Topic Tuesday Focus Group // Treatment and support for people experiencing personality disorders // Tuesday 6 March, 7pm AEDT

[NameUnknown]

I would like for there to be better availability to psychologists through out the year. 10 sessions per year and then having to wait till the next year to see them cause i cant afford the cost to continue regular appointments is really difficult on me. I start to make progress but then it stops and sometime goes backward when i have to wait so long between appointments. It would also be good to see more recognition DID cause it isnt a good impression when you have to explain it to a medical proressional

[Teej]

1. Education for all mental health professionals. Like so many here I’ve had more damage done by some of the mental health professionals. It feels like there is huge gaps out there with understanding personality disorders.   

2. Way more sessions rebated by medicare

3. For BPD don’t sell DBT as the answer to 'recovery' it’s part of it but no where near enough for so many. 

4. Awareness in general that our emotions can get out of control and it be soooo hard to learn emotion regulation.  

5. It takes time to work out things, many of us need support for a long time to move forward. 

[NikNik]

Hi everyone,

Just ringing the virtual "5 mins to go" bell

[Teej]

Yep. Regional and country areas deserve much better @Former-Member 👍. The gap is even bigger there 

[OhanaSystem]

 @NameUnknown

I agree with both points, but important to remember that DID isn't a personality disorder, it's a dissociative one.

[Former-Member]

my goodness... i am actually here lol

[difficulthuman]

Reducing stigma people experience from the mental health professionals. It's exhausting dealing with stigma in society but encountering it from the mental health system which is supposed to help people is a ticket to an early death.

[Phoenix_Rising]

---

@EliseSunflowerwrote:

Hi all, I'm moving on to my final question of the night: 

What would you like to see changed in the way personality disorders are treated in Australia?

---

@EliseSunflower I guess I've already given my answer to this: The MH profession needs to shift away from talking about what is WRONG with a person and instead look at what HAPPENED to a person. The "symptoms" of BPD are perfectly normal reactions to extremely abnormal situations. The MH profession needs to shift to a trauma informed model rather than a medical model. 

There also needs to be adequate funding for intensive long-term therapy. Ten sessions is pretty much useless in treating...well...pretty much anything. Again, I am eternally grateful that I am able to have my therapy funded through victims of crime. Otherwise, I would never be able to afford it. 

[NameUnknown]

@OhanaSystem, I have multiple personalities but my dr tells me it is now grouped under DID

[Catcakes]

I would also like to see more subsidised therapy sessions and more group support in community settings with therapy as well as just social, occupational therapy.