I write this with genuine empathy for those of you who may need support with your mental health but have no access to it or find yourselves on an extensive NHS waiting list. I'm no expert but have been in the system for most of my life; by in the system, I mean, that for the majority of my life I have had mental health issues, so have been 'treated' by the NHS mental health services & know how difficult it can be just to get seen by someone or receive help.
The NHS mental health system in my opinion, is grossly inadequate, not always easy to access, lacks straight forward routes & usually there are very very long waiting lists & quite frankly, not all mental health staff are up to the job. It can be very frustrating & often disheartening if your in immediate need of help but are left to wait.
If you are financially rich & willing to pay then you will never have a problem getting mental health treatment: if your not financially rich, you could try running around your local village naked with your pants on your head clucking like a chicken because this will almost certainly get you instant access....but if you are, like many, just in need of some help with your mental health you will no doubt find that there is no fast track route, not via the NHS anyway.
There are some wonderful voluntary & charity based organisations out there though & these can be very useful, so make good use of them whenever possible; many can also guide you to access other help that you may need.
Do not be put off from trying to access the NHS mental health system though, for all its faults, there are some genuine, extremely helpful & competent staff within it & once you find a medication or therapy that suits your particular needs it will help you immensely.
