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chibam
Senior Contributor

What Do *YOU* Want SANE To Tell The Government At Their Sit-Down With Them?

I've just discovered that people from SANE will be having a sit down with the government on Mon 26/07/2021(https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?hearingid=30066&submissions=false), as part of the government's latest inquiry into mental health and suicide prevention. So I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread where we, the members of the SANEForums community, can express what mental health and suicide issues we'd like to see SANE address with the government.

 

I'll get the ball rolling:

 

For my part, I would like SANE to tell the government:

* We need a massive increase in the amount of therapists who provide practical help for people with real-life issues that need to be resolved, not just therapists who sit in a room with a patient and browbeat them into "coping" with their living hells, or telling them that they've got to solve their problems all by themselves. (If they knew how & had the capability to solve their problems alone, they wouldn't be paying some therpaist $150/hr. to "help" them, would they?)

 

* Their interest in suicide prevention MUST acknowledge fates that are worse then death, and that suicide is not the worst outcome that can befall a person. This awareness must be applied to all initiatives that are geared towards helping people - patients must be able to state to their helpers what situations they considder to be a fate worse then death, and the helpers must treat such scenarios as being "out of bounds" areas that they must never navigate their patient in to. Some things are just not okay. They are even less okay then death.

 

* The government needs to do much, much more then simply throw money at people(i.e. jobkeeper) in order to give them a worthwhile quality of life. I know that a lot of people stress out about making ends meet. But for many, many others - such as myself - having the financial security that allows us to survive is utterly worthless so long as we have no reason to survive! Even the starving among us need initiatives to give us love, companionship, fun, happiness and a contributing role in society much more then we need food on our dinner tables or roofs over our heads.

 

* This currant government inquiry has a woeful lack of patient/'mentally-ill'/suicidal contribution. Everybody has been saying recently that patients & 'mentally ill', ect. people need to be at the center of all future design and management of the mental health system. But when you look through the documentation on this inquiry there is virtually zero presence in there from the actual patient/'mentally ill'/suicidal community. It's mostly input from large organizations, so-called "experts", and so, so much input from therapists. And this lack of perspective shows in the way that a lot of the issues are being discussed! IMHO, there's an abundance of people "just not getting it" in the way issues have been discussed thus far. The inquiry needs to make stronger efforts to gather direct input from patients of the system, and other "mentally ill" and suicidal people, as well. Our perspective is essential for effective outcomes to inquiries like this one!

 

 

That's my 2 cents. What do you want SANE to tell the government?

36 REPLIES 36

Re: What Do *YOU* Want SANE To Tell The Government At Their Sit-Down With Them?

I would like the Government to know that we receive more stigma from the medical profession than that from the community. I have been badly treated by a private mental hospital ( nurse refused to give me my 8pm medication, so I left at 10pm that night so I could get mine from home) I was on lots of meds too! and Also by a government run clinic. Told I wasn't suitable for treatment because I couldn't talk about my child abuse. I have also had a new GP go and check in the office to see if I was on a 'list' this was my second visit and I have never in my life hurt anyone and never could! Please we are not bad people. 😔

Re: What Do *YOU* Want SANE To Tell The Government At Their Sit-Down With Them?

@chibam   I'd like to tell them that there is no accountability in the so-called 'mental health treatment' arena. 

 

Psychiatrists, therapists can destroy as many lives as they wish - and all such victims of their incompetence are seen as having been 'difficult cases'.  Nothing reflects on the incompetence or intent of the therapist.  They all cover for each other and all have a 'get home free' card.

 

Complaints are not dealt with. Patients are less eloquent, less learned, and therefore seen as having less credibility.  

 

Doctors are becoming less and less learned, and patients, having no medical knowledge, can be easily blinded by 'science' because they are trusting of that 'noble profession' and assume, reasonably, that the doctor has their best interest at heart.

 

Suicides are the result of patients whose desperate needs are simply not being attended to.  They are getting NO HELP.  And help must be effective, cost-effective and timely.  

 

I'd like to tell them that the reason the mental health treatment arena is such a failure is because psychiatrists can not even agree on the cause or effective treatment of any disorder; that diagnosis is not the purpose of treatment - that cure is. 

 

That patients are simply filling appointment books, and as a result of not being treated competently, remaining in the system - creating an ever-increasing backlog of new, distressed souls desperate for help. 

 

I'd like to ask why there is no audit of outcomes for psychiatrists.  How many are actually curing patients to the point of being symptom-free and taking no medication - which is the desired outcome of any treatment.  If that is not the objective - what is the purpose of it all?

 

I'd like to ask them if they have the ability to get an accurate measure of another's distress and, if it was their distress, would they be content to just be put on a never-ending  treadmill?

 

I'd like to ask them how they think this enquiry will help - and why they can't see for themselves what is glaringly obvious to the system's victims.

 

 

 

Re: What Do *YOU* Want SANE To Tell The Government At Their Sit-Down With Them?

@chibam @Former-Member @Historylover There is an interim report available here 

Submissions were open last year for both organisations and individuals to submit. Unfortunately it is often those as yourselves (and myself) that do not know about these things until after the fact ...something for the SANE team to be aware of maybe and let the community know when these things are happening @Daisydreamer @pipinya 

Re: What Do *YOU* Want SANE To Tell The Government At Their Sit-Down With Them?

@Zoe7   I will read it tomorrow.  Tonight I am too disgusted.  They have all lost their way - and their collective conscience.

 

It all looks authoritative and as if something is being done - but it's all just window dressing.  Next year another report will be produced, their names will be listed, and the chaos will not have altered.  

 

Please excuse my total pessimism.  I'm feeling suicidal and there is no help out there for me.  I'm one of countless victims of this disgusting system.

Re: What Do *YOU* Want SANE To Tell The Government At Their Sit-Down With Them?

dont forget the older australians living with mi. We seem to be the non sexy ones which gets no attention with government resources.

Re: What Do *YOU* Want SANE To Tell The Government At Their Sit-Down With Them?

I do not disagree with you @Historylover in that there often seems to be something done but the reality for those at the coal face or going through it just do not get the help.

 

What I am more concerned about right now is you saying you are feeling suicidal. Do you have support? Are you safe?

Re: What Do *YOU* Want SANE To Tell The Government At Their Sit-Down With Them?

@chibam 

GOOD CALL

THANKS for bringing this to the awareness of the forum community.

Heart

I heartily agree with all 4 of your points.  Worth more than 2 cents ... worth your weight in gold.

 

To paraphrase and put my spin on it.

 

1. Find a way to stop therapists being overpaid and not providing proper service. Many people do not want to waste the tax payers money.

 

2.  Fates worse than death.   HHHhhhmmmm!     Sadly after my brother's death, as he had self harmed so badly over a 9 year period, I was glad he was no longer suffering either physically or emotionally.  There were 9 years in which he could have been reached and was not .... there were plenty of opportunities of people with different skills to reach him.    Then, in the end, they used legalism to get around the system, to protect their bottoms and careers, not to make the system work in the way it is supposed to .... Hhhhhmmmm.  Very Cross Big Surviving Sis.  

 

3. a)   Throwing money at a problem rarely fixes it unless there is intention and intelligence and patience in the mix.   b)  Suicidality is more complex than homelessness, poverty and lack of education.  They ALL may be involved but not necessarily be a current issue in those seeking help.  Dont make help seeking a bad joke,.  Maybe there is a reason why some are wary.

 

4.  Involving those with LIVED EXPERIENCE and carers, friends and family is essential.  Dont fall for the expensive expert opinion all the time ... 

 

Heart

Heart

 

Biggest stigma within the system  @Former-Member YEP!  Its a shocker! 

Heart

Now I have experienced it personally..... a few times.  I am better prepared NOW to see it for what it is, but heart cries out cos so many family members were not in position to self care after it, to have the wherewithall to complain, but they suffered ... some to the point of death.

Heart

Complaints not dealt with ... @Historylover  YEP!  My last complaint and abuse issue was a bad joke.  Now a current abuse which should be reported I am sitting on ... as I have a fair idea of the deal ... but not giving up totally yet ....

 

Heart

Love the way you put it  @Historylover  psychiatrist and psychologists and all mental health ser vices should be audited.  I would like to see suicide stats ... if not publicly available ... to be available to ombudsman or such ... with teeth to follow through.

 

Definite should be contact traced ...its been such a growing field lately ...  so they (all workers involved)  know when there is a suicide and are held to some accountablity.  Not just swept under carpet, such as they would have done it anyway ... or some such BS ... each person is unique.

Heart

Heart

I could say a lot more, but am a bit bummed that I have been strung along by various authorities.  I am not as naieve as when I was a child, nor as naieve as when I first joined trhe forum.  Been too much water under the bridge in 5 years ... murky water ... that has made me less likely to jump in ...

 

 

Buy 5 Ace Great Bridge and Water Wall Sticker  Poster,god,Motivational,Game(Size:12x18 inch),Multicolor Online at Low  Prices in India - Amazon.in

 

Looking at this pic, I notice I am also further from the water, which is a good reason not to jump.  If I can make that joke ... could I get a medal for my black humour ...you dont wanna know how many times .... and how close I have been ....

 

Re: What Do *YOU* Want SANE To Tell The Government At Their Sit-Down With Them?

I'm going to flick you a little email @Historylover, just to check in. Heart

Re: What Do *YOU* Want SANE To Tell The Government At Their Sit-Down With Them?

@Historylover @Former-Member @Zoe7 @greenpea @Appleblossom 

Yes! Smiley Very Happy I agree with all of this! So much great stuff here, I can't possible acknowledge it all as adequately as it deserves, but thank you! Especially the stuff about the poor quality & harmful outcomes of the MH system as it stands, and the inaccountability of the people who run it. Thank you, @Historylover @Appleblossom . And Stigma! Yes, @Former-Member , very relatable, unfortunately!

 

@Zoe7I read through the interim report when it first came out. My takeaway from it, as I recall, was that it mostly said: "we've only just started with this inquiry and so we don't really have much at all to report thus far." The rest of it was mostly just repeated content from the previous big inquiries. Basic summary: "the big entities are all telling us we need to put more money into the MH system, and recruit more staff." No big revelations there, IMHO.

 

@Zoe7 @Jynx You seem to be some ways up in the SANE hierachy. Can one of you please make sure that whoever from SANE is going to be attending this conferance is made aware of this thread and what's being said here?

 

 

All the rest of you SANEForumers, keep it coming! Make your voices heard! Smiley Happy

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