Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire
5th Floor, 27-29 Newminster House, Baldwin Street, Bristol, Avon, BS1 1EHContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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Review titled Mental Health Journey
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Simon - Posted on 22 May 2024
I recently started to experienced deep depression , but was able to maintain a half life , working full time and keeping myself together . After nearly a year of this I realised I was at breaking point , I had withdrawn , become nervous around people , depressed , intolerant to noise and so sad inside .. I had one large and loud thought every waking moment “ what’s the point of all this “ so hopeless and lonely and disconnected from joy . I felt my life was without purpose . I knew it was time for help .. and finally after much soul searching I sought help from my GP practice before things became bad . A brave bold First step ? Actually the experience from the GP service was shocking , through booking an appointment ; all done on line , to the interaction with a GP calling me back ,which took two days …no physical assessment ( I hadn’t even met the doctor before ) I don’t have dependant issues , how much do I drink ? Do I have a substance issue? No to all these questions Such generic questions to identify the trigger for my depression .What box could I be treated within? None of these boxes represented me . I tried to explain the situation on the phone to the faceless doctor as best as I could , but I was embarrassed and felt silly , “ I just felt terribly sad and Ive considered ending it all” that is all I could manage ..The doctor suggested anti depressants , they would take two months to help me recover gradually . In fact I was informed by the chemist that they would make my symptoms worse initially ; and would take two weeks to kick in .I wasn’t informed by the doctor , how was I to continue working full time ? Being anything resembling the man who I used to be , the man who worked hard to own his own flat , to have a mortgage , a full time job? Not a good start to my journey . The next disappointment came via email , following a telephone tick box interview. I was then sent a referral to Vita Minds which wouldn’t start until a further two weeks later. I was enrolled on a CBT therapy program with multiple other anonymous attendees ! Omg , how many workbooks does a human need to use to get perspective. I was hoping for tools on survival , some really good counselling owing to my reaching out for help , but it was so generic it was shockingly in-personal and irrelevant to my recovery needs . I have now in five weeks still not had any interaction with a physically present human being through the NHS , except the dispensing chemist at Boots and this process cost me £9.90 .The only person to actually warn me that I may become worse from this intervention was the pharmacist . It has felt like the system was actually attempting to make my illness worse by causing multiple negative chain reactions. I felt that I was not a person to this system , I am merely someone passing through it anonymously . “Tick boxes , web Cam seminars , death by power point presentations , and you are on your way … “ Nothing tangible is actually done , no talking therapies , no substantive help or guidance given just really dumbed down explanations of destructive cycles with no personal context. It has been such a disappointment when I was at my most vulnerable, I feel so sad for other people who may feel hopeless if their experience is anything as underwhelming as mine .. I have returned the Prozac , cancelled the therapy after just two sessions and started visiting the gym a little . I am the only person who can recover from this mental health , no-one can be my guide , it feels the system is there for a monetary benefit , a self serving system, where the individual is not seen , not heard . I guess this is a larger problem In our culture , in fact a larger problem In the human race.
Visited May 2024
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
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Review titled Pointless
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Emma McColm - Posted on 27 November 2023
Self referred and got forwarded to Secondary services as I'm over the threshold, got refused by mental health services and taken on by the crisis team, then discharged and told to go back to Vitaminds. Did a second referral and got refused again. Each time I get rejected it makes me more unstable.
Visited November 2023
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
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Review titled Well meaning but poorly trained staff
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 21 June 2023
Obviously some benefits to CBT but the treatment came so late that the recovery I had made myself was undermined. There is a period of necessary reflection required by the process but the lateness of this (and it’s poor delivery by Vitaminds) set me back. If this had been available months previously with a qualified practitioner it may have had a positive effect. Whilst the staff are well meaning I didn’t always feel they were qualified or understood the process fully themselves -it felt like I was being treated by someone reading a leaflet or working from a screen in a call centre.
Visited June 2023
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
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Review titled Too basic one size fits all approach
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 11 February 2023
Basic cbt can definitely be helpful but VitaMinds seem to want to clarify what category you are in and give you very short and light touch therapy via an online course, and online seminar or face to face therapy in 6 sessions with a longer wait for the latter. For someone with postnatal depression and anxiety I felt this was insufficient to the point where it made me feel a bit hopeless about what good help there might be out there. People’s mental health can’t be categorised into either depression or anxiety because the two often go hand in hand, and mental health is messy and interlinked with all sort of other issues so it’s hard to believe that a service offering counselling could have such a simplistic approach. I imagine it’s to do with a severe lack of NHS funding to deal with mental health. People always say ask for help in these situations so it’s important that the help is better than this or people will write it off and stop asking.
Visited February 2023
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
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Review titled Not good if you don't score high enough
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 14 February 2023
Self-referred to this service on advice of the GP. After an initial assessment and waiting to hear back I was told I didn't meet the threshold for support- I didn't "score high enough" on the questionnaire for support. Why must I be in crisis to access support? They signposted me to other services- which I could've done myself - and suggested I pay for a private counsellor. The NHS is supposed to be for everyone - not much hope of getting support through this service if you don't meet a percentage score on a numerical questionnaire that does not represent your difficulties accurately. Very poor response all round.
Visited February 2023
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
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Review titled 1 year wait for nothing.
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 16 October 2022
Had an initial assisement tick box thing over the phone in early 2021 The person doing this got slightly annoyed as my answers were not binary and did not fit in their 1 to 5 rating (like a good mental health issue should!) Slow forward a year, after afew emails asking if I was sure I still wanted some help and some pretty difficult events I had to deal with, I get some CBT. Did I do the homework I was set over a year ago?!? I don't think CBT was actually what I needed. It was all about being more resilient. I'm very resilient that is why I have not completely exploded and still here, I am sick and tired of being resilient. Its clear counseling was more suitable for my needs obviously more expensive so not gonna happen with this lot. After 8 or so zOom appointments with more questionairs that did not really describe how I was feeling, my scores increased. Due to events and issues that I was dealing with at the time. The therapist then discharged me with no follow-up. No judgement on the therapist. Did say I would receive a list of recommended and affordable councillors but never happened. Just yet another questionnaire asking how I felt and would rate the service. Don't worry folks I spent the summer getting wasted and now feel a whole lot better. Just in time for the autumn free fall until Christmas.
Visited July 2022
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
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Review titled Not helpful
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 18 October 2022
After my g.p referral I received a telephone call quickly then to be told they have no venue to do face to face which I need . I was then told they could do a telephone counciling for 30 minutes that's not enough time and I don't want to discuss my feeling and problems with members of the family around. I'm still waiting the list is long . I don't think my g.p realises what terrible service they offer for mental health problems.
Visited June 2022
Vita Health Group: VitaMinds Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire has not yet replied.
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