When things go wrong
There have been many reported cases of problems and bad experiences within the mental health services, reported by both people with a mental illness, and their families and carers.
Such experiences can often cause much distress, upset and anger, and may even have serious long term consequences for people. Knowing what you can do if you are coming up against difficulties, can make the process easier to cope with, less stressful, and in some cases give you a better chance at resolving the issue successfully.
People often describe the way in which they want to do something to make changes in order to stop other people having to go through what they or their families have been through, or just to get it acknowledged that there is a problem or that there has been maltreatment. This can also be an important part of the grieving process for people coming to terms with the loss of a loved one as a result of problems in the system, such as difficulties in accessing care and treatment during a crisis.
Being informed about what is involved in the processes for making complaints or taking legal action is important as this can help to minimise the frustration of what can be a long and very complicated process, and in setting yourself realistic expectations of outcomes from the start in order to avoid later disappointment.
