Trauma Consultant Alan Pike testifies as to Kate's mental health after release of Amaral book.

[Lace]

They left the children,   very bad decision.   Don't think for one minute that Amaral didn't milk that one either.  He made it well known that they left the children,   then brought in his hints at swinging,  drugging and fake abduction.   After all the public were already berating the couple for leaving the children lets add on a few more accusations,   if they are bad enough to leave the children,   they must be bad enough to drug and fake an abduction surely?


Nice juicy gossipy book,   about the very evil foreign couple.   That type of book would sell no trouble.

Now Amaral drove his children in his car when he was drunk,   what if I wrote a book saying because he did this,  he  doesn't care at all about his children,  and most probably beat them and starved them and left them alone too.  How would that go down do you think?

[Cariad]

A mental health nurse is a CPN. A community psychiatric nurse. It's a four year degree consisting of lectures, course work and placement.

I'm glad you're doing better buzz. As someone previously pointed out, 1 in 4 adults in the UK will suffer a mental health issue at some point in their lives. It still carries some stigma though and I'm pleased that so many feel able to discuss their brushes with the Black Dog.

[ferryman]

Black dog

I think it might have been Winston Churchill who coined that expression.

He certainly used it.

[Mr Gray]

Davel, for the first time I actually agree with you regarding treatment. 

I myself have suffered from suicidal thoughts in the past without actually attempting suicide. Without too much detail, it began with the breakdown of my marriage and was then compounded by a debilitating injury. Although nowhere near on the scale of events in PDL it was still a traumatic time for me. At first I wasn't too bad but the depression slowly got hold of me and pretty soon I was unrecognisable.

My first port of call was my GP who at the time had seen quite a lot of me because of the injury. He was in a good position to make judgement as to whether I was depressed or not and as such he prescribed anti depressants. As the depression continued and most likely before the anti depressants could do there job, my thoughts became increasingly darker to the point whereby I felt in crisis, having began to consider suicide on a frequent basis. I found a local number for the 24 hour crisis management team and realising I was struggling with my thoughts I rang the number and opened up to them, begging them to take me away. I wanted to be hospitalised either by being sectioned or another way because I just needed to somehow take all the depression away. Thankfully they calmed me down over the phone and that night nothing further happened. The next day I also opened up to my GP and he quickly realised the gravity of the situation and referred me for an urgent mental health assessment. In his opinion it had escalated to a bout of severe depression.

At no point was I seen by a psychiatrist. The mental health assessment was performed by a mental health nurse and it was agreed that I had severe depression with mild suicidal thoughts. The procedure was to change my anti depressants for a different type and arrange CBT counselling and the mental health team would remain accessible to me should I need them.

Shortly after the assessment I joined an online forum (one of the old MSN groups) that sadly no longer exists and I would say this became a form of online counselling. The forum consisted of many knowledgeable and supportive people that were only too willing to help. Through a combination of the counselling, both physical and my own online version I began to turn things around and in the end a psychiatrist was not needed.

As far as I am concerned my own suicidal thoughts were genuine. By the way I do not know what qualifications the mental health nurse had but she did not describe herself as a psychiatrist.

Thankfully it was a long time ago now but given the context of the discussion I felt it was important to share my own experience with you all.

eta

There are a lot of similarities to my own experience in the link I have provided below.

http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/suicide-risk-assessment-and-threats-of-suicide

Very sorry to hear about your problems but glad to see you have made a lot of progress. unfortunately it is far easier and less expensive for GPs to dish out antidepressants.In some people one of the side effects of anti depressants is suicidal thoughts. Much better is counselling and you should have been offered it...fortunately you found help...good luck

[Wonderfulspam]

A mental health nurse is a CPN. A community psychiatric nurse. It's a four year degree consisting of lectures, course work and placement.

I'm glad you're doing better buzz. As someone previously pointed out, 1 in 4 adults in the UK will suffer a mental health issue at some point in their lives. It still carries some stigma though and I'm pleased that so many feel able to discuss their brushes with the Black Dog.

I'm no black dog, I'm the man in black.

Johnny Cash, Man In Black.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iXRmJyIyJbM


I hurt myself today to see if I still feel.

Johnny Cash,  Hurt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur8j4xWe_44&feature=player_detailpage

[Cariad]

Thanks Cariad. So I guess I was in fact actually seen by a psychiatrist but the treatment was medication and counselling.

Once again I agree Davel. Although my own doctor was initially reluctant to prescribe anti depressants I suspect the ones that he initially prescribed as you quite rightly suggest, contributed to the suicidal thoughts. Counselling did it for me but I believe it was also aided (eventually) by the anti depressants.

No, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has gone on to specialise in psychiatry, a psychiatric nurse has a degree in psychiatric nursing.


Many ssri's and snri's take 2 to 4 weeks to be affective. There are many side affects, however, for some people, medication can make a real difference.

[Cariad]

I'm no black dog, I'm the man in black.

Johnny Cash, Man In Black.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=iXRmJyIyJbM


I hurt myself today to see if I still feel.

Johnny Cash,  Hurt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur8j4xWe_44&feature=player_detailpage

I'm a massive fan of The Man in Black. I saw him in Glastonbury when I was 16 and have been hooked ever since. However, on this occasion, I perfer the 9 inch nails version. I believe it's the original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htmKZKR7oyc

[Angelo222]

They left the children,   very bad decision.   Don't think for one minute that Amaral didn't milk that one either.  He made it well known that they left the children,   then brought in his hints at swinging,  drugging and fake abduction.   After all the public were already berating the couple for leaving the children lets add on a few more accusations,   if they are bad enough to leave the children,   they must be bad enough to drug and fake an abduction surely?


Nice juicy gossipy book,   about the very evil foreign couple.   That type of book would sell no trouble.

Now Amaral drove his children in his car when he was drunk,   what if I wrote a book saying because he did this,  he  doesn't care at all about his children,  and most probably beat them and starved them and left them alone too.  How would that go down do you think?

All very well but one of his daughters hasn't disappeared in suspicious circumstances, that the big difference!

[Estuarine]

All very well but one of his daughters hasn't disappeared in suspicious circumstances, that the big difference!

I wish to be associated with remark old chap