ATOS Medical

Chucksmum

My son suffers from Social Phobia which means he can't be with people.
He has spent the last seven years virtually locked in his room sleeping during the day and being up all night (lessening the chance of coming into contact with anyone who maybe visiting the house). He is waiting for an appointment for a home visit for an interview from ATOS. The anxiety waiting for the appontment is making him ill, he has all but stopped eating because he has pains in his stomach (which I am sure is caused by stress).
I rang ATOS to ask if they can hurry up the appointment but was told that he cannot jump the queue. Does anyone know how I can get them to hurry up with an appontment? Any help would be appreciated.

Muttleythefrog

I don't think there's much you'll be able to do. From general observation it does seem to take a while for home based medicals... as compared to at the assessment centre. What could be done in the meantime is collection of evidence... and especially if there's any you can get that relates to the WCA descriptors you feel apply to him. The medical will be software driven.. indirect questions will probably be used to establish facts to extrapolate in justifying descriptor selection or lack thereof. e.g. what are you hobbies.. horseriding... that could indicate no problems learning simple tasks, sitting, getting about outdoors etc. His appearance and behaviour will be recorded also in order to give indication of disabilities... particularly relevant here.

miduck

Is he receiving help for his problems?

Dunroamin

Was there any purpose in telling him this was on the horizon if you knew it would upset him so much?

Chucksmum

No he doesn't get help because psychiatrists don't do home visits and he can't travel. He does see the doctor with the help of medication every 2 months but she has admitted she doesn't know how to help him.
I have to let him open his own letters as apart from this problem he is an intelligent person and an adult.

zaksmum

How old is he?

miduck

Chucksmum wrote: »

No he doesn't get help because psychiatrists don't do home visits and he can't travel. He does see the doctor with the help of medication every 2 months but she has admitted she doesn't know how to help him.
I have to let him open his own letters as apart from this problem he is an intelligent person and an adult.

To be blunt, you are feeding a very unhealthy phobia here. The GP is right, they cannot provide a miracle cure, but in allowing your son to carry on as he is (and for so long) you are reinforcing and facilitating his irrational thought patterns.

He clearly does need mental health support, but what he needs now is tough love. If he needs something doing for him, suggest he does it himself. If he says he can't, then ask why can't he. If he is scared (quite understandable given how long this has gone on for), talk through why he is scared - help him to rationalise his fears.

I spent much of my twenties in the same position as your son, so I do understand what he is going through. He is trapped in a vicious circle, and he needs some gentle (and not so gentle!) encouragement to get out of it.

Corelli

Hi ChucksMum,

I'm posting here to wish you well. I emphasise as my boy has problems that our local CAMHS servicee are saying will lead to him becoming like your son as an adult if we don't have some effective intervention now.

If you are on Facebook there are a couple of supportive groups there I would recommend:

http://www.facebook.com/blacktriangle11

and another which is full of people with very useful advise:

http://www.facebook.com/blacktriangle11

C_Mababejive

Slightly OT and i wish him well but it isnt going to get better if he is permitted and facilitated to sit in his room all day and do nothing. What is the solution?

Kev27

Chucksmum, have you got a dog or cat? if not then maybe rescuing one for your local Pet rescue/dog pound may help in your son becoming more social-able as he will be occupied more without worrying about the same things all the time and it may just help him? If your son lives alone then i would not recommend any pets as your son is in bed all day and it would be cruel. Good luck anyway. x

skintandscared_2

How did your son manage to go to school?

I can totally understand your desire to protect him from what he is scared of, but seriously - what kind of life does he have?! What will he do if, god forbid, something happens to you?! I'm sorry, but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. He HAS to get some sort of therapy or treatment or he will literally live and die in his bedroom. Is he physically well?