Help for mental illness is a joke

Hi @WinterSun

I just re-read some of your earlier posts, good days and bad, theme remains the poor support from the system. Meds still being adjusted. Trying to cope with aggressive behaviour when the system won't step in.

I haven't had to deal with strong aggression. When things occasionally got weird or (once) extremely frightening, I'd back off and watch carefully from a distance... trying to avoid confrontation. Our CAT team (VIC) isn't available after 8pm so they're not an option at night. During the day, they may not arrive quickly so you're still on your own for a while. Calling the police or going to casualty are the remaining options. I know that hospitals isolate aggressive patients and, if they can't isolate the patient, the staff isolate themselves from the patient.

We were in the public system for 2+ years (Early Psychosis Treatment - EPT) then pushed out to the private system. @Former-Member is right, privacy regulations don't stop you providing information. I never phone and always send emails, or letters attached to emails. The EPT case worker was very responsive to emails and very helpful. The current private psych doesn't have a computer on his desk, so I email reception and attach a letter... and my son hates it when I do that. Having the information in writing means there's a trail, they can't say they didn't know.

We've switched private psychs already. The first one was good initially but he was just too busy and poorly organised. His appointment schedule was a mess and we'd sit in the waiting room for over an hour (watching people loudly murder each other on The Bold and the Beautiful... seriously... that waiting room made me so anxious). The psych would then rush the appointment trying to catch up lost time. Despite this, he was responsive to emails and, in a crisis, made time to see my son the next day. Current psych is a completely different person; always on time, very knowledgeable, has a plan in mind regarding meds but he doesn't email.

@WinterSun I understand that "want to give up" feeling. But it's not a good option, especially when the system is strained and disfunctional. Push them and work with them are better options. I hope your situation improves soon.

@Former-Member
@patientpatient

Thanks for the responses. I want to give up because I’m not getting anywhere and whenever there is a tiny breakthrough it’s quickly followed by drama.
Funny thing is I work as a med receptionist I understand the tv thing lol and long waits. Pity it hasn’t helped me in this journey to help my son.
Thing is my husband has a psych history that included ect therapy. His dr is great and I have had to phone a couple of times for advice and help. He calls me back. I have attended 99% of appts with my husband. One time I didn’t go my husband presented as really well . A week later I had to phone and an emergency appt was made and a trip to hospital. Unfortunately he can’t see our son as he is too busy. My husband has been seeing him for many years.

What is so stupid with our son is that we were the ones that had to take him to hospital when he became unwell and our input was required. One of us has attended every appt session with our son at the psych dr so we know everything that has been discussed. It is wrong that my son can be aggressive and abusive in our home and help is available via the police only, which will seriously be more damaging to him so we are trying to avoid calling them.

The medical system wants me to care for my unwell son without help. The psych dr can prescribe meds that we are feeling the affects of. If he goes to hospital they won’t change private drs meds!!!!!!
The next visit to psych dr is two weeks away and my husband will attend AND let the dr know in front of our son about the aggressiveness and verbal abuse.

In the meantime I guess we walk on eggshells and try our best to survive. At least when we get to the next appt we will only be a week out from access to a private hospital.