Mental Health & Wasting Police Time

I would very much doubt it.

I thought that might be the response.

Bugger, I was hpoing that might be the key to this person getting some help.

<goes to look for other straws to clutch at>

I take it they don't listen to people that suggest they need some help?

Exactamundo Zoe. V. frustrating it is for all concerned.

I wonder if you had a word with the station they might write a letter back? Guess it is worth a try? If you havent I guess speaking to their doctor might be an idea x

Thanks Zoe but we've tried both of those.

The police said to involve the doctor but the doctor said there was nothing they could do unless this person came to them with the problem directly (which they won't as it's not a 'problem' to them).

Sounds like a case of slopey shoulders to me which is why I was looking for more direct shock tactics..... ho hum, back to the drawing board.

Cheers anyway.

BoB, is this person diagnosed with a Mental Illness already and is it worsening, or have they not been diagnosed?

I can only talk from an Ambulance Service PoV but obviously we have close links with the Police. We have dozens, probably hundreds of regular callers with mental health issues or personality disorders, or just plain anti-socialness. A large proportion call daily, several times a day sometimes, and make threats against themselves or others, or accuse others of hurting them or someone they know. The Police are almost always aware of these same people because they tend to call us both.

It's such a problem that we now have staff dedicated solely to dealing with such callers. A casefile has to be made which records when they have called, why they have called, how many times they are sent an ambulance, whether they accept to go to hospital or refuse (they refuse 9/10 times) When the file is complete, Social Services are involved. Sometimes they are aware of the person, sometimes not. If they are not aware, they will start a casefile where they meet with the person, often with the police and a manager from the ambulance service. Sometimes they are sectioned and removed to a place of safety, other times there is not enough evidence of mental illness so this cannot be done. However, this means that the Police or Ambulance Service can then start proceedings to charge the person with wasting their time.

It's a long drawn out procedure which often doesn't have a satisfactory conclusion for anyone involved, but.....can sometimes recognise someone who is suffering illness and get something done to help.

Sorry, just noticed you have replied that Police and GP can't/won't help. Seems odd to me. Maybe calling Social Services direct might be an option?

Sorry, I know this doesn't help you really. Will the Police speak to you about it? Is there a way of getting their GP involved?

Meh sorry, I thought you might have already tried. Its really hard to get help for people that dont want it or think they dont need it. Have you thought of speaking to mind or something like that for advice? http://www.mind.org.uk/

Thanks for that info Copper - it's good to know that these people don't get ignored by the ambulance service.

No, this person has not been diagnosed with anything - it's a real Catch 22 cos they are 'right' and everybody else is 'wrong' so why should they see a doctor about it?

I hope somewhere, somebody is keeping a file of the letters they keep writing and a note of the visits to the station. There is nothing malicious about the way in which they conduct themselves. perhaps if there was, more people would take notice and something might be done.

It's just so blinking frustrating when nobody seems to want to help and I can't see the answer.

Hi BoB

In my job, we have a 'regular' complainer who seems to be suffering from uncontrolled paranoid delusions. I remember reading one of the letters she had written and it kept on about how friends and family had been controlled by the secret forces when they told her to seek help for her condition. All the problems she was complaining about were caused by this network of secret services, as was her GP and the police. Some of the incidents she was talking about stretched back 20 years, so must have been a long term problem. Very sad and I have no idea what the answer is.

Really hope there's something that come be done for the person you know.

Thanks Stafoo, that person sounds very similar to this one. Nothing malicous about them, just deluded.

Might be time for another call to Mind or Sane to see if they can come up with any new ideas.

Cheers all.

My mil kept phoning 999 threatening to kill herself or saying she had palpitations and then refusing to answer the door when they turned up. So the police got involved, she was taken to hospital and we as next of kin had her sectioned against her will for her own sake.

So things can be done but it's not necessarily easy.