Lived Experience Forum

[Gavinlee]

firstly this forum may have help a while ago. What a great idea.

I want to know people's thoughts on something I wish to take to parliament.

As people with mental illness we can be caught in a catch 22 situation, need to work to afford private health insurance, can't work because of a mental health issue, so no private health insurance.

I am wanting to propose a supliment for private health insurance for people on DSP who suffer mental illness. Surely this would save the government money in the public sector (which only band aids things anyway). Also with the right treatment from private hospitals this may even help people get back to work, saving the government money with DSP.

At the moment from what I have seen, people go on DSP, they then scrap by week after week and can afford the required help, therefore DSP is the rest of their lives.

Is that what the government wants? It is certainly not what most of the people I know with a mental illness wants.

I am one of the lucky ones that could afford private insurance and had access to right treatment, but not everyone is as lucky I a was.

[TAB]

well, glad you are getting the right treatment . and sure there are many Catches if not 22s re advantage in tax relief/seeming non obligation from government .. it won't change til people change it and yes there have been some 'wins' for injured, sick etc people, but basically, if you had a bad car accident in the 1970s, you would be given a lump sum that would have been enough to buy 50 houses.. if people thought that way in those days..re houses as profit making vehicles, even making soup seems to be a profit making 'vehicle' these days ha 

perhaps get onto a Lobby Group that has direct access to top levels of govt decision making ok social media maybe

[Appleblossom]

Fantastic idea @Gavinlee

You are right. The difference between public & private MH services is large.  Maybe even if the proviso is not for all private options but at least make the private mental health programs accessible to a larger group of those who need it.

[Gavinlee]

If we don't ask we don't get.

I have spoken to a member of state government (who was very helpful), he has advised me what to do and I wanted feedback from here if people find that it's hard to keep up their private health insurance or just can't afford it at all.

i'm going on a massive mental health crusade for at least the next 12 months, longer if I don't see changes, probably even longer if I do.

We can only try to improve things.

As I said to mental health Australia, we see ads about the Olympics or an AFL game that's coming up, what do we see about mental illness. If mental illness was a sport we would have more players than all the sports in the world combined, and even more supporters.

oh, never had a reply from them, way yo go mental Heath Australia, no wonder we have stigma when you don't even talk to us lol

[Gavinlee]

Thanks for the support appleblossom, not sure if you have shared this elsewhere as I'm new to the site and not totally sure what you can do and not yet.

Is there really a difference between private and public lol

if I may share a short experience I had with public I think you will be very shocked.

I called an ambulance as was in a very bad place, the ambulance guys were fantastic, however, a psychiatrist from the CAT team came to see me (I had been admitted there before), he would not admit me or give any help what so ever, hi comment was this "one of two things will happen, you will go home and everything will be OK, or I will need to attend the corinors court".

I overdosed that night, I was found by a friend and taken to a different hospital.

Now I'm doing pretty I just want to help as many people as I can with the horrible illness that can strike anyone at anytime.

[hope77]

I'm sorry @Gavinlee you had to go through all that, everyone deserves better treatment than that. I have only been treated in public hospitals and it was not too bad. so I don't know what private hospital do for people?. in saying that I have private health cover, thanks to the DPS and my wonderful husband.If anytime you need a hand with a petition or such let us know

[Princessmolly]

Great post. I have had mental health issues sunce my early teens. I have no desire to pay peivate hwalth premiums but i am beginning to wonder if maybe i should consider it

[BlueBay]

Hi @Gavinlee

great post.  I have had private health cover all my life and at times i have thought i can't afford this amount of money but i still have it.  it was really good when i had my children.  When i went into hospital a month ago for three weeks I had to pay my excess for the year but that was it. I started off in a shared room (only female) and after 3 days I was given my own room.  The private hospital i went to has a really good mental health unit.  We had support group therapy each day with different psychologists, walking group, art therapy, yoga, meditation and relaxing time as well.  All staff treated me with respect and were very caring and supportive when i have a few breakdowns and wanting to run away. Also nightmares where i thought someone close to me had shot me; the staff were amazing.

I have never been in a public hospital except by ambulance for asthma.  I have heard that the public hospital near me isn't a very good one for mental health.

So in my opinion I would always pay private cover for the above reason.  @Gavinlee I am sorry to read what you had to go through with your trip to hospital.

I have this week called the CAT team a few times and each time i have had nice people on the phone who helped me out of negative mindset.  I was scared they were going to send someone and put me away!!!!

[Gavinlee]

Thanks @hope77, I may take you up on the offer. I guess it depends where you go as to how good they are, however private hospitals are more involved in the long term helping (can't be healed), groups, mindfulness, etc

I can call my hospital 24/7 and speak to a nurse if required, I've never needed to but I know it's there.

@Princessmolly Private is well worth having if you can afford it, you can come out of public (if you needed to be there) and then go into private straight afterwards to get further help. The only time you can't be in a private hospital is if your in that really, really dark place of self harm, that's because they are not secure facilities. So you go public for that and then to private. Hope that made cense.

since upping my insurance to top hospital and finding the private hospital I attend, I have not needed the public system and am so, so much better. They saved my life and I am glad they did, I now realise I have a lot to live for, wasn't like that a few years ago.

i am just wanting to help others where possible as I know how bad the journey is, I look at the wasted money spent that could be used in so many better ways.

i just need to prove to the government that they could save money with this sort of approach.

have a great and safe weekend everyone

[Gavinlee]

@BlueBay Sorry to hear you are still having to speak to the CAT team.

Have you looked into doing a group once a week? The things they teach you are amazing.

If you do a group look at paying no excess, yes the premiums are higher, but over the year it's cheaper.

if you saw or knew me you would laugh at that previous comment about teaching ama zing things, I was the big tough guy, nothing could hurt me, a psychiatrist, are you for real, just get over it...... These are all the things I would say to myself.

how times have changed, I am certainly not afraid to ask for help

just wanted to put that here for the other tough guys, ask for help if you need it ......please