The System is Broken

[Warina]

My Experience with the Broken Mental Health System

I'm sharing my story in hopes that someone will listen and acknowledge the failures of the mental health system. I live with:

- Severe Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)

- Complicated Grief Disorder

- Type 1 Diabetes

Trauma and Loss

I lost my firstborn son, and during my final goodbye, I couldn't recognise him due to the severity of my emotional distress. This experience exacerbated my CPTSD.

Medicinal Cannabis and Hospitalisation

A psychologist recommended medicinal cannabis, which my doctor approved. However, I ended up in the Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) on a treatment order. After sharing my story, the order was revoked.

Robbery, Threats, and Police Inaction

Upon returning home, I discovered:

- My home had been robbed

- Threatening texts: "Watch your back, you dumb f##king sl-g"

- My car was missing

I reported these incidents to the police, who took me for mental health assessment. They claimed I was delusional and harassing them, leading to another treatment order and a bipolar diagnosis. I was forced to take medication that severely impacted my physical health.

Neglect and Abuse in Care

During my hospitalisation:

- Denied insulin for three days, leading to life-threatening ketone levels (4.8)

- Assaulted by a male patient, with no consequences

- Complaints ignored or dismissed

- Phone confiscated, hindering my coping mechanisms as a grieving mother

- CPTSD triggers ignored, including removal of coping mechanisms (cigarettes)

Systemic Failures

The system:

- Failed to address my complaints

- Ignored evidence

- Protected their reputation over patient care

- Demonstrated inadequate training in CPTSD and trauma-informed care

Call to Action

It's time for accountability and change. I urge:

- Investigation into systemic failures

- Improved training for mental health professionals

- Trauma-informed care and compassion

- Patient-centred approach, prioritising individual needs

Support and Solidarity

To those who've experienced similar struggles, know you're not alone. Share your stories, and let's demand change.

Resources:

- National Mental Health Commission

- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

- Mental Health Advocacy Services

Please share your thoughts, and let's work together to create a better mental health system.

[rav3n]

Hey @Warina welcome to the forums once again!! 😊

Thank you for sharing your experience, I can see that you've gone through so much and I'm so sorry you didn't feel supported by system. No one deserves to feel that way, and I'm really glad you've come hear and spoken up about it. Creating change and having your voice heard is so important!! We hear and see you 💗

Thought I'd share a little bit about my experience - as someone from a South Asian cultural background, there were times that my experiences were either dismissed because my cultural background wasn't taken into consideration or people made assumptions without asking me the right questions - if they had noticed and asked, I would've reached out to a psych years earlier and had a more positive experience overall. I think being empathetic listeners and being open minded is sooo important, and sometime healthcare professionals / frontline workers need upskilling in that area. 

I'll definitely be looking into those resources, glad to have you in our forums community 😊

[Warina]

Thank you for sharing your experience with MH - I too am not from this country, they said I had a dense accent and I also talked too fast - like you I thought ask don’t assume,  the lies they told about me I just couldn’t get my head around - they haven’t got a clue about CPTSD - they’d rather label you with a mental illness and dope you up that dealing with the root cause, they just mask it.😔

[rav3n]

I hear you! @Warina i think that's why self-advocacy is so so important! I wish we didn't have to fight so hard for ourselves to be heard/seen but for now, it seems to be the main way of getting better support for ourselves. I'm so sorry you were treated like that, you deserve the best support and care too. You matter, and you shouldn't have to mask at all. We're here for you 💗

I'm wondering if you've got any professional support at the moment? 

[chibam]

Hi @Warina . 🙂 So sorry to hear about what you've been through.

I, too, had an awful run with the mental health system. I was never committed to a psych ward or anything like that, but my 2 main therapists really did a number on my life, no question.

With all the major inquiries we've had into mental health, and the lack of real, on-the-ground progress we've seen since then, I sometimes wonder if things will ever get any better.

[Warina]

STEPS

My assigned worker hindered, not helped. I reported medication side effects via text; she'd ignore for days, then falsely claim I sent 'thousands' of messages (actual count: 22, all logged).

She'd promise to collect my mail, then neglect to follow through, knowing its importance.

Unprofessional discussions about other clients' mental health only added to my frustration.

I'm grateful for your support. Thank you for reaching out

[chibam]

---

@Warina wrote:

My assigned worker hindered, not helped. I reported medication side effects via text; she'd ignore for days, then falsely claim I sent 'thousands' of messages (actual count: 22, all logged).

---

Ugh! Don't get me started on "professionals" and medication.

My first therapist put me on a treatment run of meds that cost hundreds of dollars, only to admit at the end of it that he never expected it to work in the first place! By then, I'd gained about 6 inches in my belt size (all thanks to the meds; a well-known side-effect of that particular med, which I was never warned about), and I wasn't exactly George Clooney to begin with.

And yes, as you say, he never wanted to listen to my protests about it. He knew best.😐

[Warina]

Hi there,

I know the horrors of the mental health system firsthand. It's a revolving door designed to line the pockets of those in power.

Content/trigger warning

[edited by moderator]

I've lost faith in this broken system. [edited by moderator]

As a diabetic, I was denied my blood testing machine, despite urgent needs. When I advocated for myself, I was met with hostility.

[edited by moderator]

This traumatic experience left me shattered.

Systemic Failure

Mental health services should heal, not harm.

I'll never trust those who exploited my vulnerability after losing my precious son.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Love and light I beam your way 🙏