Mental Health. The system is awful? Anybody know any Charities etc?

My mum has recently had a breakdown & has been diagnosed with agitated depression. She is very ill & obviously under the mental health team but they do nothing to help apart from feed her drugs. As you can imagine this has put me under alot of stress & would like to find out about respite?? Is there any charities that anybody knows of who deals with this before I end up having a breakdown myself? I really need support & do not think i'm getting it. Please help!! Thanks xx

Yes. The so-called mental "health" system is awful, very destructive, because they are "barking up the wrong tree". People go into mental hospitals and out and back in again. They call it the revolving door system in mental health circles.
There is an organisation called "Support Coalition International" who produce a magazine called "Dendron" at 454, Willamette St., Suite 216, P.O. Box 11284, Eugene, Oregon, USA. OR 97440-(an alternative to psychiatric drugging etc) who may be able to give you the information you need or suggest an alternative. These diagnostic labels are not helpful to most people. What people usually need is the chance to vent their feelings. This can be hard on the family but if she could get enough support it could do her a lot of good. You don't say why the breakdown occurred. Did some present day event trigger past trauma, or is that something that your mother doesn't know?
I hope you get some help soon. I know the anti-psychiatry movement had a house in London where people could stay, it may still be running. I think it was called the Philadelphia House (or Society) It was originally run by RD Laing.
The web address for Support Coalition International is:
http://www.efn.org/-dendron Good luck
PS For yourself, to help with your stress and just generally to improve life (everyone could do with it!) I suggest you could try co-counselling they have a website at:
www.rc.org where you can learn to undo any hurts you have acquired in your life, (and we all have!) You've no idea what a difference it can make to your life until you try it

The Red Cross offers Respite care. There is a charge for it, but most insurance companies cover this cost.

The only charities I know of are for poor people with absolutely no money. You could try catholic Social services, if there is such a thing where you live. I feel for you. Yes it is awful.

I agree it is aweful

but it is much better then what it used to be

I dont know of anything