Sunday Coffee and Chat -- 25th January 2026

@Blackcloud aw, thank you for your kind words and the wonderful chat. It means a lot.

I have used private health insurance for seeing a psychologist. The trouble was I was only allowed to use it once I had used up all my mental health care plan sessions and my private health cover only paid for $20 a session (so I had to pay $220 out of pocket for each session). I couldn't afford to keep up with such a huge out of pocket expense. It would have been so much more helpful if private health cover was willing to cover the gap for mental health care plan sessions.

I have tried to get into a private psychiatric in-patient unit with private health cover, but because I was under 18 there was a huge waiting list (3 months), so I ended up going public because they could admit me right away. I find I have peace of mind knowing that I have the option of going into a private in-patient unit as an adult, as from what I've heard it is a much better experience than the public in-patient system. Getting cover for private psychiatric in-patient services is much more costly than regular private health insurance, but I get a 'once in a lifetime' private in-patient treatment covered under the general private health insurance.

Hope things improve for you @MissGremlin

Thankyou @tyme ❤️

@Ruby26 Yeah, that’s what I was sorta thinking, cause according to what ChatGPT told me last time, having a MHCP for the sessions would be the cheaper option to go as you get better rates that you’ll be getting back onto your bank account than you do with private health insurance. I guess monthly sessions don’t concern me that much as I’ve already had monthly sessions with my ND counsellor&peer worker (both bi monthly separately) but sometimes for me it’s kinda like why can’t things just be easier for us when it comes to costs generally

ahh I see, I’ve never experienced going to any of those psychiatric hospitals before so not very familiar on how they work. If you don’t mind me asking, when getting admitted to any of those hospitals, do the mental health nurses (or whatever you call them) there always require you to take medication ? And how long do you usually require to stay in those hospitals for

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@NightFury wrote:

Lol @tyme I don't have spinach wraps in my hair. They wrap a dread lock with green wool, or green ties. I only had four put in today, but it adds something different.

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Lol. Thank God you don't leave spinach wraps in your hair! That's pretty cool I used to work with someone with dreadlocks... I didn't realist they were so much work. I thought it's a good hair style to have for someone who can't be bothered with their hair, but no, it's the other way around!!!! @NightFury

See, I don't think they're a lot of work @tyme I don't have to do anything with my hair of a morning - not even brush it. I wash them every Sunday morning and every three months I get maintenance, which tightens and spruices them up. I don't use any product and only use a chemical free shampoo.

@Blackcloud using a mental health care plan works out to be much cheaper. With private insurance the fees cost me far more than the $20 per fortnight they gave back for the psychologist.

I'm not sure if I have enough knowledge to say if people staying in psychiatric in-patients' units "always" require the taking of medication. The public ones seem to make everyone take medication (45% of people in the adult wards are under the Mental Health Act so have no legal right to refuse medication). The private system uses a lot of medication, but people technically have the legal right to refuse to take it. There can be a lot of pressure to take medication, even when you have the right to refuse it. I wouldn't recommend considering an acute in-patient service unless you thought medication would be helpful as it is the main focus of treatment.

A public acute psychiatric in-patient service can have people stay anywhere between 1 day and 6 months, with the average stay being 5 days. The private system usually recommends staying for between 2 weeks and 2 months, but since people can leave anytime they want, it can be as short as 1 day. A lot depends on the individual and it is hard to predict.

I just don't have the patience to sit 4 hours to get my hair done! Arghhh.. hair is the bane of my existence! @NightFury If I were bald, then I don't need to deal with hair. That's how I see it. But I don't want to walk down the street, bald.

Crumbed steak and vegetables for dinner tonight @tyme , @Ruby26 , @NightFury , @Blackcloud , @MissGremlin , @AlwaysMyself , @Chasingsunsets , @BlueBay , @Dimity , @creative_writer. @The-red-centaur , @Spirit_Healer , @avant-garde , @MissGremlin @Glisten

I wanted dreads in high school

I grew my hair long (It could technically just touch my bum) in preparation

My adopted brother and nephew got me drunk and shaved my head lol