“You will have to take the drugs for the rest of your life” –  this is the comment said to Elizabeth by two consultant psychiatrists who I feel like naming.

Now there is the debate coming up shortly of the Institute of Psychiatry (Maudsley Debates) below and it is at last being recognised that the drugs can do more harm than good.   So,  I hope that I will get the chance to speak at this debate or better still my younger daughter is happy to get up and speak on behalf of her sister who has been classed as a case of no hope yet I am about to prove otherwise to everyone.  Elizabeth’s sister has been diagnosed as having Schizophrenia as a child – can anyone explain why my younger daughter is on “top of the world” – well I put it down to the fact that  I managed to successfully get her off the poisonous chemical – Risperidone given to her locally by a child consultant psychiatrist.    It was not easy to get her off either- the drug made her more anxious than I’d ever seen before and caused enormous weight gain.  From seeing this, I became very much against the prescribing of drugs to children in fact not only to children but also to the elderly such as my father with Alzheimers and anyone in fact.  These drugs are not easy to come off and there is no help whatsoever and if someone tries to take themselves off these drugs instead of a doctor correctly recognising withdrawal symptoms they give a label and say there is a mental health problem so someone can easily be misdiagnosed like Elizabeth has been.   With no school to go to locally due to problems I wont go into here, I searched for a good school in another area and it is thanks to the school SusieEarnshaw Theatre School that my daughter is on top of the world.  Thank you so much.

With a father who had Alzheimers going downhill over a ten year period, that took up a good deal of my time to point it practically took over my life – suddenly I had other caring responsibilities for my younger daughter but I was determined not to put my father into a care home as this would have been against his wishes.   I wish I had questioned to begin with the drugs given to my elderly father, instead of trusting the doctors -how I wish I had looked into this thoroughly. I would urge anyone that has elderly parents not to just place their trust in these doctors but to look up the drugs themselves and to question matters – why put someone elderly on anti-psychotics.   My father was a placid man, this changed him into someone who could have mood swings – bouts of aggression like never before which of course doctors  never associate with the drugs given but put down to symptoms of illness –  this is rubbish.  I now recognise the “symptoms” in both my father’s case and my elder daughter’s case as caused directly by the drugs themselves.    The drugs caused my father to have a heart attack and were giving him no benefit whatsoever, just like the drug Clozapine is giving my elder daughter Elizabeth no benefit.   The drug Aricept “worked” in preserving my father’s ability to prolong a better state of life but when this was withdrawn my father went downhill rapidly and ended up in a wheelchair.  Never once did I wish to give up and put him into a home – constantly various staff members would say to me “why don’t you put your father into a home – he is taking over your life”   – well I did not see it like this at all.  Yes there were many sacrifices –  I was working part time –  I could not go far on holiday or even consider going abroad.  There were many problems when my father went into respite and staff would contact me as they could not always cope. On one occasion he went missing and somehow found his way back to his old home that was miles away.    Now the doctors have ruined Elizabeth’s  physical health and I want something done about that, not just a debate – they do not care less – what would they do if this was one of their relatives? – would they give the maximum of drugs if it was one of their relatives?   I can clearly see that Elizabeth is just a number to them – one more case of their enormous workload of MH patients left on long term drugging, prescribed drugs at the maximum levels and the care is not working and why – because emotional issues are not being addressed at all as described perfectly in the book Emotional Health by Dr Bob Johnson.  They want to drug Elizabeth for the rest of her life yet are ignoring serious physical conditions that I have seen in the files recently acquired and proven further by having private endocrinology tests done. They are supposed to do no harm and are protected by the law so when things go wrong who is going to find out if someone is in such a hospital where visits are restricted and so is contact with family.   Police and social services just back them to the hilt but I respect those who are against the system but understand how they just go along with it all because otherwise their jobs would be at risk.   I personally would take the opposite course as I could not go along with anything that was not right. An example of professionals not caring less – a Neurologist at Queen’s Square said “optimise the drugs” -surely a decent doctor would not wish to optimise the drugs, causing harm to the patient’s physical health but I can prove the harm they are causing and who is responsible for this.  The law protects them – the law is not helping people like my daughter.  I wish I could say more here but I will in due course.  So the Professionals that do care are afraid to speak out as it is more than their job is worth.   Well I am not afraid to speak out against this kind of abuse.

I have just been invited to the Legalex Exhibition but this is on the same day as the debate for institute of Psychiatry –  I do not know if I can get along to this but I have had the most shocking experience of solicitors and their handling of my daughter’s cases involving court-  I might just contact the organisers of this event –   I am far from happy by the way my daughter has been treated by the legal profession.   If there was anyone that can help me at this wonderful Exhibition I would be happy to attend with Elizabeth and her sister.

If any of you that follow me on Twitter are attending the Institute of Psychiatry Maudsley Debates I would be most happy to meet you and introduce my two daughters and all the other mothers.

52nd Maudsley Debate: More harm than good?

Location

Denmark Hill Campus, Institute of Psychiatry (Main Building)

Category

Public Talk

When

13/05/2015 (17:30-19:00)

Contact

nikki.whitelock@kcl.ac.uk

Description

This house believes that the long term use of psychiatric medications is causing more harm than good.       And the House I hope is going to do the voting fairly this time and count votes properly from those in the overflow room.

This event and the waiting list are fully booked. To receive details of future events please join the mailing list.

Chair:  Professor Til Wykes, Professor of Clinical Psychology & Rehabilitation and Vice-Dean, Psychology & Systems Sciences, IoPPN

For

Professor Sami Timimi, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist; Director of Postgraduate Education, NHS Lincolnshire; Visiting Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Lincoln

Professor Peter Gøtzsche, Director, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Denmark

Against

Professor Allan Young, Professor of Mood Disorders, IoPPN  )

Mr John Crace, Journalist, The Guardian                                 )   I am looking forward to showing you evidence and for you to hear from my daughters directly

Programme

17.30–18.00: Refreshments

18.00–19.15: Debate

19.15–20.30: Reception

An example of truly shocking care in the UK, not written by me, but sadly familiar as I have seen and visited people in  such awful places –  it is not always the case that these patients who are held like prisoners have committed atrocities and are of risk to the public yet this is going on today in the UK and I can provide examples of cases:

I wish to share with you an example of the shocking care and treatment on offer to MH patients in the UK –  this is not being publicised in the press as it should be  –    “I have no doubt a hospital environment would suit Elizabeth.” said a member of the team.  Well  how can this kind of environment be helpful to anyone?  Elizabeth has been in a place that she described as “prison” or “hell on earth” – I have visited someone else in another “hospital” just like the one described below – here is the description of this place: entitled “visited relative tribunal”

“I had to go there because my relative had a tribunal. –

The security precautions are worthy of a prison, very depressing, even the Judge said that sometimes in these places she cannot do her work because they take her laptop from her .  I nearly had an argument with the people who removed all my possessions as I went in.  The actual staff on the ward were very nice, I think it is just the regulations, so restricting they cannot possibly be conducive to recovery.  My relative has completely withdrawn, I feel that the psychiatric system itself is wrong, has made his condition worse.  Always presupposing the worst, more likely to get it.  My relative is stuck in there unable to go out unable to draw out any money, begging me for money, which I cannot afford.  Supposed to be rehabilitation but the people aren’t allowed to go online/have a mobile phone or tablet.  Maybe they have some real hard cases in there, for whom these restrictions are designed but my relative is not a criminal or dangerous – has the misfortune to be banged up with those who might be.  The grounds etc. all very nice but apparently no one is allowed out in them.  I would not like to work in that place or to be in there.  Ward staff as I said doing their best and in spite of everything managed to remain cheerful and positive.”

Visited in October 2014 – Posted on 17 October 2014.

You would think that a person put in this kind of place has killed or done something terrible but I can prove there are many cases where this does not apply at all and patients are just left to go downhill.   I am most disturbed at this so called expert who claims in the file not to know my family so well but passes my complaint to the department I have complained about feels “sure” that this very hospital mentioned above would suit Elizabeth.

There are lots of places like this in the UK.   Beautiful grounds which are not being used and facilities whilst patients are locked up on the wards and drugged up to their necks, often they are miles away from their families who cannot visit and no help is given to the families if they cannot afford to visit.    It is not the answer to have someone on the wards like this – many are admitted simply because they cannot manage in the community –  what kind of country allows this to go on?   Hospitals such as these are just dumping grounds and very hard to get someone out as I have discovered even when of no risk to self or others as I have proven.  And as for the files – they are a disgrace – here staff come out and write behind your back the most nasty comments and get away with it as they all stick together .  I have seen that there is a culture of bullying in a system that is failing to protect the weak and vulnerable.

If a care home cost £60000 a year God knows what a hospital like this would cost and it is no wonder why they do not wish to let people go as they are raking in the money – it is big business.   With this vast waste of public money it is no wonder why the NHS does not have funding for vital services that affect everyone and A&Es are being closed down, plus other things that affect everyone.  Vast sums of money are also being wasted on maximum enormous amounts of concomitantly prescribed drugs to psychiatric patients as well as court fees – long drawn out tribunals and solicitors are doing well out of it – many do not come near or visit someone vulnerable and  I have seen the most unprofessional behaviour on the parts of  solicitors which I will explain later.

With the forthcoming elections, I want to know what each of the political parties propose to do about this unsatisfactory situation.  I will be posting this blog and more comments later to all the political parties as I propose to take Elizabeth to vote in the forthcoming elections.  I would like to see an end to the abuse going on and an end to ECT and forced drugging – proper assessments  and before prescription of drugs looking at metabolism in depth and whether there are in fact physical conditions – assessments are not being properly carried out.

I do not have time to write further right now as I have to take Elizabeth for an appointment and then we are going to see the show “Sunny Afternoon” which I will tell you all about later

It’s Easter, my favourite time of the year and I’m so happy.  No longer do we have to plan around Easter, allowing for long journeys in the car going down to Wales or to the area where the care home was situated.   Its so good to be together as a family and I know Elizabeth is happy as she has told me many many times “I am so happy to be at home, Mum”.   It has never been a problem to me to have to care for someone as I have had to many times in the past – my mother with cancer, my father with Alzheimers, my younger daughter who did not want to live at one time was diagnosed wrongly with Schizophrenia, however my younger daughter is extremely busy and is hardly at home as she is always working.  My younger daughter went from strength to strength starting with a small local school I paid for in a different area which was the “cure” –  she was so lucky to go to a boarding school for performing arts and then on to University.  After graduating from university she has set up her own company.    My proudest moment is yet to come as a mother when my younger daughter comes with me to an important event, in order to support all the mothers who have sons and daughters locked away unnecessarily.  I am proof that it can be done – to all the Mums and Dads out there it is not impossible to have someone back at home =- someone who is written off as having no hope has suddenly made huge improvements being in the right environment which is home.   A member of the Home Treatment team said that home was the “best place” however sadly I have read that this same member has said other not so nice things in the files.

I have had a chance to study these today and it appears that it was thought Elizabeth would be best off in a hospital environment by someone who I believe is from the “management team” with no medical qualifications and two such places were being considered,  the Priory and Kneesworth Hospital.  The Priory is the one situated in Hertfordshire.    Well I wanted her to go to this hospital myself and was prepared to pay but not this branch – one more local to home and they refused flatly to take Elizabeth saying it was a “complicated case” and I was prepared to pay myself.    I see no complications myself.  Elizabeth’s case is straightforward in my opinion. Yes she has been in and out of hospital but at the age of 28 now she is home there are no problems and I put everything down to the concoction of concomitantly prescribed mind altering chemicals which I cannot bring myself to call “medication”.    Never before was there a problem with Elizabeth until she was prescribed Prozac (Cipralex).  Elizabeth’s sister to my horror and against my wishes was prescribed Rispieridone. I had always warned both girls to never take drugs but never did I think that a doctor would be so quick to prescribe these drugs and push them onto someone vulnerable without proper tests to check on metabolism. Call that naieve but I knew nothing about the horrors of what is going on in the UK but now I do.   Now I have researched matters I can see clearly –  having head of DSM 5 there is a diagnosis in there for absolutely everyone – all for the profit of the pharmaceutical industry.   I would not accept one single diagnosis in this book myself and believe that it should be scrapped,.

Anyway Elizabeth has spent time with the rest of the family today which has given me time to tidy up and do housework.  I have sorted out paperwork and filing –  I have so little time to do all of this now Elizabeth is home.  I am so happy that I have time to spend with her this weekend.   Tomorrow I will take Elizabeth shopping locally and I would like to see the show “Sunny Afternoon” –  I have no idea whether I will be able to get tickets as they will be in big demand this weekend.

Having time to myself has enabled me to do some reading today – my new book is brilliant called “Unsafe at Any Dose” by a consultant psychiatrist I thoroughly agree with – Dr Bob Johnson – you deserve the highest award.   I have also been looking at the medical notes the team were so desperate for me not to see.  They certainly make interesting reading and whilst I am just a mother I could not resist researching things further. The previous Neurologist has written interesting points that has led me to look into matters further and question certain things.

The new Neurologist I have appointed has complimented me on being a “very good mother”. However this is in stark contrast to what I have been described by the team.  I will explain further another time but it is Easter and I do not wish to bother myself with unpleasant issues and I will reserve all unpleasantness for another time as I am too happy to wish to write about this today.

So Elections are forthcoming – which Government is going to do something positive –  HOW ABOUT AN END TO ENFORCED DRUGGING AND ECT FOR A START. RELEASE THOSE MANY OF WHOM ARE NOT DANGEROUS FROM HOSPITAL.  I will be taking Elizabeth to vote but I do not see any Government doing anything outstanding regarding mental health care and the scandal of so many people being written off and lost in the cruel system of the UK that is failing so many (because it is all about drugging and nothing much else)  lack of support in the community, I would like to say that I am proof that there is hope that some young people can return home – a much cheaper option to the taxpayer and I have been without any help for the past year.   Elizabeth may be on a drug that needs monitoring however I see her as a 28 year old adult and treat her like a person, not an object/possession – she has come out of the system disabled however I believe here is still hope for Elizabeth and am shocked by the way she is written off in the files.

Meanwhile, we thought the transfer of care had gone ahead as Elizabeth and my carers have not wanted to attend meetings.  I am backing my carers and Elizabeth. There are many things wrong in the files that need to be amended and some things too disturbing to put on my blog-  Elizabeth has seen the files and is not happy.  I would agree that these files are highly inaccurate.  When very nasty comments are made about certain members of the family I feel it is only fair that they they should be appropriately amended.  Who can blame my carers when they have been called hostile and aggressive.  I am not so sensitive as I knew what to expect however I have to safeguard my carers and Elizabeth from things that are not true/nasty personal comments  When I had to call the police to report harassment myself the police woman said “you have a very nice home Ms Bevis”  “you are a very good mother, Ms Bevis said the new Neurologist”   –  it is good to hear that some people can report the truth.

Anyway Elizabeth is here with me now “I have had a very good day with my Grandma and Grandad and father. I am looking forward to seeing the show “Sunny Afternoon” with my mother.  On Easter Monday we may go and see where my sister is working.  I am very happy to be at home this Easter.”  “Happy Easter everyone and thank you all for your support”