@HenryX

I haven't got much to contribute straight up, but I look forward to the discussion 🙂

Look, from any political perspective, it's either an opportunity to attack or to be attacked.

Youth crime is a great example, you have a huge amount of people saying that they should just go jail, be hard on them, and if we change the rules to look at trauma, to try to heal the family and stop having young people in prison and attempt to give them a life, the politicians are called weak on crime by their opponents.

There is rarely any bipartisan support for real change to the root causes of mental health issues in our country. We don't like to acknowledge the past wrongdoings of other generations, so we repeat the mistakes. We might not have a stolen generation anymore, but I guarantee you, there are a lot more aboriginal kids in state care because of mental health issues due to intergenerational trauma.

How much money is being put into kids counselling in families of DV, most kids are forced to maintain a relationship with the perpetrator of the violence because the courts advocate that kids should stay connected to parents, even when kids are clearly being hurt. No amount of counselling is going to explain to a child where the court asked them to remain with a parent who beat them.

We have too many in our society who do not want to understand, who just want to control and demonise others. Our political leader should be made to work for free or there should be no difference in pay between both sides. There should be no incentive to be in power, other than to bring about a better society.

Thats my rant... sorry if it steps over the line.

To members who may be interested, without printing all of the member addresses again.

{Any website addresses in this post can be accessed directly from the links offered}

A General Comment

We often hear comments such as:

Why doesn't the Prime Minister or State Premier (normally referred to by name), sort out this {stated} problem?

I just used the search reference

"government policies or initiatives that are affecting the mental health sector"

This search returned the usual array of results, headed by the Australian Government site:

https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/mental-health-and-suicide-prevention/what-were-doing-about-mental-health

Reading through the site topics, I came to the following heading and accompanying details:

"Legislation

The Mental Health Act 1996 regulates our mental health work at the national level. This is part of the set of laws we administer on behalf of our ministers.

Each state and territory also has its own mental health legislation:

• New South Wales

• Victoria

• Queensland

• South Australia

• Western Australia

• Tasmania

• Australian Capital Territory

• Northern Territory. "

Wanting to narrow down the search information I decided to look at the legislation in my home state of Western Australia.

Western Australian Legislation

at the website:

https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/law_a147019_currencies.html

Home > Mental Health Act 2014 > All Versions

Mental Health Act 2014

(Where available versions as previously in force)

Consolidated Versions Reprints As passed

The contents list of the current version of the Act as legislated in Western Australia;

"As at 01 Dec 2018, Version 01-g0-02,

Published on www.legislation.wa.gov.au"

covers 30 pages and the whole Act {including the Contents, Act, Notes and Defined Terms} covers 474 pages

The intent of the Act is stated as follows:

"Western Australia
Mental Health Act 2014
An Act —
 to provide for the treatment, care, support and protection of
people who have a mental illness; and
 to provide for the protection of the rights of people who have a
mental illness; and
 to provide for the recognition of the role of carers and families in
providing care and support to people who have a mental illness,
and for related purposes."

We may, at times, be frustrated by the reality as well as our own perceptions of the function of bureaucracy. However, to state the obvious, it is all there for the purpose of ensuring appropriate and adequate provision of service, for our benefit and that of others for whom we care. While at the same time ensuring our safety and that our rights are upheld, maintained and respected.

The various provisions of the relevant Acts and Legislation are implemented and put into practice by people from parliamentary offices through to government, semi-governmental and private organisational structures and to the very people we see on a person to person, one to one basis. Each of those people are required to know their roles, obligations and rights within the structure and at the level within which they work, operate and function.

The complexity of the system within which we and they operate and function, is part of the reason that it may often be advisable to seek the services of a suitably knowledgeable and qualified advocate.

A few thoughts that may stimulate some discussion.

With Best Wishes

@HenryXWhat a great idea! And thank you for the shout-out! 😀

This can, of course, be a prickly road to go down, and I'm sure there are quite a few people watching this thread with a bit of unease. But, IMHO, this is really important, because we need to have full, free and open discussion about mental health and, ultimately, there is no getting away from the fact that political issues have an immense impact on society's mental health.

So it's not a question of whether or not these sort of questions will be easy; because it's a question of them being necessary.

Personally, I have a couple of enduring concerns regarding the intersection of politics and mental health policy.

The first is incidents of therapists acting as indoctrinators of their own brands of politics upon their patients. My therapist tried this on me; tried to push her own political causes and viewpoints upon me. For the most part, she failed. But it has left me with enduring concerns about how other, more susceptible patients may be exploited by their therapists.

I know all to well how vulnerable you can be when you wander in to therapy. You can be so desperate you will do anything; say anything; cling to anything, in hopes it will get you your happy ending. So how many therapists are out there, telling their patients that, if they pledge themselves to the therapist's own political clan, it will lead to an alleviation of their suffering? How many vulnerable patients are being brainwashed into believing that the root of their suffering is a particular political camp?

I'm one that got away. There are doubtless many who don't.

My other major concern is that I've personally observed a particular political slant in the mental health landscape - particularly in terms of policy. Surprisingly, despite the fact that we currantly have a Liberal government, this bias seems to favor Labor/Greens-esque politics.

For example, in the latest government inquiry into mental health, there is significant mention of issues and concerns that would typically most aggrieve people with Labor-leaning politics (e.g. global warming; LGBT+ cultural problems; ect.), yet I couldn't see any significant mention of concerns that you would think would mostly aggrieve Liberal-leaning people. This comes at a time when, IMHO, both sides of politics are significantly distressed (to the point of being relevant to mental health & suicide-related discussions) about the various issues that concern them.

But where is the policy interest in addressing the social/political issues that cause such heartache to Liberal-leaning citizens?

On the global scale, I've spotted a similar political bias within the mental health system as a whole. We all heard numerous reports of "Trump Derangement" becoming a recognized psychological condition during the Trump administration. So many Democrat-leaning voters were distraught about the trajectory of their country that the distress had notable mental health implications. Okay, fair enough.

Yet now, in the Biden administration there is undeniably a comparable level of distress, depression and grief amongst the Trump-leaning citizenry. I can't count the number of earnest videos of seen from Americans who are visably and authentically distraught about the state of their country today. Regular, genuine people who's hearts are truly breaking because (as far as their concerned) they are losing a country that they loved.

So where's the official recognition from the mental health system that "Biden Derangement" is a recognizable psychological condition? I have never heard those words: "Biden Derangement" mentioned in any official documentation. Why?

Does depression only matter when it comes from a Democrat? Is the suffering of a Republican irrelevant, because they are "something less then" a Democrat?

Shouldn't the mental health system be there to attend to the anguish of everyone, regardless of political affiliations?

And returning back to Australian shores, I've read in articles that address loneliness (loneliness being one of the biggest sources of "mental illness", depression & suicidalness, IMHO), that one of the biggest demographics likely to suffer from loneliness are One Nation voters. Yet the tone of such articles becomes very judgemental at this point; containing a veiled subtext of: "could the defect within these people that makes them turn towards the One Nation party have some correlation to their inability to form meaningful relationships?"

The questions at this point seem to be the age-old psychological chestnut of: "why are these people broken, and how can we fix them?", as opposed to "how is our society failing these people, and how can we help them find communities that they can connect with and feel their values reflected within?"

I don't think this bias is right. That's not to say that we should be ignoring the issues that grieve Labor/Greens-leaning voters. Not at all. I applaud the fact that we are finally acknowledging the political & social issues that grieve people.

What I am saying is that the door must swing both ways. All voices must be heard. We know that there are many social/political issues that cause deep distress and heartache for Liberal-leaning constituants as well, and these issues and viewpoints must not be excluded from our mental health dialog.

We need a mental health system - and a mental health policy framework - that serves everybody as best it possibly can; not just one side of the political isle.

I am sorry if I have offended anybody with my commentary here today. It has not been my intention to support or decry the positions of any given side, in any given issue, with this post. It is only my intention to advocate for a politically neutral, politically all-serving approach toward mental health.

We all deserve to find happiness. We all deserve a homeland. And we all deserve a system that will help us get there.

I'll leave it at that.

Hello Everyone,

Having read your posts @chibam @HenryX, I can see that this is a pretty big topic, which may bring up a lot of very intense feelings for us all.

While we encourage folks to share their views and experiences, we ask that everyone be mindful of help-seekers who are passing through.

If anyone reading along finds these topics to be upsetting or triggering, you are always welcome to get in touch with us via team@saneforums.org or reach out to your preferred Helpline or other mental health support.

tyme

Hello @AussieRecharger

Thank you for your response and observations.

I would be interested in your thoughts with regard to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) and their individual and community implications, as discussed by Dr. Colleen Bridger, MPH, PhD., a copy of whose videos I have recently added to the "Henry's Landing Strip & Hangar" thread.

Admittedly, the setting for Dr Bridger is San Antonio, Texas, officially the City of San Antonio, the seventh-most populous city in the United States, second largest city in the Southern United States,[9] and the second-most populous city in Texas with 1,434,625 residents in 2020. Roughly the residential population of Adelaide, Australia.

For comparison;

Perth, capital of Western Australia, part of the South West of Western Australia. Population in 2022 is estimated to be 2.21 million, and is the fourth-populous city of Australia.

However, I do believe that the same issues present here in Australia and the remedies are very likely transferable. Maybe we should learn from others while we can.

To apply one of my favourite observations with regard to:

"That's my rant... sorry if it steps over the line."

"No offence taken, no apology needed."

With Best Wishes

@HenryX

Ah hah! Learned a new thing today. @HenryX

Adelaide is smaller than Perth. Why did I not know that?

It can be good to watch and wait @StuF

@chibam I like your discussion describing some of the main parties and leanings. Sorry you were co-opted by a therapist to join a particular side. You seemed neutral and careful to me.

@AussieRecharger Important points about indigenous kids in care, youth issues and crime .... and some sources of mental health issues.

I agree jumping onto partisan bandwagons can have consequences and hamper discussion. @tyme It seems everyone is sensitive and do want the discussion.

Hey @MDT you started asking about political threads. What do you think?

ACE scores can be a useful relevant and a way of comparing and evaluating ...childhood trauma.

Hello @tyme , @StuF @AussieRecharger , @chibam , @Appleblossom

I agree @tyme, there will need to be a focus in the thread, on process as distinct from party politics involving ideology. That was certainly my intention when setting up this thread with the emphasis on process and affect, with regard to mental health issues.

The reason that I wrote my observations {in an earlier post} around the legislation is, that while there are people with varying view-points, and political parties presenting those view-points in our legislature, from whatever perspective, we still rely on a parliamentary and legislative process to achieve our goals.

This thread must not be about the relative merits of different party ideology and platforms. Those are at best distractions and at worst destructive in this format. It should be about how the legislation is applied in practice in the wider community and our own specific circumstances. I most certainly believe that this is not the place for debate of political ideology or issues on platform.

There is no doubt that various practitioners will promote perspectives, ideas and concepts that will be in contradiction with and in contravention of elements and principles of good practice, and may at times, even be illegal. That is a process and issue for consideration by tribunals that are specifically set up to address such issues. Those proceedings must, by their essence, be considered in confidence, in order to protect all parties, and bring justice where appropriate. This thread and forum must not be used as a de-facto tribunal.

No system is perfect, so this thread affords an opportunity, in an equally imperfect environment, to discuss any generalised or specific imperfections and also to recognise, reinforce and support what is working.

I do ask members, if they wish to keep threads open for discussion, to carefully consider what comments and observations are aired in this space. I am not even talking about censorship by self or others. Simply whether the comment meets the criteria presented in the Guidelines & Info and also recognises the rights of others, with due consideration given to their freedom and right to hold views that we may not necessarily hold ourselves, or in which we may, or may not believe. Comments should also clearly relate to and align with the "Subject" heading.

With Best Wishes

@HenryX

Hello

@MDT, @chibam , @AussieRecharger , @Appleblossom , @tyme , @StuF , @Clawde , @wellwellwellnez

and others visiting this thread

Thanks to each of you for the observations that you have offered.

I understand your concerns @Hams and @chibam , about the use and abuse of "politics" for individual and group agendas.

"Been there, done that." However, without politics, we have no legislation. Without legislation, we have no foundation for provision of service, no structure on which services can be built, no protections in law. Indeed, without that structure, we are likely to degenerate, as a society, into a state of anarchy. It is people, not politics, per se, who create whatever exists, be it a formally structured society or anarchy.

And yet, in spite of all our criticisms and stated negative opinions, we still expect society to provide us with all that we need and want, often believing that society is at fault when we cannot find or be supplied with exactly what we want, or believe that we need. I do believe that it is appropriate to seek for ourselves what we want and need, then "ask society" to assist us in finding and accessing those wants or requirements that we may not otherwise be able to access through our own efforts.

It is so easy to lay blame "at the feet" of the society, that, we could otherwise consider, is doing its best to provide us with our wants and needs. If I act in this way in life, with a parent for example, or with my peers, I would consider myself to be acting in a manner that may be described as unduly critical, resentful, petulant, thankless and unappreciative.

As I have alluded to before, we will never live in a perfect shell. But if we do not recognise, appreciate. utilise and add to the very good resources that we do have available to us, then it may be we who are letting the system down.

I would like to see this thread as offering an opportunity for us to see beyond the relatively minor individual and collective abuses of the elements of and entities within the structure that we call our society, in which politics plays an exceptionally important part. An opportunity to see the positives and build on those. And. I believe, that each of us, individually and collectively, play a part in what politics is and offers. Politics, the means by which our collective thoughts are expressed through State and Commonwealth Parliaments and the legislation that emanates therefrom. It may indeed, be considered the foundation of the structure that serves us. That service, I believe, provides us with better conditions, options and opportunities than most, if not all other countries in the world.

I often think, on the occasions when I am being critical of the process and behaviour of others, as individuals or collectively in groups, that I may, in a blinkered way, be losing sight of the positive reality around me. At these times, I later think, feel and believe, on reflection, that I am possibly acting in a way that is no better, and may possibly be worse than that of others, by compounding and even reinforcing effects of the actions and intent of those whom I choose to criticise. I may, thus, simply be contributing to the negative milieu within which we live and function. And, also, be perceived to be "defecating in my our own nest."

I hope that this thread may be a place where, while not losing sight or awareness of the negatives in our environments, we can offer each other positive and constructive observations that are affirming, reassuring, and encouraging.

It may also be, that the more difficult it is to search for, find, consider and evaluate such positives, the more important it is to do so.

While we think that our lives are complex and as correspondingly difficult today, it might be worth reflecting on the difficulties of people living in simpler times, possibly with much less interest in politics because each minute was spent surviving. Although there are, undoubtedly, numerous Australian examples, some of which I have personally seen in Victoria, this is a story of such conditions that I viewed today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UXrBN9dJ7k

With Best Wishes

@HenryX