# Mental health care in Spain



## 213979

So, how do you go about looking into getting help for someone with mental health issues here? Should you talk to their general doc, especially if you think a medicine they are on is not helping? 

:rain: I have no clue what to do.


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## 90199

elenetxu said:


> So, how do you go about looking into getting help for someone with mental health issues here? Should you talk to their general doc, especially if you think a medicine they are on is not helping?
> 
> :rain: I have no clue what to do.


Any health issues we have to first speak to our general doctor, he then will refer us to a specialist, or deal with the matter himself.


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## 213979

How do docs deal with someone "tattling" on another?


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## 90199

elenetxu said:


> How do docs deal with someone "tattling" on another?


No idea, you will have to consult your Doctor.


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## JoCatalunya

My hubby has severe PTSD exascerbated by severe clinical depression (he was injured in an accident which has left him brain damaged). 
We went to the local GP who referred us to the hospital doctors, unfortunately they do not seem to be that interested in doing much more than medicating him. Guess this is the easy option.

You need speak to your doctor even if it is about someone else, I did this about hubby when I realised his medication was not working properly, (he was getting more and more depressed). She said I had to bring him in but took what I had on board so maybe yours will too.


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## fergie

Some general doctors are better at dealing with mental health problems than others, it depends whether they have had extra training in psychiatry or not. Some areas will also vary on the standard of help. Our son had his first 'major' problems when we lived in the north of England, care there was very good, Gp referred our son straight away for admission into an acute mental health ward.We then moved south due to husbands work to Colchester area. I had a bit of a 'battle' to get our son referred to the correct person to help him, our GP there was just a bit useless, and when he had to be admitted to the hospital there after another suicide attempt, the care was fragmented.
It was only after a while, when he had EEG's, that they realized he had abnormal brain waves.
He was started on a better psychiatric drug, and also and anti epileptic drug, which seemed to work most of the time, but! What I found frustrating in that area, was the fact he saw a different consultant each time, often someone from Afica or Pakistan, who couldn't even speak English properly. Consultants kept leaving for some reason-so there was no consistency of care, unlike in the north west where the three main consultants had been there 'forever', and knew all their clients properly.
I should imagine that in Spain getting mental health care would be a problem due to the language difference, and also resources available in the various areas, just like in UK.
Until mental health problems are accepted as being as bad as any physical condition which you can see, then it will always be an ongoing 'battle', for the person suffering, and for those closest and caring, to get the correct help. It is awful to see someone you love suffering with mental illness.


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## goingtobcn

I was already taking an antidepressant when we came here and my GP here has been fantastic. There was no problem prescribing the same dose and she is now helping me to reduce them. I had therapy in the UK and don't feel the need for it at the moment, so I don't know what that's like. I do know that in my health centre there is a "salut mental" department so would imagine there are counsellors, psychotherapists etc there but don't know. Waiting lists for "talking therapies" in the UK were unfortunately very long.

It's so tough supporting someone with mental health issues: my husband is an absolute star and I've also seen family and friends go through it. I really hope you and the person in need of help find some support xx


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## baldilocks

One thing you have to remember is that, here in Spain until recent times, anyone who was less than normal was considered to be a stigma on the family (I wonder who/what organisation put that idea about?) so such persons were hidden away. 

Down's, mentally disabled and physically disabled (unless their disabilities could be shown to have been the results of injury or from the war, etc - i.e. not congenital) were just shut away and weren't even seen at the medical centres and thus received little in the way of treatment.


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## snikpoh

baldilocks said:


> One thing you have to remember is that, here in Spain until recent times, anyone who was less than normal was considered to be a stigma on the family (I wonder who/what organisation put that idea about?) so such persons were hidden away.
> 
> Down's, mentally disabled and physically disabled (unless their disabilities could be shown to have been the results of injury or from the war, etc - i.e. not congenital) were just shut away and weren't even seen at the medical centres and thus received little in the way of treatment.


IMO, this is still very much the case in Spain.

They don't even like bringing the wheelchair bound, elderly family members into town. I've often commented about the lack of elderly in wheelchairs, people using zimmer frames or disabled - we never seem to see them in daylight hours!


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## goingtobcn

baldilocks said:


> One thing you have to remember is that, here in Spain until recent times, anyone who was less than normal was considered to be a stigma on the family (I wonder who/what organisation put that idea about?) so such persons were hidden away.
> 
> Down's, mentally disabled and physically disabled (unless their disabilities could be shown to have been the results of injury or from the war, etc - i.e. not congenital) were just shut away and weren't even seen at the medical centres and thus received little in the way of treatment.


There is still such a stigma around mental health, in the UK too. As fergie says, mental health issues are still not seen in the same way as physical ones.

I'd have put normal in inverted commas in your first sentence though


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## kalohi

Here in Andalucia it is the GP (médico de cabecera) who handles mental health issues such as depression. So I think that's where you should start. But I don't know how you'd get an appointment with someone else's GP. I think you would have to accompany the person in question, and so obviously that person would know what you're doing. 

Around here they're very big here on throwing tons of medications at mental health patients and then calling it a day. We have a friend whose brother attempted suicide and he was sent home the same day and didn't get any therapy except more medication. They told his parents to keep a better eye on him.


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## goingtobcn

kalohi said:


> Here in Andalucia it is the GP (médico de cabecera) who handles mental health issues such as depression. So I think that's where you should start. But *I don't know how you'd get an appointment with someone else's GP*. I think you would have to accompany the person in question, and so obviously that person would know what you're doing.
> 
> Around here they're very big here on throwing tons of medications at mental health patients and then calling it a day. We have a friend whose brother attempted suicide and he was sent home the same day and didn't get any therapy except more medication. They told his parents to keep a better eye on him.


If I really wanted to, I could take my husband's CatSalut card when he wasn't looking and make an appointment as him online... Not sure what his GP would say if I turned up though...

 about your friend's brother.


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## Cristina_Spain

elenetxu said:


> So, how do you go about looking into getting help for someone with mental health issues here? Should you talk to their general doc, especially if you think a medicine they are on is not helping?
> 
> :rain: I have no clue what to do.


In my opinion it depends on the type of the mental health issue we are talking about. If someone has a problem such as depression, anxiety, insomnia,... General doctor can help you but just to dispense recipes, they don´t use to treat the causes of the problem as psychologist, if you need the last one you´ll have to call for an appointment in their private office. I´m talking about general doctors of Seguridad Social, if someone has private health insurance as Sanitas, Adeslas, ... You can directly arrange an appointment with the specialist doctor. 

Nevertheless, in Seguridad Social, there are other types of major problems that general doctors can´t treat by theirselves but they can redirect you to an specialist doctor, e.g. nutritional disorders as anorexia (just to say anything).


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## baldilocks

goingtobcn said:


> There is still such a stigma around mental health, in the UK too. As fergie says, mental health issues are still not seen in the same way as physical ones.
> 
> I'd have put normal in inverted commas in your first sentence though


Sorry, I should have said "was *considered* less than normal"


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## baldilocks

Anyone can get a private appointment with a specialist. That's what I did when I felt that the medications I was being prescribed for my eyes were doing more harm than good. I am allergic to the preservative that is used. The person I saw privately gave me a prescription for meds without preservative which has been accepted by my GP who now prescribes it under the health service. I am now working on overcoming the damage caused.


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## goingtobcn

Cristina, can the general doctor (Seguridad Social) not refer someone to a specialist?

Baldi, I think everyone knew what you meant but obviously it's a sensitive subject.

Just seen your second post which I think answers my question above... Hope the new medications help soon


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## xabiaxica

goingtobcn said:


> Cristina, can the general doctor (Seguridad Social) not refer someone to a specialist?
> 
> Baldi, I think everyone knew what you meant but obviously it's a sensitive subject.
> 
> Just seen your second post which I think answers my question above... Hope the new medications help soon


yes the GP can refer to a specialist - they do it all the time.....


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## goingtobcn

xabiachica said:


> yes the GP can refer to a specialist - they do it all the time.....


That's what I thought, but understood Cristina's post to mean that they can't...


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## Cristina_Spain

*GP in Seguridad Social*

QUOTE=goingtobcn;1245324]Cristina, can the general doctor (Seguridad Social) not refer someone to a specialist?

Baldi, I think everyone knew what you meant but obviously it's a sensitive subject.

Just seen your second post which I think answers my question above... Hope the new medications help soon [/QUOTE]


Sorry, I think I didn´t explain myself in English . GP can refer you to a specialist if he (or she) considers that It is necessary, thus not always a patient is refered to other doctor, it depends on the opinion of the GP. Lately, due to cuts in healthy public services, GPs have reduced prescriptions (medication), days off work and visits to specilist doctor, all this only happens when he considers is strictly necessary.


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## 213979

Update: 

So I tattled/"narced" on the person in question to their GP. The GP basically told me that the best route would be to go private, since the earliest appointment we could get with the public psychologist would be a month out. 

I was able to find a private practicioner who seemed like quite the professional. It's not cheap but instead of immediately medicating the patient (as was done through the public system), he's carefully evaluating the underlying issues. I am impressed. 

I find it sad how difficult it is to get mental health care here and how "hush-hush" it is.

EDIT: I updated this post with my experience because I found it really hard to find good help in Spain.


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## baldilocks

baldilocks said:


> Anyone can get a private appointment with a specialist. That's what I did when I felt that the medications I was being prescribed for my eyes were doing more harm than good. I am allergic to the preservative that is used. The person I saw privately gave me a prescription for meds without preservative which has been accepted by my GP who now prescribes it under the health service. I am now working on overcoming the damage caused.


As a follow up. The hospital ophthalmologist had said that my loss of vision was due to scarring (that was caused by their medication!) and nothing could be done about it. I applied what I had been taught in school some 60 years ago and devised a solution to the problem and can now see perfectly again.


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