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Losing hope that I can be helped.

Applestamp
Community Member
I've had a lot of mental health issues from a young age, through most of primary school and high school I was terrified of engaging socially, my mother was in rehab for much of my early childhood and developed a distrust of mental health carers which I inherited. In my late primary school my father wanted to try and help me so took me a childrens mental health event. At the time I was unable to engage and it culminated in an incredibly traumatic moment where I was publicly humiliated by one of the staff while trying to articulate my struggles. During my early highschool years I ended up seeing 2 professionals, one of them was unhelpful but un-eventful, I ended up having an angry out burst at the other. I became increasingly angry and occasionally violent, by late highschool I had began drinking heavily and using other drugs. I felt angry at my parents and increasingly at mental health professionals. A few years after dropping out of highschool I tried again, through my GP who was pretty much the only person I'd been honest with. On my way to my second appointment I had an anxiety attack and missed the appointment. I got a text saying I owed the standard fee + $200 cancellation fee. I cancelled all my appointments, went home and attempted to commit suicide, I didn't succeed but I did spend several days in severe delerium. So I lived, and now too terrified of brain damage to try again. Everything since has been worse, my fears have grown, my distrust of medical professionals has reached a debilitating level, I've lost track of what my body should feel like, what sensations and pains are normal since I'm afraid of speaking to a doctor. I work online in IT, and my experience of provider carelessness around user information in that field has left me unable to trust even online services. I'm stuck, online services need real information I can't share, they want my GP, they want me to engage in therapies that I've got trauma associated with. And most of them don't have the time or resources to do it via text, they want phone or video calls if not in person meetings.

To be clear, logically I don't think mental health professionals are out to get me, but I can't trust them enough to get help. I can't trust my family enough to talk to them about it, I can't trust my GP. I feel so stuck and I've felt stuck for so long. Is there anything I can do? Are there services available for people who have this kind of fear?
3 Replies 3

white knight
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hi, welcome,

 

There are so many complexities in your life up till now in addition you have lost faith in the health industry. It's all very sad. 

This forum has been a large chunk of my life for the last 10 years. I chose it at the beginning as it was anonymous and the people on here, Community Champions and members are those that have lived experience. Professional mental health people have there roles to play and sometimes it's a case of trying again and again to find that one person we "click" with and I'd like to think you could get to that place one day. I also realised after some time that lived experience also has its role to play that can be crucial to kick starting a members approach to their issues.

 

The $200 fee would for me be a trigger to an emotional meltdown and on one occasion such a trigger resulted in walking along a similar road. Post that year 1996, I had to reset my life and I spent many weeks alone after my 1st marriage breakdown seeking how I could turn this all around. Changes needed were massive- drop toxic people even blood relatives, move to the country, change career, dedicate myself to my kids and research ideas and remedies to focus on the future. 

 

Here we wont demand anything, try hard not to judge and in my case I know where you're at. I'm here daily so post anytime and when I return they'll be a symbol telling me you've reposted.

 

https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/staying-well/quot-grow-a-thick-skin-quot/td-p/470163

 

In the meantime the above thread might help. Just read the first page and we can talk more if you like. Take care ok

 

TonyWK

Thank you for reading my post and sharing,

I'll be honest, despite the fact I've got nothing more to add right now, it's felt harder to respond to this than to write the original post, the ruminations paint something clear but I spend most of my time avoiding the things I've said during my moments of emotional honesty.

Thank you for responding.

-Apple

Hi apple

 

Sorry to wrote what you found to be overwhelming,  unaware of that. Whatever you do please choose zero pressure and remain in your comfort zone.

 

TonyWK