Neaarer the end when he was acting sane and having the chat saying hes grateful for their help, that was lovely. they were kinda portraying all people with mental health issues as completly mad, and i’m sure most of us are normal between bad times (not sure i’m explaining that right, but we are not all time-wasting, attention-seeking wastes of space that are cuckoo 24/7 as some think mental health sufferers should be).
Should Our Emergency Services Be Dealing With Mental Health Patients? Have Your Say & Hear Others Views http://t.co/DkRXrsbf
i watched it too… and my heart just went out to lee.. he was so childlike… but when fredderick took over her was so menacing!!
as for wasting the publis services time? i dont know… he was at serious risk of hurting himself… so they helped him… i have know alot less important calls to go through 999 and be answered…. pople that have an emergancy will phone 999… and emergancy can be anything for a car crash to someone dropping their keys down a drain… to them at the time that is their emergancy and to them should be attended just as quickly as a car crash would… this would be a waste of their time…. a man/woman at risk of hurting themself because they have mental health problems? i dont think is wasteing their time…. We have to remember that with mental health it is something on the inside telling them to do these things… it isnt them and not something they “fancy doing for attention”…. x
It was good to watch quite scary though to see what actually happens x
i never watched it but sounds like it was good to watch might try and get it up on the internet x
i didnt watch it either, wish i had though.
It is always the most vunrable people who suiffer when the goverment make cut backs.
x
It was an interesting insight alright into the emergency services and the issues they deal with daily.
I’ve not watched this, but after reading this I think I will. It is disgusting the ways in which our government are failing us as a nation! It’s these vulnerable people who need more help, not more cutbacks! x
This shuddered me bought back memories over 11 years ago. I haven’t slept for 2 days worried about this man. I am more then certain Lee was possessed. Fredrick sounded more European and was a completely and utterly evil. Reason why I am so disturbed by this is because, My daughter, who was a bubbly, successful and ambitious young lady and an optician in profession suddenly became “ill” and was classed as “mentally unstable” just like Lee. She was always afraid, locked herself away and kept changing to another personality like Lee. She always cried something was strangling her and whispering to her. Just exactly like Lee she would dig her fingers hard into her head just so hard. She would hold her neck and scream for help that it was strangling her. My husband and I had a nervous breakdown running everywhere for help. On advice of an holy man we stopped her medication for 3 days and she was exorcised. Never looked back after that, not even once, she’s carrying on her life as though nothing happened. Lee needs help that doctors will never be able to offer. I wish him all the best and my thoughts are with him.
This pissed me off so much!! – the symptoms lee was experiencing where NOT schizophrenic symptoms but symptoms of multiple personality disorder or more commonly known as dissociative personality disorder!! I hate how media try to give schizophrenia such a bad name. Wiki explains these disorders better than I can so I hope some people have a look
Niki x
I watched it too. I was shocked at how most of the people on the programme needed mental care and were crying out for help to be shoved in an ambulance given some pills and most likely sent on there way. It so sad that so many people are being let down. the lady who jumped from the window must of been so desperate and no where or one to turn to. She was more concerned for her dog than her own life, thats so upsetting, that poor lady xx
Agree with every single word, People that are in genuine need are being failed by the system. its appalling in this day and age that people are secluded in such way x
I missed it but going to watch it online later this evening and shall leave a better understanding comment then. But i does sound like lots of people are being failed because not everyone has teh correct understanding and training to deal with such cases which is not how it should be xx
i havent watched it i will catch it up online xx
I love this x
i really don’t think enough education is given out to those who are ment to help us