Opening up stories behind closed doors
“I think I’m just going to play the game so I can escape”.
Barbara knew, that if she was going to get free of the mental health system that was hurting her, she had to agree to take the medication. She had to make the system feel like her release was their choice.
Barbara, a mother of two, had shown incredible survival skills, in navigating a system that was controlling rather than helping her. Months earlier, we sat together in the clinical review – I as her advocate – as she explained the family violence she had been undergoing just prior to her admission.
I heard resilience, love for her children, and an honest plea for help. But looking in the eyes of the clinicians, I could see that they could only hear one thing: “mental illness”.
‘We should just try out some medications to help you with your thoughts’.
‘Why?’, Barbara was confused. She had, after all, explained that her reasons for a lack of sleep were the threats and control from a partner. After much teasing out, it became clear that they didn’t believe her. She was never asked again about the family violence. Instead, we had to sit together, and resist the medical professionals’ instinct to control and sedate her.
--
Years later, I’m privileged to work with Barbara again as she tells part of her story in the Your story, your say project. It’s a project that puts the voices of people with lived experience of mental health and / or the system at center stage.
Often the very people who should have the most say in systems that affect them, are excluded from the decision-making process. The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System provides an opportunity to do better.
In talking with lived experience experts in this project, it is clear that they have much wisdom about what is working, what isn’t working, and what the Royal Commission needs to do to fix it.
--
Today we release a report highlighting the themes that arose across 34 stories, all of which were provided directly to the Royal Commission.
As someone who’s had mental health issues and accessed the public system, I know that our personal stories are powerful, but also unique.
Some people valued medications, others found their lives were destroyed by it. Some spoke of the need for more hospital beds, while others spoke of the need to take care out of hospitals. Some wanted more access to the system, while many wanted to escape it.
What has come through clearly, is that the system and community changes that emerge from this Royal Commission, should be able to capture and respond to all of these views.
I recommend that you read this report, listen to the pain and wisdom of those with lived experience, and encourage those in power to take action.
It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to make changes to the system. But let’s be clear: whose life is most affected by this system? Who should decide on what a better system looks like?
Your story, your say makes the case strongly that it’s the people who use the system.
Read the news story: https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/your-story-your-say-experiences-of-mental-health-system
