Broke, unemployed, depression treatment

[Zoomah]

Hi,

 I've had depression for four years. It lead to me having to resign my job as a teacher and has stopped me working all of this year. At age 28, I've had to move back in with my parents or become homeless. At home, I contribute nothing financially and cost probably $250 in food and bills. Pretty tough on my parents who are saving for retirement and have hardly anything put away. 

Currently, I see my GP, a psychiatrist and a psychologist. I volunteer, interact with my few friends and family and take my meds. My mental health care plan ran out ages ago so I've been paying for the psych out of my own pocket. My GP has been kind enough to bulk bill, knowing that I'm struggling financially but the psychologist, which I see weekly, is eating up my money at $130 a pop. It was very cheap with my mental health care plan. The worst part is the psychologist is the thing that is really helping. I went through 3 psychologists (3 mental health care consultations gone) before finding this one who I connected with. It looks like, as things are going, that I'm going to have to stop working with my psychologist only due to financial reasons.

Last week, I went into centrelink and medicare. I explained my situation and medicare said they had no assistance for me. Centrelink put me on New Start even though I don't think I can hold a job. I skip out on the fire brigade every week or so and that's something I enjoy doing and with people I know and trust. Never mind people I don't know. I'm getting my psychiatrist to write a recommended list of things i can do, hours I can work, etc.

 What I would like to know is are there any services left available for me? Is there any way I can keep my current psych? I really need one on one sessions as the issues I need to talk about are very difficult for me. I only managed to tell my current psych by writing it down and still feel uncomfortable talking to her even though I trust her. 

Also, my psychiatrist has said it may be useful to go into an institution for a while. Unfortunately, the private hospitals are too expensive and public psychiatric hospitals, according to my friend who works in one, generally only accept those who are about to kill themselves or hurt someone. Has anyone in Perth had a different experience? Have they managed to get into a facility without being a danger either to themselves or others. Also, was it useful?

 Thank you for your time,

Adrian

[Beltane]

Firstly your care plan resets in the new year. I know that's still 6 weeks away but in 6 weeks you will get 10 brand new sessions. Does your psych know your financial problems? I'm in the same boat as you- unemployed, struggling on centrelink, ran out of medicare funded treatments. My psych is very kind and charging me at the bulk billing rate of $80 until the new year when the care plan resets.

Secondly try ringing beyond blue. Also if you're in emergency crisis there is an emergency psych team: 1300 TRIAGE. There's also Lifeline. They may be able to help with some emergency psychologists if you are in trouble- they've certainly helped me immensely.

thirdly go back into your dictor and be honest about what's going on. They can help you with cebtrelink. My doctor filled out a form for cebtrelink saying I was too ill to work- at the time I was really sick with depression. I'm much better now but I'm still getting extra support- I'm with a special job services company that's designed for people with chronic illnesses etc, My "job" I have to do to get my cebtrelink is to see my psych, see my gp, find the right medication and basically focus on getting better. Also IM studying a course online which counts too. I'm feeling much more stable and honestly eager to get back into work, so I've been applying for jobs the last month or two and am doing a work placement in December. 

but I was really glad to be given some time to "just get better" before I was thrown back into that "look for 10 jobs" thing- i was too sick to do that. Now I'm looking furward to finishing my course and getting a full time job- i feel really ready for it, happy about it. 

 so try chatting to your doc and beyond blue and maybe the emergency psychs- they can def help you figure out whether you need inpatient care or what other extra help they can give 

[Beltane]

Apologies the 1300 TRIAGE number is a Melbourne only number. Please ring Beyond Blue, Lifeline or ask your GP for the number for emergency psych I your area- I keep this number in my phone in case I ever have a crisis again- I'm sure there's one in Perth 

[Zoomah]

Thank you for the information. Seems like I'm on the right path then even if it is a difficult one. The psychiatrist, psychologist and doctor all know of my situation. I didn't know that I could get New Start job seeking deferred for a while. I'll talk to my psychiatrist tomorrow about that as it seems like the most sensible plan. The idea of studying again is also appealing.

[Beltane]

Sorry I made another post- found the numbers for the psych team in your area:http://www.health.wa.gov.au/services/category.cfm?Topic_ID=5

has as some info about different teams for where you live etc, have a look. They can definitely assess you and hook you up with any extra services up to and including inpatient care if you and they think that's where you're at. But they can also hook up psychs and that too.

yep your doctor can write you a Certificate Of Capacity- it can exempt you from looking for work for a few weeks, then they can review it and give you another. They can also say you can only work X many hours or under certain conditions etc. It'll basically say you're having an exacerbation of depression, you need X many weeks exempt and you're going to do such and such to recover (so see your psych, get your meds sorted etc). Also ask cebtrelink for extra help- I'm with a disability suppprt team not because im disabled but because my anxiety requires extra support when job hunting.

my study gives me something to hope for, you know? I know I'm not going to end up I a job I hate (which triggers depression doesn't it)- I'm studying for my dream job. I picked a shorter course so I can finish sooner. I'm studying a diploma online- I didn't want to go to have to go to class, so online works for me. I still got the VET Fee help- so I don't pay anything until I earn over $50000 a year. So my plan is that the diploma will be done by mid next year (only started it 6 months ago) and then I'll get a job in the field, then I'll do my Bachelor. 

Rambling on in a bit sorry, just wanted you to know there are options out there you might not have considered. Centrelink and your job service people should also be able to give you training- but just try to pick the course you want to do, not what they want you to do. 

[Zoomah]

An update. Went to my psychiatrist last Thursday who referred me to the public sector as I'm broke and can't afford her treatment any more. Went in for my assessment today and got a medication review but that's it. Very disappointed. Even though they say there were amazed at the amount of treatment I've undergone with no improvement they will only offer a psychiatrist for medication for 4 weeks and said to continue with my psychologist ($130 a week... bring on the new year and a reset on my mental health care plan).

My psychiatrist believes very strongly that inpatient treatment is what I need but I can't access it. Some friends said to just lie about my risk but I really hate lying about even things to get me help. Is it only rich people who are allowed to get mental illnesses? I'm signing up to full hospital at $130 a month so hopefully in two months I can continue treatment. 

[Zoomah]

So now I've been told to get a whole heap of tests which all sounds good. Unfortunately, it's going to be Jan 7th before they have a gap where I can fit in and it takes 4 weeks after THAT for the results to get back. The psychiatrist has told me to wean off my meds, since they aren't working properly, and I'm crashing. So I have 6 weeks of my brain not being able to sleep, my heart thumping constantly and hating the fact that I exist with no support from professionals. Yet I'm deemed safe... My psychologist did assessments that showed that I was high risk, sent the hospital the letter with the results and still I have to wait till February for something to be done. By that time my private health has kicked in.

I'm not getting any help as much as I try. I know they're overworked and under budgeted but I don't care. I need help and they won't give it to me. It only seems like drug addicts and alcoholics are allowed to get proper help. (unless you have money of course.. private system) At every turn I seem to be barred because I am trying to do the right thing. I WAS an alcoholic but stopped to fix my depression. If I was drinking heavily I'd be more depressed and probably be getting the help I need because than I'd be high risk due to lack of impulse control. I'd also have no money in my bank so centrelink would help me more. 

[Zoomah]

Still having problems with the public system. I don't know about other people's experience but my particular hospital is terrible. I won't name names as I don't think that's fair. Other's may have a good experience. There is also a public hospital that has an amazing reputation but I'm out of their catchment.

I completely crashed while getting off my medication, as advised by my psychiatrist. My previous psychiatrist had always had an appointment the week after to make sure I was coping and gave me an email for me to send to if I was really struggling while changing meds. So, since I was so bad, I called my new psych to book an appointment. When I tried to ring their phone did half a ring and then hung up. I did this for two days but it seems their phone doesn't work. I rechecked the number a hundred and one times on the yellow pages, government directories, etc. All the same number. Then tried to find and email but they don't have a publicly available email address. My only option was to drive down, which I didn't feel safe doing due to my mental state. So I called my GP (her phone works...) and she told me to go back on the meds. Now I only feel terrible which is better than I was.

Still 3 weeks until my psychiatrist said he would ring to book an appointment. 

And then I'll be back in the private system since the waiting period for my private health insurance would have expired by then. 

[Beltane]

Oh wow, i'm so sorry no one has replied to you (including me). I really wish beyondblue would send us emails when we get a reply to a thread we're participating in.

WOWOWOWOWOW the public health system is TERRIBLE for mental illness. i too have TWICE in my journey with anxiety/ depression/ bipolar 2 have been so ill, so depressed, so anxious, so sick that i was very very in need of a public hospital inpatient stay in psych care. even my doctor at the time was trying to get me in, but there were just no beds.
I didnt find out i had bipolar 2 until a few months ago- it answers so many questions. we thought it was anxiety/ depression for a few years, but i ewnt through 6 antidepressants. they either didnt help at al, or made me violently ill- several sent me to ED. and yet i had GP's at the time who insisted that we just needed to keep trying antidepressants!
I changed Gp's and the first thing she did was say flat out- you need a psych review. like you, i originally had a long wait on a waiting list, despite the fact i was considered urgent,. finally i got put through the emergency psych team (because i was severely depressed) but only got ONE appointment just for a med review. luckily the med has been a godsend ever since, its helped beyond my wildest dreams. why? because the psych thought it was bipolar 2, gave me a med for bipolar, and its solved all my problems.

correct diagnosis and correct meds are everything!

but yes i remember the utter devastation of being told i couldn't go to inpatient psych.. i mean at the time i had actual suicidal ideation.. how bad is that?!

as for psychiatrists.. the waiting list is ridiculous, the expense ridiculous... i found a really good GP that i could put my faith in for general psych checkups/ med checkups, and will only see a psychiatrist for a med review- i found a psychologist i could trust too. so i talk to my GP and my psychologist about problems that arise- i refuse to wait weeks for psychiatrists.. i cant afford hospital insurance, but i got extras cover which covers psychology amongst other things. so apart from the 10 visits per year on Medicare, i also can see my psych under my insurance.

i really hope you get the help you need. ask your GP or beyondblue about the emergency psych team's number (i doubt i'm allowed to post it here, but it might actually be on the site somewhere, or the beyondblue counsellors might tell you if you are in trouble)

good luck!