Lived Experience Forum

[chibam]

This came up in my newsfeed this arvo, and I thought it might be of interest to people here: https://www.msn.com/en-au/health/other/mental-health-australia-chair-matt-berriman-resigns-calling-o...

This feels very timely, considering that we've already been talking a fair bit about the state of mental health care, in the wake of the Bondi Junction stabbings.

I have to admit, I can really sympathize with this guy. It feels like we're talking about mental health as much as ever; it feels like there's been an uptick in the visable presence of "lived experiance" voices in the dialog; but has anything really changed, in real terms? IMHO, it doesn't seem like it.

I'd love to open the floor at this point to get other peoples' perspectives on this. Do you think Matt Berriman is right? Are we moving too slow on this?

[D1ng0]

I probably don't know enough about the sector beyond my own experience, but for what it's worth, as a layman... Yeah, the country is moving too slowly, or at least is moving inefficiently. I think any criticism of the current government has to be balanced with reasonable criticism that previous governments have also put mentally ill people in the position we're in, through funding decisions and policy changes that have ripple effects for years. I think mental health can be a political football, like a lot of other extremely serious and sensitive issues, and that's part of the problem. I also think that we shouldn't wait for horrific things to happen before mental health is taken more seriously, and I'm not just talking about that one incident in Bondi.

I think there's been a lot of progress. But not enough. Especially when it comes to people with complex mental illnesses and multiple mental illnesses.

[chibam]

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@D1ng0 wrote:

I probably don't know enough about the sector beyond my own experience...

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Likewise.

And my experiance is pretty dated by this point, so it increasingly leaves me wondering whether I have anything pertinant to contribute to these conversations anymore; or whether my concerns are now completely obsolete.

But then I hear a story like Joel Cauchi's and it makes me realize that the same holes in the system that screwed me over are still screwing people over today.

Most of us probably don't know much more about the system then what we've personally experianced; but I don't think that should deter us from speaking out. Maybe we, the unsatisfied, are just a minority; or maybe it just feels like a minority because we're part of a legion that rarely ever say anything. I think the only way we can hope to find out is if we speak out, and hope that doing so will lend courage to anyone else who can relate to speak out, too.

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@D1ng0 wrote:

I think any criticism of the current government has to be balanced with reasonable criticism that previous governments have also put mentally ill people in the position we're in, through funding decisions and policy changes that have ripple effects for years

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IMHO, there is way too much focus on funding as an explanation for the poor quality of the system. I suspect that the problem isn't that there's not enough money being spent; the problem is that was is being spent is being grossly misused.

When I think about how much government money was wasted on me, when all my problems could probably be sorted out for just a couple hundred dollars... (Most people get such problems sorted out for free, by mates or family members doing them a favor!)

The more I've thought about it, the more I'm convinced that my therapist was just a scam artist, using me as a tool to fleece my family and the government. I can't help by think there are many, many more like her out there. I have very little faith in humanity these days.

IMHO, a huge problem is the lack of "psychosocial services". I think we need to totally reorient the mental health system, so that a patient's first port of call is "psychosocial services"; and only once all their real-life problems have been fixed as much as possible, and they still aren't satisfied, do we even considder moving them on to a traditional therapist, to attempt to monkey around with their brains.

I'm sure this would radically reduce the workload and expense of the mental health system.

[MayaBird07]

I just googled the Bureau of Statistics and it advises that 42.9% of Aussies from the age of 16 to 85 have had a mental health disorder at sometime in their lives. 

With almost half the population having mental health concerns, you would think that the government would take more notice. 

I've experienced the way mental health is treated at a community level and there is no room for Mental illness in emergency situations. The Ambulance is not skilled to attend mental health emergencies and the Emergency Departments do not have the 'space' to care for someone with mental problems. That is apparent with the eye rolls and frustrated sighs when they are busy with life threatening emergencies. 

It was wonderful during covid that you could get 20 sessions and it is sickening that the government reduced it back down to 10. Mental health is not something that can be sorted in 10 sessions, especially when you are looking at things like trauma. 

[D1ng0]

Hey @MayaBird07, I can definitely relate to what you're saying. I won't go into detail about what happened when I went to the ED (as a very last resort because my life was in danger due to mental illness), but it was absolutely horrific. I wish I'd never, ever gone there. I'm sorry you have experience with that system, too. It's nowhere near good enough.

I completely agree that ten sessions is insufficient. I almost feel lucky to have an eating disorder that's ruining my life and destroying my body... because it means I can access more therapy sessions. But the journey to arriving at this point, to getting an Eating Disorder Plan and being diagnosed, was not easy at all. Not everyone will be lucky/fortunate the way I was. It almost seems like a process designed to dissuade people from getting help.

Unfortunately, I think Australians have settled for insufficient mental health care over years and years. The bar is way too low. More money needs to be invested in mental health, but money also needs to be spent better and differently. Cuz clearly, the current approaches aren't working well enough.

[Historylover]

It seems to me, @chibam, that many 'listen' but none hear. I don't see necessary changes to this system until therapists are accountable and they all recognise that so-called 'mental illness' is the result of ill treatment, experience and family dynamics mostly. Medication merely numbs the symptoms and fixes nothing permanently. The problems amass, the queues grow and still they call for more money. Accountability and value for money is sorely lacking. 

[D1ng0]

@Historylover I think medication varies in usefulness for all of us. For me it saved my life and went way beyond just numbing symptoms. But it would've been useless without therapy, so yeah, medicine is definitely only one tool and can't accomplish everything. 

[chibam]

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@Historylover wrote:

It seems to me, @chibam, that many 'listen' but none hear. I don't see necessary changes to this system until therapists are accountable and they all recognise that so-called 'mental illness' is the result of ill treatment, experience and family dynamics mostly.

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In the last major mental health inquiry the government conducted, by my reckoning the vast majority of submissions were from therapists. And out of them, the vast majority of the submissions all focussed the same gripe: that regular therapists aren't given as much government funding as "clinical" therapists.

This was the pool of input upon which the government built it's understanding of what was wrong with mental healthcare and what needed to be fixed.

The therapists contributing to the inquiry weren't advocating for their patients! They weren't voicing the plights of their patients and calling for government assistance with things like employment, or housing, or social opportunities for these patients! No, the therapists were only calling for better paychecks for themselves!
Tells you an awful lot about their priorities; and about the lay of the land for us, seeing as these are the people we rely upon to get us to a better life.

This is why the rising prominance of "lived experiance" voices is so important, because we just can't trust the therapists to advocate for our needs. The government needs to hear from us directly!

[Historylover]

Medication is an interim treatment which diminishes symptoms in my opinion, @D1ng0. It maintains a 'holding pattern' while therapy gets to the nub of the problem to assist the patient to then help themselves. If therapists aren't able to fix most disorders to the point where medication is no longer necessary, they simply haven't done the job they were paid for.

We live in a pharmaceutical wonderland where doctors and many people think all psychological problems are fixed by medication. It is not—but that's my strongly held opinion and we're each entitled to our own.

[D1ng0]

@Historylover I wouldn't agree that a therapist's job is to get most patients off all medications relating to mental health. I know that doesn't apply in my situation. I won't be on my mental health medications forever, but I will stay on them for a while, and that's okay. I've been shamed for that, and faced a lot of misinformation due to stigma, so I think it's important to recognise a huge diversity of journeys.

I agree completely that medications alone cannot fix all psychological problems. I view medications as merely a tool in an arsenal. My medications wouldn't do diddly-squat without other tools.

I think medication works wonderfully, works a little bit, does not work at all, or is harmful, all depending on a person's situation and whether the medication is appropriate. I think it's important to view medication as working a case-by-case basis, and avoid all-or-nothing approaches. I've seen people scared away from taking any medications because of rhetoric that all medications are bad, but at the same time, someone I love very much was over-medicated for mental illness and it ruined his life.

You're right, we're all allowed our own opinions. I find this a really important topic, which is why I'm enjoying this chat, but I'm not trying to get you to change your opinion. We clearly have very different experiences.