ABC Q&A: Continue the discussion

At risk of being inflammatory I think that Faye's point about ending childhood abuse having an enourmous impact on mental illness is the point I probably agreed with most strongly. Dysfunction begets dysfunction.

I applaud the ABC Q and A for braodcasting this, but to be honest,apart from Fay,i wasn't impressed with the programme at all and didnt see it as anything different than whats been said before.

None of the REAL issues were discussed like what causes stigmatising and discriminating attitutdes both from the public and from medical practitioners themselves-all that was said was the same repeated line that stigma shouldnt exist and that mental ilnesses should be treated the same as physical illnesses.

Also what wasn't addressed is how some commonly used words perpetuate stigma and also give a notion that Psychiatrists etc are someow more qualified then people with "lived experience" to be experts etc.

Eg:i wasn't impressed with terrms such as "take my meds" being used and the way one male panellist would keep saying "im not a qualified professional....."when he spoke.

The factors that lead to indigenous suicides were barely touched on.

There was so many realissues/problems that could be been talked about but wern't (and not for a lack of time).

It mainly just seemed like another "Beyond Blue" sanitised version of mental illness.

IE:the person gets a mental ilness,they then "get help",then they recover from the mental illness.

Reality is this isnt the case for everybody and for some people there are no effective treatments but this wan't mentioned on tonights show.

The show certainly represented some people with mental illness but doesnt represent everyone.

Great Discussion

More psychotherapy by psychiatrists. .. .not just management of meds. It needs to become a service/treatment they are EXPECTED to provide.

Psychologists are often not properly qualified for MI. Mine had done her thesis on romance ... I spent too much time reassuring her ... and she was getting all the money. I stayed for 4 years ... but I think I did her more favours than she did me. yet it stopped me from completing to ahve an appoitment to attend.

I agreed with Fay J's comment that we want more money in community treatment so people dont get unwell.

I am concerned that certain people want to jump on funding bandwagons more than actually know how or want to work to improve people's lives.

It is not just a funding issue ... even if quantifiable measures are the way money is often allocated.

I love Fay's sense of humour.

posted deleted by user phoenixq

I think another really good point which also ties into self stigma is to remind people that they have the right to find help that they connect with. Not to just accept that this authority figure is Right and cannot be wrong. People do that even with regular doctors. Settling for poor help, or resigning oneself to no help just perpetuates the problem. Self advocacy is a big thing.

@Phoenixq that is precisely why I want to see more quantifiable research into neuroscience. The brain is an area we have only just begun to explore and understand. Before more research has been done to understand the structures and causes within the brain then the treatments are going to be at a bandaid level because all we have a handle on are the symptoms, and then tenuously.

That said, if I am going to use a bandaid I want it to be one that does no harm, and so I want continued improvement on the meds being prescribed to improve their efficacy and reduce the side effects.

posted deleted by user phoenixq

Thanks everyone. It's been interesting watching that show and reading the comments in the forum. Lots of food for further reflection.

@Phoenixq well I am content to disagree about neuroscience and the medical model. I consider the mind to be an emergent property of the brain, and I believe that brain function and structure is directly impacted by genetics, environment and experiences etc. I don't see how a concept of self can exist without the brain, how personality or beliefs or for that matter subjective experiences can exist without the brain, so that is my foundation.

Of course what is considered abnormal or problematic are cultural constructs and entirely context dependant. One culture's Shaman is another culture's raving lunatic. One cultures demonic possession is another's schizophrenia.

Back when I was a teenager and into self harm I found it interesting how many cultures practise some form of ritualised mutilation as a right of passage into adulthood, and even how this is subverted into currently acceptable forms such as piercings, tattoos or cosmetic surgery.

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time has a huge impact on whether our behaviour is considered acceptable, whether it is pathologised.

I