Forums Ask for advice Mental health affected by caring Reply To: Mental health affected by caring August 1, 2018 at 9:26 am #480 Londonbound 3 Posts Hi, I am caring for my partner and caring for a friend, and that includes night care. I was diagnosed with depression years ago, I try and enjoy life but not easy, the mental health services just don’t seem to do a lot about depression, they seem to concentrate their funding towards severe mental health issues. I have asked for help in the past but just got nowhere, assessment after assessment not entitled to any help, maybe the care act will help. I asked for a break years ago still waiting, you can ask but you don’t get. And having a break then you go straight back into the caring role. I am not ashamed or embarrassed asking for help, I don’t feel like a failure, I watched a tv programme about a family looking after disabled kids, she said caring 365 days a year just can’t be done, I agree. This was in America, I think they did actually get help, a kids camp volunteered a free holiday. Mental health services tried to teach me mindfulness, cooking, cleaning, shopping, medication, just don’t have time for mindfulness. Social services say it’s my mental illness causing issues, mental health services claim I am not mentally ill, I don’t pass the tick list and therefore its social services who should be providing support. Shouldn’t they be talking to each other not just passing the buck? But social services or indeed the NHS don’t provide night care.