In a real rut but trying to find a resource

Hi everyone.

I'm StandingStill. I posted here a couple of months ago, and a lot's changed since then. I've had another read over the community guidelines, and am doing my best to follow them. Long post ahead, but I'm just trying to explain my situation, as there's a specific service I'm hoping maybe exists in Australia?

I have received a diagnosis of schizophrenia last year. I wasn't unwell or psychotic at all last year, it was just a medication review to tweak a few things. The psychiatrist just used the appointment as an opportunity to provide me with a more holistic diagnosis and understanding of my experiences, as I had had 2 psychotic episodes a year apart earlier in my adult life. It actually made a lot of sense, but even with that, it's a lot to come to terms with. Nowadays I am okay-ish, and stable on antipsychotic medication.

I guess the thing is, I've been feeling super down for the past 9 months or so. I haven't been eating much and have lost a lot of weight. I don't sleep much. Sometimes I feel so distressed that I am physically ill. I don't really engage with much. I do engage with my studies though they can be overwhelming, I really like my degree and tend to get good grades. One day my degree will lead to a job, but for now it's more about balancing work and study commitments along side my health.

It's all come crashing down in the last week. My centrelink payments have been cancelled because I am now a part-time student, due to the fact that I am in my final year of studies and there actually aren't enough units left for me to study full-time anymore, which is a requirement. I don't have any savings, and my casual job that I have isn't many hours per week and is very poor pay - not nearly enough money to live on.

I actually really like to work and have a really solid work ethic, but at the moment it's tricky, with the things I have been experiencing lately. I don't know if I should focus on trying to find a job, to re-engage with the community a little and gain more of a sense of routine, or if I should back off and focus on recovery from what I've been experiencing, and apply for a different centrelink payment... I feel like I actually really want to re-engage with some meaningful work, as it's my last year of study, and I want to feel a bit more of a sense contribution to the community.

I feel like it would be really helpful to have some kind of vocational assistance, like a job coach or an employment provider related to mental health. The thing is, every time I research it, it seems that Disability Employment Providers (DES) only work with people who are either currently on a centrelink payment or with the NDIS, neither of which currently apply to me. Whereas in the meantime, I do have bills to pay and the pressure to re-engage with paid work is definitely there.

I guess I just have concerns that I will rush into too much work, too early, and with too little support, and that it will backfire on my health and mental health. It would be helpful to have some kind of liaison officer, to help me advocate for what I may need to get my work done to a good standard, and to watch out for my rights at work, especially surrounding disability or discrimination.

Does anyone know if there are any non-profit type organisations, that provide support to people with schizophrenia or other complex mental health conditions when it comes to re-engaging with work, that are free and not Disability Employment Services?

Thank you so much if you have read this far. It was nice even just to write down what's going on. Maybe I will hop onto this platform more often 🙂

StandingStill