Posted by Wittgenstein on April 4, 2007, at 2:44:43
In reply to Re: New and looking for support :), posted by DisTraught on April 4, 2007, at 1:08:53
Thanks for the reassurance - my big fear is that they won't take me seriously.
I know the Dutch have great English skills - it's more about the subtle things. In England we tend to under-exaggerate things e.g. if someone says 'I feel quite bad' it probably should be translated as 'I feel bloody awful' - whereas a Dutch person would probably just be direct and say that they 'feel bloody awful'. People are just more direct about their feelings/problems - which is a good thing and something I like but something that takes getting used to - especially if you're just not used to expressing feelings/what you think.
Actually, I should be relieved I've been taken seriously here. In England (now for my moan!!) I was finding it very hard to get any help at all. After the overdose (I overdosed on ADs in the first place, which I had been taking for just a few days - had just started on them). Anyway, after the OD, I went back to my hometown, to my parents - I went to the local doctors who basically said "come see me again in 2 weeks" - didn't prescribe anything - didn't refer - didn't even think I was worthy of seeing their counsellor (too busy apparently). It was only after I got another appointment with another doctor there and ended up trembling uncontrollably and in floods of tears that he agreed to refer me to a private psychiatrist for an assessment - he said it wasn't worth referring me to a public psych as I'd have to wait some months before being seen and I wasn't 'serious' enough anyway - he didn't make a re-appointment with me (even though the psych meeting was 2 weeks later) and suggested I phone Samaritans if it got real bad (I'd already phone them the night before). Well £270 later the psychiatrist had taken me seriously, which I am very grateful for. It's just been such an ordeal - I hope no-one else has had such problems in being heard - maybe it's just how this health system works or because of my home region. I don't know.
Anyway, thanks for your help :)
Wittgenstein
poster:Wittgenstein
thread:746649
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20070324/msgs/746781.html