chibamSenior Contributor
Uncommonly Hopeful
Most of my time on these forums is spent bellyaching. It's not that I like being a sourpuss, it's just that I don't really have much positivity to give these days. But yesterday/today, I found myself with an unusual cause to be hopeful and I couldn't think of anywhere better then this forum to share how pleased I am.
I don't know if anyone here realized that the government released it's productivity commission report into the mental health system on monday? (finally! 
) Well, yesterday, I finally sucked up the initiative to start digging in to it. I've only read the introductory summary thus far and I don't know how deeply I will ultimately proceed into it at this time. But what I've read thus far has really amazed me.
They've actually heard us.
The key takeaways I've read thus far is that they want to remodel the system so that it's the patients - not the therapists - who are controlling the direction of their treatment. They acknowledge that they need an achitecture for a system that treats peoples' broken lives, not their brains, when it is the unpleasantness of their life that is making them depressed, anxious, or suicidal. And they acknowledge the need for a strong patient advocacy system to keep the mental health system in-check and prevent/limit abuses in the future as much as possible.
Quoting: "Put simply, Australia’s mental health system is not ‘person-centred’. It should be."
Wow.
But it goes beyond merely acknowledging what needs to be done - I read it as a serious commitment to actually bring these changes into effect!
Granted, it all still needs to be signed off on by the politicians in parliament, and we have to hope the government can implement all this without taking the fast, easy & cheap route and making a complete balls-up of everything (*eyeroll*
) So maybe I'm getting way too ahead of myself, getting all excited about this. But I can't help but wonder if maybe this could lead to something that's good. Not just 'better' - but genuinely good!
Ever since therapy, I've basically resigned myself to the reality that I was going to die in this hell. Now, it's almost starting to feel like I might have a chance of getting out of here.
It's amazing - in a good way.
