My Experience of Mental Health Services in Mt Gambier

Nobody has ever accused me of being sane (haha); the closest anyone's ever gone is 'knowing what I do of your childhood, it's amazing you're so normal', but that's for another blog or ten.

I currently choose to attend monthly (funded) appointments with a local Mental Health Professional (MHP), and, cynical though I am of such processes, it has been most helpful and even cathartic.  

I moved to Mt Gambier in 1998, but was 'Unfairly Dismissed' from a full-time job in 2000; sued, self-represented and won; but job providers, the Union, Dept of Labour and Industry, told me I was effectively un-employable, so I moved to doing full-time volunteer work (Lifeline, child's school, etc) and was generally coping.

Then, in June 2002 my child's grade 2 teacher at St Martins Lutheran School was suddenly removed amid multiple complaints and abuse disclosures from several children; he never returned.

The Lutherans, police, Rory McEwen, etc, effectively chose to cover-up the abuse with devastating impacts for the families involved, and I asked Centrelink for help in early 2003; but the Centrelink psychologist mis-diagnosed me as being 'delusional' and needing 'psychiatric' help.

Despite this 'diagnosis', and my ongoing requests for help, the Centrelink report haunted me as I was simply moved to Personal Support Program, and eventually wound up with a Disability Service Provider, but still receiving Newstart payment and no counselling; this went on for years through a system where providers (including Centrelink) didn't listen to me because they had been specifically directed to 'not encourage me in my beliefs'.

In late 2011 I was advised to apply for the Disability Support Pension before stringent changes due January 2012, was refused, but when Centrelink finally followed their own guidelines and spoke to my MHP, I was immediately granted the DSP in May 2012.

After years of public abuse, etc, I knew I had chronic depression issues and crippling agorophobia, but reading it on the page from a professional allowed me to step away from and view objectively the sense of failure and weakness that will always haunt me (over my failure to resolve the St Martins Child Abuse issue).

The St Martins Abuse Issue took (continues to take) a massive toll on me mentally and physically, and in July 2004 I was diagnosed with a huge 16cm x 12cm lymphoma tumour right in the centre of my chest leading to 8 months of chemo and one of radiotherapy.

Don't make the mistakes I did; don't swallow that frustration or that anger or sadness; appropriate mental health support can also help address general health issues (sleep, diet, etc), and pointed but not defamatory letters to those involved can help get that stuff outside of your head.

I was deeply embarassed, etc, but it is not weak to "suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune" (Mr Shakespeare-ish), and/or "Shit Happens"; it is not weak to seek and accept help.

Mt Gambier's population base requires 6 full-time resident psychiatrists (a minimum of 3 would be needed for any full-time service ) but we have none; mental health services generally are grossly under-funded, part-time, and lacking cohesion, which is no reflection on those involved at a service level, eg, the Fly In Fly Out part-time psychiatrists.

The Rann state government promised at the 2006 and 2010 elections a '12 bed, stand alone mental health facility at the Mt Gambier Hospital'; never going to happen, just another lie from professional liars.

Instead what they've done is literally walk into general wards, point at random beds, and say 'that's a mental health bed now'; people with chronic conditions are either in  general wards with 'normal' patients, or are being sedated, restrained, and shipped to Adelaide via air ambulance.

These patients are taken to Adelaide for a few days and then literally dumped on the bus back to Mt Gambier.

I know people who have not taken their friends or relatives to the hospital specifically to avoid the above.

The fall-out from the axing of Drug/Alcohol Counselling (SEDAC) 2012, the privatisation of mental health services (Jan 2013), etc, remains to be seen, but Mt Gambier continues to receive hugely sub-standard services across the health sector; and with $1billion health savings to be found in this budget, it is only going to get uglier.

But, do not be put off; politely insist on help and be prepared to accept it.

Tomorrow: The Piccanninie Ponds Sale: Murky Deals in Pristine Waters.