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Need advice please (info below).

Unknown userMember06 May 2020, 6:42 pm AEST

Need advice please (info below).

Some people I've already told about this, but I'll tag them again just to keep it to one thread. So as the title suggests, I need some advice please.

I saw a MH Nurse in my suburb, and no there's no one else I can see, a MH Nurse or not, where I live. I am seeing a social worker next week so I hope that goes ok, can't be any worse, well I hope not.

I've seen this MH Nurse twice, first time was rushed because he didn't know about it. Second time his whole attitude changed - he was so rude, abrupt and controlling.

He told me I scored a high score, 50 or something, on a K10 test (yes I was being completely honest in my answers), but then he said to me that he thinks I'm faking my mental illnesses. Of course that ISN'T true. My Psychiatrist (who is great, I don't have a problem with him) even sent him stuff with my diagnoseses.

Not only that, but he said that I see my Psychiatrist too much, although he agreed and is happy to see me every 2-3 weeks (he knows I have no other professional help and he told me he told the MH Nurse this), that I expect too much of him and I don't appreciate what he's done for me.

NONE of that is true - I always thank my Psychiatrist, and I appreciate him and what he's done for me, and I tell him this. He agreed to see me every 2-3 weeks, and I don't expect a thing from him. We talk about medication, symptoms, my mood, and whatever else comes up/what he asks me.

I'm so hurt and offended by this, and I feel betrayed by this rude MH Nurse, I wasn't to know this would happen. I feel bad even just typing this out and posting it, but I need to get it off my chest. This has even upset my parents.

Oh also, he called my Psychiatrist behind my back, is trying to call my GP, AND the Headspace centre I went to where I had a bad experience (turns out he used to work there). I told him I DIDN'T want him to do that, and he even called my Mum behind my back. My Psychiatrist has NEVER asked to speak with my parents, although I'd be fine if he did because I know he would ask me.

When I told him what happened at Headspace (I won't go into detail about that, its too triggering), he stood up for them and thought I was lying too.

So, my question is, should I complain? My parents think I should. I'll be telling my Psychiatrist and then taking it from there. I know he won't be happy.

I feel so hurt, betrayed and like my privacy and trust has been taken away. I definitely don't feel comfortable and I don't trust this guy at all. He's going behind my back and doing stuff, bad stuff, and hiding things.

He's trying to get my Psychiatrist to hate me and not see me anymore, and I don't want that. So I hope my psychiatrist doesn't do that.

Please help, any suggestions anyone? I'll probably just cry telling my psychiatrist because this has been so upsetting for me.

And to be honest, before I even saw the MH Nurse, my Psychiatrist told me they spoke over the phone, I said I apologise because I wasn't aware that he would do that, and my psychiatrist looked at me funny and his tone of voice seemed like he didn't like him, without making assumptions. So that in itself says something.

Thanks.

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In response to: Need advice please (info below).

Unknown userMember19 May 2020, 10:43 am AEST

Re: Need advice please (info below).

@chibam I got a notification saying you mentioned me in this post today but there's nothing here, was it deleted or something?

In response to: Need advice please (info below).

Unknown userMember19 May 2020, 4:42 pm AEST

Re: Need advice please (info below).

@chibam I thought it might have been mod deleted, all good, no worries. Thanks for replying and I know you were ranting about the healthcare. Good to see that you agree with me about Headspace and the other stuff. That was the only place I could go to meet people, with mental illnesses or not, who are teens and in their 20s (I'm 20, 21 this year). Can't even begin to tell you how rude the manager was. Luckily she doesn't work there anymore.

As for those links you sent me, I'll check them out, thank you. I'm in Victoria.

The place this rude Nurse works at isn't a psychiatric hospital or anything, it's just a hospital and Doctors clinic, so the hospital part for people who say have day surgery or something, they do tests like ultrasounds, primary health which this rude Nurse is under (also stuff like podiatry, etc) and the GP clinic. Sorry if that confused you.

What also annoyed me is that yesterday which I mentioned, he called about 5 times. I understand they may have legal things and whatnot to follow up somehow if a patient doesn't attend an appointment or whatever, but call once, leave a message, simple. That's harassment, would you agree? He called at 1:13pm, 1:18pm, 1:57pm, & 2pm yesterday. Finally left a voice message at 1:57-2pm yesterday, just saying "oh hi it's (his name), I was supposed to have an appointment with (my name) today but i can't get through. Please get her to call (number)." I think there was more to the message but I hung up the voice message and deleted them. I blocked the number he told me over the phone, but he'll probably still call because all the times he did it was red for missed call and said "No Caller ID".

You'd be annoyed at that too if it was you, right? And thats good that you're out of that person's care, good on you. You don't deserve to be treated awfully, no one does, whether its mental health or any type of healthcare.

I'll probably get something in the mail now saying I missed an appointment and trying to reschedule. Any advice on that?

In response to: Re: Need advice please (info below).

chibamSenior Contributor19 May 2020, 5:20 pm AEST

Re: Need advice please (info below).

@Former-Member wrote:
I'll probably get something in the mail now saying I missed an appointment and trying to reschedule. Any advice on that?

Sorry. I think I'm pretty much all out of advice. As I say, I really don't know much about MH nurses or the beaurocratic protocols surrounding them.

Were your sessions with this guy free, on medicare? Cause I've been thinking that if you had to pay for them, you might get a bill for the session you missed. I know dentists charge you full price for a missed appointment if you don't give at least 24hrs notice. Not sure how MH nurses work.

@Former-Member wrote:
What also annoyed me is that yesterday which I mentioned, he called about 5 times. I understand they may have legal things and whatnot to follow up somehow if a patient doesn't attend an appointment or whatever, but call once, leave a message, simple. That's harassment, would you agree?

In context, with the way you were treated at your last session, then yes, I would lean towards guaging it as harassment. But don't expect anyone official to view it that way; they tend to favor the rules/guidelines they've laid out for their workers, rather then the circumstances of their patients. So, if the rules of a MH nurse state that: "When a patient misses an appointment, you must make every effort to determine their wellbeing, to insure that they aren't attempting suicide", the guy's boss(es) probably won't classify those 5 calls as harassment, they'll classify them as "due dilligence".

In fact, you may have been lucky that the guy didn't come knocking on your door.

In response to: Re: Need advice please (info below).

Unknown userMember19 May 2020, 5:56 pm AEST

Re: Need advice please (info below).

@chibam no worries, I do appreciate you helping. I think it was free, I'm not too sure, I was never told about that by anyone. I hope it was free or Medicare paid for it atleast. They never asked me for details with Medicare though.

Yes true he could've been doing his job, but he doesn't need to call 5 times in the space of a few minutes, once would've been enough. I'm sure those bosses etc would agree, right? Good point he didn't come knocking on my door, I've been fearful that he might and I certainly hope not. What would that mean if he did, surely THAT would count as harrassment?

I do understand the rules, etc though. But like I said once was enough and others agree.

In response to: Re: Need advice please (info below).

outlanderSenior Contributor24 May 2020, 9:58 am AEST

Re: Need advice please (info below).

Hope that you are looking after yourself and using your offline supports @Former-Member

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