New here, struggling but trying to find help

Hello @purple910 .

Wow, such a huge bunch of issues youhave to endure each day😞. Am at a loss to understand that there are so many holes in the system where people cant get any help. And sorry ,but I dont understand the lack of support from the ppl you know . For me, I saw my doctor who then suggested free telehealth appointments. Have you been down that road yet?

Hello @purple910 and welcome to the forums

I hear that it can be exhausting trying to manage all of this while trying to find the right supports for you that are actually affordable. I'm glad that you've been able to reach out here, and I hope that our community is able to share some guidance and support for you in this

Don't get me wrong, the few people around me - especially my partner - have given me SO much support. It's just my rubbish mental health and resultant outbursts are wearing everyone down. I want nothing more than to be able to manage my triggers and anger but it's just so hard when you've lost nearly everything.

I've got a psychologist who does bulk bill me via telehealth, he's been super supportive but I feel like we've been hitting a wall with each other for a while. It's neither of our fault, just I don't have the resources to pull myself out of this and I want to try DBT & maybe EMDR - which he doesn't do. Like I need some really heavy duty therapy to stop this ruining my life at this point and I don't know what to do 😕

The most frustrating thing is that if I had have received all the help I've been requesting for a year now, I wouldn't be in this situation!

Hello,

I have ADHD/ASD AND C-ptsd also.

You can access a medical health plan to see a phycologist 10 times a year. You just need to go to your GP to get that.

You may also want to try a full assessment by a clinical phycologist. Its a one time expense, around $2000. But that was the best thing I ever did for myself. I've been able to use 59 page document to access a lot of services uptown the NDIS. I scored high enough for that from the ADHD and ASD result, along with a C-ptsd diagnoses from my phycologist.

It also corrected 30 years of being told I have general anxiety disorder. You may find the phycologist finds more conclusive answers and perhaps you may find you don't have some of the diagnosis you have been told through the years.

But the medical plan with your GP should be the first step. My clinical phycologist through the plan found those correct traits of ASD and C-ptsd over 8 years ago. The ADHD only fully became evident during the covid lockdown, but it was a year wait to see a phychiatrist at that time. But I connect these different more probable diagnosis's later when someone with I was around someone with BPD and C-ptsd reminded me of myself.

You can also phone your local lifeline office to access face to face counselling for around $15 an hour.

Hopefully that gives you a starting point. good luck with everything.

That's so so helpful @markeric . It's great to read about how you've navigated the system.

Thank you for sharing.

@purple910 @Dizzy4 , check out the post above from @markeric

Hey purple910

thank you for your post, I can relate to your situation. I also have a full and complex mental health history. I look around at family/friends and just feel like I have been left behind and completely out of place.

i have hope for the future, I just struggle to envision what it might look like.

Hi @0LDsoul, I just wanted to say welcome to the forums.

I was really struck by your comment that you have hope for the future even though you're not able to envision it right now. I think to be able to hold that hope when you can't see it shows a great amount of internal strength and resilience.

Hey @purple910 ,

Hoping this could be suitable for you. Last year, I completed a 10 week DBT course specifically designed for autistic individuals by the Cairnmillar Institute.
Medicare covers the cost.
You will need to get a MHCP from the GP for group therapy. That’s different to individual therapy.

I am still in contact with some of the participants from last year. Nice to have gone thru the material together as a group. I am autistic and have adhd and I now use that group of people to talk to when I experience overwhelm. Makes me feel less alone. And it’s great sharing strategies.

I’m based in Victoria, but I did the online course.

Here is the link to the course:

https://www.cairnmillar.org.au/clinic/psychology-counselling-services/group-programs/dbt-group

Not sure when they have another course. I feel like one is about to start or just started.

Might be worth getting in touch with them.

clinic@cairnmillar.org.au

1800 391 393

Thanks for sharing that resource. It sounds very helpful @Turtle11 .

Members, if you choose to enrol, please be mindful of your anonymity if you discuss anything about SANE forums. But yes, it sounds like a great start for those who are looking for some support in this area.