The jump from child services to adult services

Is unbelievably difficult. I feel there should be a transition service for 18-22. I had a really interesting (for lack of a better word) experience with a group, I was 18 and the rest were over 40. I felt so out of place, like my problems didn't mean anything, and they wondered why I didn't say anything.

has anyone had similiar experiences?

My daughter is about to do the same and I'd like to know what she's in for? Her condition (Cyclothymia) renders her a Stephen Fry clone - extremely articulate and intelligent with a superb memory and charming to boot so it worries me that others will think she has nothing wrong with her.

Hi bipolarbearma,
Do you think your daughter will allow you to speak to the assessing team? The views of a relative or close friend are often essential to get a full picture of what is going on. If she isn't comfortable with you being there, maybe she would allow you to write to them with your concerns. More information is almost invariably a good thing when assessing a new patient.
All the best,
Andy

i found the jump to adult services appauling, my referral ended up being like 5 months late, so i was with camhs for longer than i should have been, and then i spent a good 5/6 months at the adult service and i was seeing an outside therapist, and they knew this but yet they kept me under their care knowing i'd either have to leave them or stop seeing the outside therapist. it's a pisstake, and know as i'm considered a high functioning borderline they've dropped me. it's a joke

I went to my Adult assessment at 18.5 having been seeing CAMHS/ been in hospital since 14. I was really lucky that a) my psychiatrist kept me until 18.5 and b) came to the assessment with me, saw how awful it was and c) kept me until 19 and 1 month when I left for university.
University (mine at least) enables this sort of 18-22 service in that I see a GP, mental health advisor and then they are arranging me to see an (adult) psychologist but she mainly sees students. Being an university city the crisis team were also really good with understanding the stresses that caused. However there were some services they considered referring me to but didn't because of the age thing, they didn't really want me to end up in a group of much older mentally ill people. Which has it pros and cons.

I am in a lucky situation though, not just with camhs but also that I chose my university largely based on its mental health/medical services. As in, of the places I was headed for grades wise, I liked this one and on the pluses it had good hospitals and services and also a lot of charities that do counselling etc. I don't mean I purely researched unis based on mental health services.

(I'm at Nottingham and it appeared to have better services than Essex, Oxford and Winchester. London has good services but was going to be very based on which bourough my accommodation was in each year).

I think it is a very hard jump. Once your an adult their favorite phrase is 'you have to take responsibility for yourself' (which I interpreted as leave us alone you have to look after yourself, apparently it means attend appointments and take meds - which i was doing anyway, hence the confusion). It also can become very much about immediate risk and if you don't explicitly state that risk they aren't always willing to read in to what you're saying/ how you present. But I'm still alive so maybe that isn't such a bad thing (in my case) I don't know.

Hi bipolarbearma,
Do you think your daughter will allow you to speak to the assessing team? The views of a relative or close friend are often essential to get a full picture of what is going on. If she isn't comfortable with you being there, maybe she would allow you to write to them with your concerns. More information is almost invariably a good thing when assessing a new patient.
All the best,
Andy

Hi Andy, thank you so much for taking the time to reply, I wasn't able to locate this post as I had been scouring the net to find answers and hadn't had any notifications from BDT. As it turned out her team was great and decided to keep her in CAMHS until after her exams when she'll go to uni. in London and transfer then. They explained about uni being the only time when you can be registered with 2 doctors (at home and at uni.) and their long-term plan with my daughter so I feel much happier. They also are taking the situation very seriously (I can't speak highly enough of the whole team despite the fact that there is only one among them who knows what they are doing) I think their understanding is due to my daughter being so articulate. Thank you again for your time - Donna.