Counselling For Sexual Abuse And Childhood Abuse Survivors

[sun seeker]

you sound as if you're in eastern Canada

Nope.

 

[DarkSideOfTheSoul]

My apologies @sun seeker. It's just that your comments re: the help you're receiving 'seem' like the amount of available qualified help that I was able to receive back east. I sincerely hope you didn't think I was assuming. Sorry, I should have worded that better. Not to make excuses,... sometimes what my head says and what I type, kinda get scrambled up. And I didn't mean to pry. My bad.
It's good information that you provided, since it gives me an idea of what's going on in this country in regards to mental health services. Thank you.

 

[sun seeker]

And I didn't mean to pry. My bad.

No, not at all, sorry I was a bit abrupt. I wasn't upset, it was just brain fog. I should have waited and answered later when I had my head on straight!

Perhaps the point we can take from this is that availability of services is more the luck of the draw and depends on region more than province? Also it's quite possible I was wrong about some of what I said. There are available services I don't use, or haven't for a while so they may well have changed.

 

[DarkSideOfTheSoul]

No worries @sun seeker :)
Between the PTSD and the limitations of communicating via the net, lol...so much can get construed at times.
Perhaps you're right; it could depend on region...or perhaps if one lives in a larger city, more options are available.
Mine, is a smaller city & like I said, only has one facility at a local hospital to treat both out and in patients.
Guess we can thank our past liberal gov't who slashed services long ago, closing literally tens of thousands of mental health facilities & programs in this country.
Not sure if you know but, our lovely PM said recently, that our medical system doesn't work, and major changes are coming as of 2017. Those changes will hurt us all.

Not to derail your thread here @Lizio, yet perhaps an illustration that, this problem seems to be more widespread globally.
And imho, I don't agree with your opinion that you aren't a formidable opposition to the medical decision makers there. To me, you sound very sure of the facts and state your position on them, very eloquently as well as hard-hitting. Bravo!
I truly hope that positive change will come to your health care system.

 

[Queen Boudica]

Not to derail your thread here [DLMURL="https://www.myptsd.com/c/members/9352/"]@Lizio[/DLMURL], yet perhaps an illustration that, this problem seems to be more widespread globally.

It's not. I think it is a useful perspective. I would be interested in any sufferers in Germany, I had heard that their access to psychological care is really good. But yes the mental health crisis I think is global. Be interesting to know how the suicide rates compare.

Spoke to my psychologist today about this. He thinks I should probably focus on my Masters. I am getting distracted by this. I want to think I can do something, but really this is not something that will go away in a hurry. I think maybe there is momentum on the Better Access and psychological access and hopefully there will be no cuts to acute hospital care. But anything goes in this climate. Getting too worked up and too triggered. And I do feel really what right do I have to challenge like this? How much do I really know? I don't know. How ridiculous I tweeted and now some of those tweets have been retweeted by the APS. That makes me feel very uncomfortable. J M challenged me to tell my story of suicide. For what? For people who don't get it to find some reason to put you down? No. I've told my story. I replied to him exactly that. And every time I do it rips me apart to think that could happen in this modern day and age and it happened to my sister. But it does.

The budget is coming, it is a very worrying time for us on pensions and welfare and health conditions. We are always portrayed as bludgers. Never wanted to be in this position. Somehow it happened. Certainly not as bad off as some, which worries me, how do others cope?

 

[DarkSideOfTheSoul]

@Lizio,
I hope you're able to focus on your Master's and hopefully, enough people will speak out against the system as you have. Something's gotta give...fingers crossed.
Me, I'm not coping well at all. In fact, things worsened yesterday when my GP informed me that there are no available psychologists or psychiatrists to see me, as they're completely swamped in their private practice. I'm now awaiting a call from an intake worker who will assess my situation over the phone, and then refer me to short term help. Ugh!
Sorry to rant...I'm just at the end of my tether it seems.

 

[Queen Boudica]

No need to apologise @DarkSideOfTheSoul it is a terrible position to be in. Unfortunately more and more if you don't have money forget about getting decent treatment. And if you are too sick how can you have money, not that kind of money to afford private heath care.

 

[DarkSideOfTheSoul]

When I was working, I would have been able to afford good health care. PTSD is quite crippling, coupled with the fact that my health is such that I DO have to walk with a cane or use my walker when or if, I go out. I'm crippled both physically and mentally. So work is out of the question.
I'm at the mercy of whatever services and people who offer them, come my way unfortunately. I have the added 'bonus' of overcoming a counselor/therapist, that I don't get along with, and yet 'having' to make it work because it's the only help I'll get.
Many threads on this site contain folks who are able to switch T's when they want or is warranted. I don't have that luxury.
I'm envious of those members actually, even though it's no fault of their own. It just goes to demonstrate the faulty system I must deal with here.
My rant in my previous post, stated that I was awaiting a call from an intake worker. Well, I received a call last night, telling me of the time and day, when the intake worker will be contacting me. Not 'til May 7th. That's just to get the ball rolling.
I came close to trashing my place after I hung up. My beloved cat was the only thing that stopped me. My vocalizations, scared the poor thing.
Like you @Lizio, I come from an abusive childhood, and subsequently more abuse & trauma in my adult life. I have no idea how I'm going to get through this.

Perhaps others will read this and maybe they won't feel so alone in their struggle just to get therapy.

 

[Queen Boudica]

So Sorry @DarkSideOfTheSoul it is a story I have heard often, because of the stories told on the Better Access site. That is the message that needs to get across, that this disease is crippling and people need help in order to be able to have some kind of normal life. I know if I hadn't got the help I have now I would be crippled with back issues too. I was just really lucky and I am also in a tenuous position that I could lose the ability to afford this. It is a terrifying thought, but I know there are so many already there and having to struggle so hard. I think that is important we all start to have a voice and tell what is happening with those who have suffered abuse and then are unable to get the help they need. IT is not OK.

I hope this is starting in this country. But I think more survivors of abuse need to put their voice forward and that is hard. You wouldn't believe what just happened to me because I actually challenged something in Twitter by one of those so called mental health experts who thinks they know what is best for all of us and are not listening to the voices of those who use the system. Anyway, that is my bag.

I think this is good, we start to have a voice and say this isn't OK.

 

[DarkSideOfTheSoul]

@Lizio...may I ask what is the Better Access site?
I'm very sorry to hear of your back issues and the fine line you walk to afford proper therapy. You're so right. Voices need to be much much louder. It's such a dilemma though...on the one hand, we need good help...on the other; many of us have been so traumatized that we cannot raise our voices & make necessary changes in order to receive that help.
Sounds as if you've caused quite a stir on Twitter. :) Hopefully that was in your favour?
And thank you for replying to my seemingly endless rantings.

 

[Queen Boudica]

@DarkSideOfTheSoul . Alliance for Better Access. It is a campaign to increase the medicare funded sessions to psychological treatment for mental illness. A few years back, the Better Access scheme was introduced here so that patients with mental illness could go to see psychologists or psychiatrists and get some of that money back from medicare. There was an annual cap set of 20 for treatment to psychologists and 50 for access to psychiatrists. In order to be eligible for treatment you had to have a mental health care plan set up by your GP and they refer you for the number of sessions and the psychologist/psychiatrist reports back to them on your progress etc.

Then in 2011 they cut the number of sessions down from 20 for psychological visits to 10. And said that patients with complex mental heath conditions were not eligible for Better Access to psychologists but it was things like anxiety and depression. Professor Ian Hickie who is a huge mental health lobbyist and supposed expert had bent the Labour governments ear telling them that 10 sessions was more than adequate. He then got funds for his area. Better Access was really helpful to complex trauma sufferers, and other mental health conditions, it made for affordable access to psychologists. Of course there are problems in that in rural areas and in the aborigninal populations that there are not enough psychologists to treat. Does not mean that Better Access was not a good scheme.

The Alliance was set up to campaign to increase the sessions back again (although I do not agree on the cap, I think it should be based on clinical need). THey got a lot of signatures and members and presented the petition to parliament but it has been ignored. The alliance is formed from mental health sufferers, relatives, workers in the mental health care profession, A lot of people have told their stories on the sight and said BA was helping them but how they do not have enough support now it is cut to 10.

Hope that helps.