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cornwall99 Where can I find help to deal with financial issues?
  • replies: 4

Hello, I am struggling to keep my head above water at present, and am overwhelmed in every way. I have looked up accessing some superannuation under financial hardship, and between the super fund and the ATO, cannot make headway. I am completely and ... View more

Hello, I am struggling to keep my head above water at present, and am overwhelmed in every way. I have looked up accessing some superannuation under financial hardship, and between the super fund and the ATO, cannot make headway. I am completely and utterly overwhelmed at all the rules and conditions, and feel as if one is sending me to the other, and vice-versa. Is there any free service (I am absolutely struggling, so paying is going to be really hard), where someone can help me navigate this? I am educated and experienced in financial services, but right now, I just need to access a small amount of money. I just burst into tears and gave up. The chat line just pasted a wad of text to me when I asked a question, I may as well not have asked. Do we have (in Victoria), any services that can help people navigate these issues?

yes_ploise_loisa I am pretty sure I have ADHD but I'm too afraid to go to a psychiatrist because of the fear of me just being lazy and unmotivated.
  • replies: 6

I have always felt like everyone else is ahead of me, whether it be in school or at work. I have always been a huge procrastinator and have been called "lazy" and have been told I don't do a proper job with things ( I either don't finish or I take sh... View more

I have always felt like everyone else is ahead of me, whether it be in school or at work. I have always been a huge procrastinator and have been called "lazy" and have been told I don't do a proper job with things ( I either don't finish or I take shortcuts) and this has effected my self confidence, especially because now it has affected my work and I feel like a failure. I have so much I want to explain but i cant put it in writing because my mind wanders but I will try my hardest to explain every detail I can. I can remember this "brain fog" being around when i was a child in school, I never paid attention unless it was interesting to me and even when I tried concentrating on things that didn't interest me I somehow couldn't concentrate (or couldn't be bothered) I always handed in assignments late and barely ever did my homework but i excelled in the things I was interested in, for example I paid attention in PE and was really good at it, but math... was so hard that all i would do is draw on the side of my pages and be silly with my friends which would get me into trouble. So there is some evidence that i might of had adhd when I was a child this sort of thing happened in high school too. Now I am a 21 year old woman and it seems I have not grown out of these lazy habits and things have just gotten worse for me unfortunately. My work performance is bad, I struggle with everyday activities like laundry and eating ( at times i forget to eat) and even when I am hungry for some reason i don't want to eat, I rely on caffeine to get me through the day. I am also very irritated and stressed out because of my procrastination, I am constantly changing my career goals and that I am not getting things done like I want to. I find it very hard to focus on things which makes things even more stressful and my family just calls me lazy. I am afraid of going to a psychiatrist just to be told the same. If anyone has any experience with adhd please give me some advice I am really struggling, is this a good enough explanation to the dr on why i think i have undiagnosed adhd? by the way sorry for all the grammar mistakes, i was rushing ^^

Rod_NR93 Meds and sexual dysfunction
  • replies: 4

Hi all. I'm starting a new antidepressant and am concerned about the sexual dysfunction it may cause. Do any of you take antidepressants and not suffer this side effect? In other words is it inevitable that antidepressant medication will give me sexu... View more

Hi all. I'm starting a new antidepressant and am concerned about the sexual dysfunction it may cause. Do any of you take antidepressants and not suffer this side effect? In other words is it inevitable that antidepressant medication will give me sexual dysfunction? Thanks

Smith042 I am worried about starting a new medication 
  • replies: 2

I am worried about starting my new medication (prescribed for anxiety and depression). This would be the third medication now that they've trialed me on. I have had it now for 2 months and I haven't even opened the box yet. One of my biggest worries ... View more

I am worried about starting my new medication (prescribed for anxiety and depression). This would be the third medication now that they've trialed me on. I have had it now for 2 months and I haven't even opened the box yet. One of my biggest worries is that it affects alertness and coordination and that was one of the main reasons I had to stop the last medication. I work long days driving a vehicle and my concentration is also being affected by the depression and possible undiagnosed ADHD but I can't get into see a specialist until August. In the meantime my depression seems to be getting worse and it is making it hard to work. I would be grateful to hear from anyone else about their experience with medication.

BrianJ Inpatient units
  • replies: 6

We are trying to work out whether an inpatient unit would be helpful for our son, who has suicidal thoughts. We are looking at both public and private units, and our understanding is that the private units could be less stressful, as they only have v... View more

We are trying to work out whether an inpatient unit would be helpful for our son, who has suicidal thoughts. We are looking at both public and private units, and our understanding is that the private units could be less stressful, as they only have voluntary patients. We are concerned about him being in close proximity with others who have higher needs than him, as he tends to empathise (maybe too much). Thanks

2teray How to help paranoid schizophrenic father with his symptoms
  • replies: 7

My dad was diagnosed over 30 years ago for the most part he has coped very well until 2 years ago when there was a change in his medication and since then he has been on and off his medication he was forcibly hospitalised about a year ago. He doesn’t... View more

My dad was diagnosed over 30 years ago for the most part he has coped very well until 2 years ago when there was a change in his medication and since then he has been on and off his medication he was forcibly hospitalised about a year ago. He doesn’t live local to me but he has a as well as can be expected care team who do their best. He lives alone. My request is for advice on how to talk to my dad about his paranoid thoughts the voices he hears and the firm beliefs that someone is coming into his home when he isn’t home. I think I’m doing it all wrong. I need help. he calls me 4 or 5 times a day sometimes I don’t take his call cos I just can’t I don’t know what to say. He tells me whenever he finds new things in his flat phones clothes ladies products food rubbish I suggested the ladies products were left there by his ex but she left 2 years ago so he’s convinced some lady is storing her things in his bathroom cabinet. I asked him to check the best before dates and sure enough they had 2015 on them but he then says someone has put the stuff in old bottles so you’ll think they are from a long time ago. do I simply say nothing or ok or prompt reality checks or Just agree with him or what ????? i can’t go to him because he can get so paranoid that he doesn’t believe I’m me at times also he waiting for the day he actually catches these “intruders” and if I’m there one day when he happens to not believe I’m me and maybe see me as an intruder we’ll it could be dangerous. I have spoken with his case worker who says he sees dad weekly yet dad says he doesn’t case worker also says he’ll call me if there are any issues but doesn’t call I call him monthly when I can’t cope and ask for advice and he says leave it with him. I need advice on how to talk with my dad. I try to change the topic but he doesn’t respond well to that either. I even tried to say what if I said to him this or that was happening to me what would his advice be to me and believe it or not he changes and says the same things I have said to him maybe you forgot you put it there maybe you forgot to lock the door maybe you forgot you had those items. Then when I point out that it’s the same situation and ask why he doesn’t challenge his own thoughts the same way he says it’s different with me I know there are intruders coming in and out of here touching my things using my things bringing things in and storing them here. I really need advice please

Willoughby27 can’t see psychologist anymore
  • replies: 2

I’ve been seeing a psychologist for 6 months, part of the oncology department at the hospital. The reason for this is that I was referred there for help with dealing with my partners cancer diagnosis. While seeing this psychologist I experienced DV. ... View more

I’ve been seeing a psychologist for 6 months, part of the oncology department at the hospital. The reason for this is that I was referred there for help with dealing with my partners cancer diagnosis. While seeing this psychologist I experienced DV. There have been several incidents since, all of which have been discussed during appointments. Now the time has come that I cannot see this psychologist anymore. My partner has recovered from cancer and the services are no longer available to me. Unfortunately, the domestic violence has continued. I am actually devastated at the loss of support and am feeling quite depressed. I have been referred to the domestic violence support services and can pick up further counselling there but I am anxious at the thought of having to go over everything that has already happened again with someone new. I’m also extremely resistant to commit to “domestic violence support services” as I feel this puts me in a box, makes me a victim, makes it official that I have experienced DV. I am emotionally exhausted and in the last week have begun to withdraw from my friends & family, ignoring texts & phone calls and staying home. I don’t think I can bring myself to go to my psychologists appointment later this week - it will most likely be the last one and I’m just not prepared for it. I’ve attempted to see psychologists in the past but never met with one I felt I could continue with. This is the furthest I have ever gone in therapy & because of everything that’s happened during I guess I’ve really relied on it. I’m scared of how I’m going to feel once it’s taken away. It was extremely hard for me to get this far - I’ve always avoided dealing with things and I’ve really had to push myself to keep going and to think and talk about everything that’s happened. Going to therapy was really helpful but it never made me feel good, in fact for a few days after I always felt quite introspective and sad but I figured this meant that it was working. I’m sure that having to change psychologists is common and normal when ‘in therapy’ so why is it making me feel so bad? I feel like cancelling everything right now and just ignoring all my problems in the hope they’ll just go away. I’m trying to convince myself seeing a new counsellor isn’t ‘starting again’ but it isn’t working. I just feel like I don’t have the energy to start again.

Hj1981 I think I need to start medication
  • replies: 5

I suffer from CPTSD and I think my anxiety issues are getting worse. I think I might need to start medication but I’m so scared to do so. I’m scared because I’m sensitive to drugs, I’m scared as I feel that once on them there is no going back. I’m sc... View more

I suffer from CPTSD and I think my anxiety issues are getting worse. I think I might need to start medication but I’m so scared to do so. I’m scared because I’m sensitive to drugs, I’m scared as I feel that once on them there is no going back. I’m scared because I’ve had friends on meds and they didn’t help them or stop them from taking their lives. What was the deciding factor for you to go on meds? Where do i start? Did medication help? Were the side effects bad? Once on them can you come off them? And be ok? They don’t fix anything do they? They just hide the problem.

16sundayz Day Hospital or Day Group
  • replies: 1

Does anyone know of a therapeutic community in Melbourne that I can stay overnight like once a week or just go there for a month during the day and have activities, group and individual counselling and chill time and then I'm free to go, not a psych ... View more

Does anyone know of a therapeutic community in Melbourne that I can stay overnight like once a week or just go there for a month during the day and have activities, group and individual counselling and chill time and then I'm free to go, not a psych ward though.

Hannerilana Med withdrawal
  • replies: 1

Where is there support for medication withdrawal? I find a lot of doctors know very little about what to expect , advise including health direct that withdrawal symptoms will resolve quickly. Where is the adequate support and what are we doing to cha... View more

Where is there support for medication withdrawal? I find a lot of doctors know very little about what to expect , advise including health direct that withdrawal symptoms will resolve quickly. Where is the adequate support and what are we doing to change that?