Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.

47,612Members
1,358,869Posts
1,400,000Visitors

Topic Tuesday: What would you say to public policy makers?

NikNikSenior Contributor12 Mar 2015, 7:45 pm AEDT

Topic Tuesday: What would you say to public policy makers?

The Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA) plans to strengthen advocacy by people with lived experience of mental illness, by training people to become advocates in their community. The action is planned to coincide in part with Schizophrenia Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day. The aim will be to arm up to 100 trained advocates with messages representative of the lived experience population, to give to key policy makers.

To ensure the views and issues are representative of people with lived experience, tonight we want to work with you, to ensure we’re on track.

We want to be clear that we are very keen to hear everyone’s thoughts and ideas, however, not all will be able to be incorporated into the campaign. Further consultation will be taking place, with common themes influencing the final outcome.

Please join myself and Executive Director of MIFA David Meldrum to discuss these priorities and have your opinions heard.

See you at 7pm AEDT

Please hit 'like' if we'll see you here tonight!

104 replies

81 - 90 of 104

1...8 9 10 11

In response to: Topic Tuesday: What would you say to public policy makers?

kenny66Senior Contributor17 Mar 2015, 8:53 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

Just had to take medication-so I am back now

In response to: Topic Tuesday: What would you say to public policy makers?

PipkinSenior Contributor17 Mar 2015, 8:55 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

i dont think my parents would want to be spending time on education, they were more ocncerned on trying to keep me alive and stop me from taking overdoses, and get me access to care, which of course there was none.

My parents wouldnt even be looking for education for them, and have never been interested in accessing support groups.

In response to: Topic Tuesday: What would you say to public policy makers?

NikNikSenior Contributor17 Mar 2015, 8:55 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

I think that point of 'well trained' is really valid @Pipkin

In response to: Topic Tuesday: What would you say to public policy makers?

VivSenior Contributor17 Mar 2015, 8:56 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

Suicide Prevention and Support
Statement:
People living with severe mental illness are over-represented in both suicide attempts and completed suicides, and it is well established that attempted suicide is the single biggest risk factor associated with death by suicide.

Request:
We want you to ensure that people living with severe mental illness are offered peer based education about suicide and self harm and are offered adequate peer support in any post suicide attempt period.
suggested statement:

People with mental illnesses are over represented in both attempted and completed suicide.

I cannot respond to the proposed request at the moment, because I think it is too simplistic. Really I want a change at the Emergency end of things where people with BPD can be treated so disgracefully. There seems to be a lack of understanding of the difference between self harm and suicide. A lack of appreciation of carer's panic dealing with these situations. Again the responses seem to be relevant for other mental illnesses apart from BPD (but that is all I know about really). Peer support is only one strategy to assist in this area. What about the young woman admitted to hospital who was told that her attempt at suicide was pathetic, next time, if she was serious, she should do it 'this way'. Next time she did.

Suicide is epidemic, self harm is too. And I believe there is a difference in the reasons why people suicide, not just depression... but I don't know enough.

In response to: Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

DavidMIFACasual Contributor17 Mar 2015, 8:58 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

this has been great. I want to look at the whole record of your contributions, and have a good think about our 'messaging'. Thanks for taking the time to comment--much appreciated

David

In response to: Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

DavidMIFACasual Contributor17 Mar 2015, 8:59 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

This was really great. We will have to re-think some of our messaging. Thanks for all your contributions

In response to: Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

NikNikSenior Contributor17 Mar 2015, 9:00 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

Well that's about it for the 'live' session tonight.

We will 'close' this thread for tonight at 9:05pm and then tomorrow we will recap and reopen for others to take part.

We will officially wrap up the conversation on Friday.

Tonight has been really inspiring for me. It's been awesome to see how passionate and determined you all are, to put forward their opinions and advocate for issues that matter to you.

In response to: Topic Tuesday: What would you say to public policy makers?

kenny66Senior Contributor17 Mar 2015, 9:00 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

I also dont think healthcare professionals give enough thought to comorbidity. I Schizoaffectuve, comorbid epilepsy, PTSD and OCD but all are treated as quite different things over different timeframes.

Schizophrenics and others I presume are more likely to have one or more of these conditions. Its really frustratin when they are so codependant

In response to: Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

EllieSenior Contributor17 Mar 2015, 9:00 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

Thank you David for giving us the opportunity to respond. All the very best with it.

In response to: Topic Tuesday: What would you say to public policy makers?

ivanaSenior Contributor17 Mar 2015, 9:03 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday / TONIGHT / 7pm AEDT: What would you say to public policy makers?

The physical health statement sounds fine to me.

It's a nice statement,a nice ideal but
there is nothing in it that addresses how the barriers to achieve this will be overcome.
A great part of the reason why people with severe mental health issues have comordid untreated or poorly treated condition is because of stigma from those in the medical profession.
For example a person with Schizophrenia going to a Neurologist (for example) will be treated far different then a person without this condition.
Doctors often dismiss their symptoms as being Psych induced,they don't believe them or dont do as thorough a job on them.
Until and unless stigma from the medical is addressed ,I have doubts that the physical health of those with mental illnesses will greatly improve and I wouldn't be surprised if there were news reports 10 or 20 years later stating that those with mental illnesses are still dying earlier(from physical conditions) then other people.
Many doctors still have difficultlties accepting/understanding the concept that a person/s can have both psychiatric and physical conditions.

81 - 90 of 104

1...8 9 10 11