Lived Experience Forum

[Terry]

I'm sorry but your comments are highly offensive.  The mental health 'service' tied a friend of mine up during almost all the daylight hours for weeks on end.  This is defined as torture by the UN, which has called on such practices to stop.  Your attitudes are highly offensive.

[Terry]

Yes, no legal rights.  The state can effectively lock up any person with mental illness if they like when they like and throw away the key if they like.

[Terry]

Distressed people need to be reached out to emotionally - everyone knows that and everyone needs that from time to time.  Usually sitting with a distressed person and letting them talk and have a cry is sufficient until they calm down.

[Former-Member]

Hi Terry,

I’m sorry you’ve had such a rough time with the mental health system. I know you’re not alone in that. I’ve been reading back over this discussion and I can see that there’s huge variation in people’s experiences. I think you’re right in saying that distressed people need to be reached out to emotionally. It’s sad that it seems there’s not always the time or resources for that to happen in the Australian mental health system. Has this experience happened to you recently?

On the other hand, @Ellie 's posts gave me hope that at least in some hospitals people can get good treatment; and there are mechanisms for reporting unfair treatment. I wonder, has anyone lodged a complaint themselves? If so, how was the process?

[Ellie]

Terry, is it me you mean when you say "I'm sorry but your comments are highly offensive" and "Your attitudes are highly offensive" ??

If so, that was never my intention. I have great empathy for the suffering of others. If you really thought my comments were highly offensive, then I'd be truly shattered.

Ellie.

[Terry]

Some of these comments by various mental health workers at this site are stunning - mental health workers justifying tying people up; mental health workers complaining that they have to be violent towards people in some circumstances.  I hate to say it but you have to be in denial to be a mental health worker.

[Appleblossom]

I have been strapped down with leather when I was 16 .. so its a long time ago.

I also witnessed my sister and others dealt with large amounts of force ... my exhusband often was triggered by the severity of his treatment at the hands of police and ambos.

I have also see a lot of calm, caring, considered treatment of the mentally ill

It is something we ALL still have to work on.

A new right I am claiming ... goes something like this ...

Now it is my turn to make generalisations etc ...

but I also am careful about apologising for overgeneralisations ... I am acutely aware of the way in which strongly voiced opinions (which include generalisations) by people in relative positions of power, can trigger others ... without intention to harm ...

Yes there is lots of work to do. Keep at it SANE

I was glad to read in the treatment fact sheet that SANE put psychological treatment before medication

Good Job SANE

[Terry]

Hi Appleblossom, nice to hear from you.

It's good that you have seen lots of calm, caring, considered treatment of people with mental illnesses.  A lot of people working for the system do their best to be lenient and humane and caring.  However, it is a violent and abusive system and this is clearly not an acceptable way to treat people with disabilities, in fact, it's very probably evil.  Ultimately, attempts by people working for the system to be caring are not going to be enough to make up for the violence and abuse built in to the structure of the system.

As for your comment 'It is something that we ALL have to work on' - do you mean that people with mental illnesses have to work to make the system humane in tandem with psychiatric staff?

[Appleblossom]

A system is what it is and a chain is only as strong as its weaker link ... etc ...

I do believe each person needs to take what responsibility they can in life, given their genuine ability and circumstances ...

Just  my turn to say "all" in a vague way ... how do the carers know what help if we never tell them .. we might not always be able to say what we need .. but when we can .. it would be good to be listened to.

cheers @Terry hope you are travelling better ...

dont worry I can get on my high horse about things too ... but need to calm down to last the distance to do the woirk ...

[Terry]

Hi Appleblossom,

You basically sound like a very nice person but i'm having trouble following your line of argument.  'A chain is only as strong as its weakest link' - i'm not sure how that relates to the fact that the mental health system abuses and even tortures its prisoners.

As for carers - my only carers are/were my family, and they, having caused my mental illness with their abuse, have continued to be abusive to me all my adult life.  I am my own carer.  I cannot trust my family as they are quite happy to have me subjected to more violence and abuse by the mental health system. I rarely see them and am careful about what I tell them.  I have no support, except for my friends, many of whom also have mental illnesses.  I find that all 'support workers' talk down to me so I don't bother with them much, if at all.

I don't know if I am 'high horse' (high moral ground) but I am certainly angry about what I have been put through and my position in life and I'm sorry, but I can't quite understand what points you are trying to make.  Cheers and all the best.  Terry.