Another part of my experience has been waiting to hear from the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) autism team about whether I would be accepted for support.
I waited, hoping for answers, some clarity and an understanding of what was happening. Instead, I felt as though I was being kept in the dark.
When you’re already struggling with your mental health, being left waiting without clear communication can take its toll. You don’t know where you stand, what is happening behind the scenes or how much longer you’re expected to wait.
All you want is some information, some reassurance and the feeling that somebody has not forgotten about you.
But the waiting has gone on for so long that my trust has been seriously affected. At this point, I find it difficult to feel confident in a service that has left me feeling so uncertain about my future and whether I will receive the support I need.
How can you build trust in a service when you feel you have been left waiting without answers?
I understand that mental health services face pressures and that assessments take time. But communication matters. Keeping people informed matters. A simple update can make a difference to someone who is already struggling to cope.
People waiting for autism assessments or decisions about support are human beings, not just names on a waiting list. They have lives, feelings, responsibilities and difficulties that do not simply disappear while they wait. – I am already diagnosed its the help I need and to try and live in this not so friendly neurotypicals world.
For me, this is about more than a delayed response. It is about the uncertainty, the lack of clarity and the effect that prolonged waiting has had on my confidence in the service.
I cannot speak for everyone, but I can speak about my own experience. Right now, I do not feel that the trust I once hoped to have in this service is there anymore.
I believe people deserve honest communication, realistic information about waiting times and an explanation of what happens next.
Waiting for help should not mean being left wondering whether help is ever going to come.
This is another reason why I created Men Cry. I want to speak openly about what it feels like to seek support, to wait for answers and to struggle with the uncertainty that comes with it.
Because mental health support is not just about appointments, assessments or referrals. It is also about communication, compassion and treating people with dignity.
And when someone is already struggling, those things matter more than ever.
