Woman 'told she was too well presented to need mental health care'
A woman has claimed she was unable to get help for mental health issues because she was deemed ‘too pretty’.
Jade Rowlands, 31, said a primary mental health team told her she did not need assistance because of the way she did her nails, hair and make-up.
She was previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with anxiety and depression, but felt she needed more help.
The mother-of-one, from Caerphilly, Wales, has been back and forth to the doctors since she was 18 to try and establish what she is suffering with.
After her last counselling session with the team, Jade said she had an appointment to discuss where she would go next.
She said: ‘Basically, they said they didn’t feel I needed to see anyone because of my appearance – because of my nails, my hair and my make-up.
‘I was well presented – I felt that’s what they said.
‘Basically the way it came out was they told me I’m too pretty for help.
‘I went in there crying. I was distressed going in there.’
Jade said the team did offer to put her on another course but it’s been nearly a year and she claims she’s heard nothing about it since.
In recent months, with the help of her family, she has been able to access private health care for extra support.
Jade said she has been working with a doctor since she suffered two seizures in January, which she saw as a turning point.
When asked about Jade’s concerns, a spokeswoman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: ‘It would be inappropriate to comment on individual cases, however, we would ask Ms Rowlands to make contact with us so that we are able to look into her concerns.’
Jade is setting up a support group called ‘Muddled Minds’ for people in her local area with mental health issues.
She was previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with anxiety and depression, but felt she needed more help.
The mother-of-one, from Caerphilly, Wales, has been back and forth to the doctors since she was 18 to try and establish what she is suffering with.
After her last counselling session with the team, Jade said she had an appointment to discuss where she would go next.
She said: ‘Basically, they said they didn’t feel I needed to see anyone because of my appearance – because of my nails, my hair and my make-up.
‘I was well presented – I felt that’s what they said.
‘Basically the way it came out was they told me I’m too pretty for help.
‘I went in there crying. I was distressed going in there.’
Jade said the team did offer to put her on another course but it’s been nearly a year and she claims she’s heard nothing about it since.
In recent months, with the help of her family, she has been able to access private health care for extra support.
Jade said she has been working with a doctor since she suffered two seizures in January, which she saw as a turning point.
When asked about Jade’s concerns, a spokeswoman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: ‘It would be inappropriate to comment on individual cases, however, we would ask Ms Rowlands to make contact with us so that we are able to look into her concerns.’
Jade is setting up a support group called ‘Muddled Minds’ for people in her local area with mental health issues.
