One of the things that I have noticed about the gap between awareness and treatment is that a lot of people don’t know how to access that treatment. I’ve been dealing with the system for 12 years and I am still figuring things out! These tips are for Australia, however if you speak to your GP you may be able to find out what is available in your area.
I’m probably playing with fire by even thinking about writing this post, but it’s been a week and we survived a weekend away so I think we can safely say that we are out of the woods. We are out of the woods and into the land of sleep! I am so happy about it I could dance in the street, seriously. I don’t like to use the word miracle but melatonin really has been that for us.
I have made no secret of my disdain for the local public mental health system. I seem to get handed the bottom of the barrel case manager and lately the doctors are not much better. I am currently seeing the head psychiatrist..but this doesn’t mean that I am receiving better treatment for my Mental Health.
I read an article from a journalist who had visited her friend during a stay in a psychiatric hospital. The article was filled with generalisations about the experience of staying in a psychiatric unit and I worry that articles like this one are doing damage to our fight to end stigma. I really struggled with the gross over generalisations that were made in this article. Things that could easily be seem as scare mongering. Imagine being a person whose psychiatrist has suggested you have some time in a psychiatric ward and you read this article. It’s likely to make you shy away from even thinking of the prospect.
Welcome to my weekly A-Z of Mental Illness. Each week I will be writing about a mental health topic that correlates with a letter of the alphabet. I have a few people doing guest posts along the way as well, just so you don’t have to listen to me drone on every week. I hope that through this alphabet of Mental Illness I will be able to spread a bit more awareness.