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ben
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# Posted: 17 May 2009 03:41
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I'm on ESA and currently waiting for my case to go to the tribunal as after seeing a dr that couldn't understand me and I could barely understand they decided i was fine. some of the reasoning for this decision being because of my appearance at the interview because my friend/carer made me get up washe dressed and look presentable for it rather than going as i would normally.
How can someone that sees you for 45mins decide whether my depression/anxiety and self harm is bad enough to affect my everyday life or not
because i didn't get the required 15points as i didnt fully understand the questionaire so filled it in as just a plain questionaire and not on my worst days i was told i was not eligable for ESA and if i hadn't of contested it I would of been put onto JSA.
The reason my GP signed me off is because he doesn't want me to work as he feels it makes me worse but they don't even bother asking for any input from your GP or my CPN they go on whatever you put in the questionaire and what the dr in the medical assesment decides.
They not given me a date for the tribunal but due to my anxiety and not going out on my own or being able to cope being in a room with strangers i have opted for a paper tribunal so I don't have to be there.
I am doing it on my own with my mum and my sister supporting me now i have moved back home cos i was struggling so much
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Laurie
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# Posted: 18 May 2009 10:00
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Hi Ben,
I work for a magazine called One In Four and we're keen to get stories about how individuals are finding the ESA system. May we quote from your testimony here? We don't have to use your real name, of course. If so, please email me at laurie@socialspider.com!
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Rosemary
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# Posted: 18 May 2009 10:46
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Hi Ben and Laurie,
There are other stories unfolding daily wherein people are having to appeal decisions,due to lack of understanding of how mental health issues can affect them.
Laurie, are you witnessing similar stories elsewhere on the internet?
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Laurie
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# Posted: 21 May 2009 06:49
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Hi Rosemary, Ben,
I'm hearing rumours of these stories - but like a lot of people, I'm really looking for the stories first hand! Have you got any idea where I might find any?
L.xx
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Rosemary
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# Posted: 21 May 2009 13:35
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Laurie, I am going to email you a contact that may be able to help.Watch out for it as it will go to your junk box.
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cwatch
Admin
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# Posted: 6 Jun 2009 11:31 - Edited by: cwatch
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From Ben
I got a letter from the tribunal people saying they had heard my case, without even notifying me and they still feel that I am not eligable for ESA, so I'm going to appeal against it as since the medical and initial assesment I have moved home to gain more support as I'm not doing well at the moment and even the Dr's that I have transfered to still feel that I need to be signed off and am not able to work yet.
The stress and worry from all of this is making things worse as well, my depression is at an all time low due to this and most days I can't even get out of bed, my s/h has resurfaced after at least 2 months free and I have been having really strong suicidal feelings and this all stems from the stress and pressure of worrying about all of this.
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anon
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2009 01:38
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You should try and get a doctor to document the history. By all means write your own statement but it is important that a doctor makes a statement for you. I can see it's difficult with moving and getting a new doctor. Can someone come to the doctor with you and help you. yake copies of these e-mails if that will help.
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ben
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2009 01:39
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I have suffered from Depression and Self –Harm since I was approx 14, at the age of 14 I attempted to kill myself by taking an overdose of painkillers. To save my parents from blaming themselves I told the Dr's that I hadn't meant to try and kill myself and I received about 6 appointments with the CAMS services. My self-harm and depression was hidden from my family up until the age of approx 20 when I finally realised that I needed help and couldn't continue feeling this low, so after an appointment with my GP I was prescribed anti depressants, at this point I still had not disclosed my self-harm to anyone. I was started on Fluoxetine and the dose was slowly increased, then I was moved onto citalopram which I couldn't take as it made me ill so was put on to sertraline. I lost my job as a Health care Assistant at the local hospital when my self-harm was discovered, I was approx 22 at this stage, I moved out of home to Chesterfield to live with a friend and her family in a hope that a new start away from where I was would solve the problems. The new GP I was under changed me from the sertraline and onto Venlafaxine, referred me to a CPN and things slowly began to feel a bit better. I got a job working in an office and everything was going well, I lost my job due to a company restructure and went onto JSA. I could feel myself starting to lose control of the situation again and my CPN advised me to be signed off by my GP who agreed that it was the right thing to do.
I used my work to hide away from the fact that I was struggling so much and once I wasn't working any longer it became very apparent to people just how bad things had actually become and all the time they had put things down to me just working so much it was really me trying to ignore the fact that I had a problem in the first place.
I am now able to accept that I have a problem and even while I was doing my 6hrs a week of permitted work in a local cattery I could see that my urge to try and hide from my problems and pretend everything was ok had reappeared. Due to the lack of work at the cattery I was laid off so to speak and again things started to show that I had been covering up. My CPN helped me to apply for DLA and I now receive this.
I returned home to my parents when things were no longer working at my friends and as I needed more support it wasn't really an option for me to live alone. My family are now fully aware of the extent of my problems and are trying to support me the best they can.
I am still signed off by my new GP as they feel that it would not be appropriate for me to return to work due to my history of using work to escape from my problems. I have been very stressed and low in mood, resulting in me not being able to get out of bed on the majority of days, this not only has adverse effects for me but also for my family and my dog, meaning that he is only let out to the toilet during the day until my mum comes home to take him for a walk.
I have been self-harm free for approx 3 months since returning home, but due to the stress and worry over money issues I have been finding it increasingly more difficult to keep myself distracted from the urges to harm, I have very little energy to do things and even the smallest of task like making myself a drink tire me out so much so that I need to sleep/rest to recover.
I currently don't have a CPN or any kind of psychiatric input with having moved from one area to another and notes etc not having been passed on yet but hope that this will only be a temporary situation.
Sorry for the length of it
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Lisa
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2009 01:41
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It's absolutely ridiculous. You are in the same position as many others. You want to go to your doctor and talk about how to get well and keep well and be positive. And don't let these stupid people change that. Tell the doctor honestly that you want to get well and to do the things that will really help you get well. Keeping well is far more important than playing games with these stupid, stupid people.
But tell the doctor that you know if you talk positively to these stupid people they will use your positivity to pressurise you to go faster than you want to. Tell the doctor you have been in dark places before and obviously the fear stays with you that they could push you back there. They can't - believe that - you have support now - you know to talk about things and ask for help - but the fear is still there.
Ask the doctor to write a letter saying it isn't productive or safe to pressurise you for the moment. You want to go forwards - not back. The past is another country. But talk about the past if there is evidence there that will help the present. Try and get the doctor to write the worst bits of the past down.
Print this e-mail out and show it to the doctor if you like. Show the doctor copies of all your e-mails on this site. You write very well. Sometimes it's easier to show a doctor written things.
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Cassie
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2009 01:55
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I suffer from an eating disorder and I understand this problem of trying to be positive and it counting against you.
They try not to give you too many labels even though I meet the criteria on the DSM tests they give, and am receiving medication for some, the doctors would not always use those labels as such, so am not sure what diagnosis the ESA would be presented with and by whom. For example the DSM test was done through my BPD treatment and at an Eating Disorders unit I attended. However as far as I am aware my GP would not have a copy of my results. If I have a medical for the ESA then it is likely that it would be after I am discharged altogether from the ED unit I attended which is imminent (as I have only been going to outpatients appts now once every 3 months) and the BPD treatment I am getting (which finishes next week). So they are unlikely to be approached for notes, just my GP.
I am not so concerned for me I guess, I do feel that I may cope because I have had extensive treatment, i'll just have to test the water. But I am particulary worried about others with Eating Disorders (because there is a trend that they are high achievers and vulnerable to want to please/be seen as the best) and Personality Disorders where the eager to please issues can crop up in assessments which would not be seen as a problem to an untrained eye.
I can see that other issues can crop up in these ESA assessments, such as persons not wanting to discuss negative things they may have done like being violent, because of the worry that they may be judged by that professional, or not wanting to reveal something that might sound negative about themselves.
Some persons with MH issues can suffer with having an image of themselves that might not neccessarily be true, such as really believing they are more capable than they really are, such as those suffering from Narcissistic personality disorder. Would an ESA assessor pick up the difference between what the person can actually do, rather than what they believe they can do? And what would be helpful compared to what wouldn't be helpful in regards to employment. This issue can present itself in other MH disorders too, such as someone who is on a 'manic high' when suffering with Bipolar.
Some of these things are hard to spot by an experienced psychiatrist even after some time dealing with a patient. How can an assessor pick these things up in a one off meeting, with no notes as to history, and using questions that seem unfairly biased?
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