Kids in crisis

Last night I watched a Despatches programme on Channel 4 called 'Kids in crisis'. Although I was already well aware of the lack of adequate mental health services for children and teens, this programme really opened my eyes as to how difficult it is for some families, as their mentally ill children are placed in units hours away from their homes.

The programme dealt with severe mental health crises in children with a wide range of issues and specifically those who needed specialist help in a residential unit. It highlighted the lack of adequate support in some counties such as Cornwall where a lovely couple had to travel 300 miles to visit their 17 year old daughter Chloe in a secure unit in Kent. From a practical point of view this was incredibly difficult, but also emotionally the sheer distance between the child and their family was heartbreaking. A couple in Northern Ireland had their daughter placed in a unit for eating disorders in London, so this meant that - should anything happen and they had to visit her in an emergency - it could take them days to get there. Also, when the child is beginning to get better, the process for gradually getting them used to home life again, by overnight visits and short stays is incredibly difficult and expensive to arrange.

This situation is intolerable. I know that there is a finite amount of money available, but surely it is better for the child to have psychiatric help nearer to home even if it is not an exact match to the issue in question. I do realise that certain illnesses demand a different response and this programme was about desperately ill children, but I do believe that sometimes as a society we tend to over complicate things when there can sometimes be a simpler solution.

A little while back I treated a young person for post traumatic stress with hypnotherapy in just four sessions. The teenage girl in question had been referred for a course of long term therapy over 20 weeks but was not keen to do this as she felt that this intensity of therapy would only make things worse. The hypnotherapy worked really well, and she was able to move on with her life.

I really felt for these children, they obviously needed help and care and we must be mindful of children who suffer trauma in the very early years of life who then face difficulties later on, but I am sure that there must be a better solution.

Best wishes,
Wendy x