Dear Em
Wow! Congratulations! I am in awe of your initiative. Please keep up the good work for those who are not in a position to help themselves. I feel the biggest problem is in the public system. For example many years I was taken to a public mental health hospital, kept overnight and the discharged. My treating psychiatrist was furious at my discharge and told the hospital psychiatrist this. My psych felt I was still at risk. He would have admitted me to a private hospital but I did not have private insurance at that time.
So what happens to all the poor devils without private means? On the other hand my GP referred me to a private hospital recently, but because I was not receiving treatment from a psychiatrist I have to wait until someone has the capacity to take on a new patient and also have a bed available in the private hospital.
Neither has happened yet and I think it is unlikely. I am fortunate that I have a caring and competent GP who has helped me over the worst part so I probably will not go to hospital. She is of the opinion that had I not improved my only option would be to go to a public hospital ED. I could have done this but I rather suspect I would have been sent home.
As a Blue Voices member I was asked to comment on an initiative from from a NSW university about patients/clients having more say in their treatment options. In principle I applaud this and believe that when someone is given greater control over their own destiny they become more committed to carrying out the appropriate actions. Obviously this is a generalisation and not useful in some areas. What it does show is the need for more flexible options.
If I heard the news correctly last night, I understand the federal govt is considering new options for the treatment of mental health. We will await the outcome but not holding our breath.
Mary
