For our Waiting Times campaign, we hear from Elizabeth, who lives with schizoaffective disorder and was waiting over a year for treatment. 

I have schizoaffective disorder and was waiting over a year for community mental health support.  

I have finally got support now, but it has been a real battle. I was given a number to ring, but no one ever answered, and the one time I did get through, I got passed in a complete circle back to the original phone operator who told me to try another day. I don’t blame the mental health psychiatrists or nurses, as they have been good when I finally got to see them. It is just that there is such an admin circus before you get to speak to anyone.  

I am lucky that I am still articulate enough to understand things, but hate to think when people lose capacity entirely, and families are having to try and get support for loved ones. This is frankly a dangerous situation for people. What we need is care and treatment. If we seek it ourselves, it is denied to us. I am unsurprised that so many tragedies are taking place right now. The services have been stripped of nurses and psychiatric professionals.  

Lack of care has had a significant impact on my life. I graduated three years ago, but have been unable to secure work since due to my illness. I’ve had a serious lack of sleep and mania for eight months. The long term impact of psychiatric medication has damaged me badly, so that I’m now having to be referred to a memory clinic for potential dementia. This illness has stopped me from being able to have children, leaving me with serious distress and depression.  

I’ve worked incredibly hard as a mental health campaigner but am very worried for the people who have mental health problems and are facing them now. As the world is in chaos, we need better care, not worse.