Lived Experience Forum

[Appleblossom]

All you have to do is change a few words .. then it can be posted.

I have issues with a few mental health services who let my brother and sister die.  You can be sure I am p***d off, but I try to frame my langiage in a way without foul language ... cos I am a teacher and once I start going nothing can stop me ...so I also keep my language clean for me ... I just get more riled. I cannot state the names of the institutions that were involved my siblings' deaths ... oh and there was an inquest into my father's death in 1971 ... 2 hospitals were involved in that and he just died of pneumonia. 

Please dont throw the baby out with the bath water .. Things are better now than they were when my father or siblings were using mental health services .. if you just get too rammy its hard to help you even if we want to.  Berating the services wont help anyone. The services are stretched ... life is tough for a lot of people.

I also get that you are tough to have survived this far. Use that to get things in a place that you have some level of comfort and do what you have to do as mum.

[catalytic]

they don't service victoria

[Appleblossom]

I did read that second post ... dont give up .. the sane forum is a good outlet and we need to know of the difficulties you describe so that we are realistic about our own expectations ... just remember when the going gets tough the tough get going .. YOU have personal resources too.

[Appleblossom]

Who dont service Victoria?

[NikNik]

Hi @catalytic

You & I have swapped a few emails tonight. I just wanted to flag this site again for yourself and other members. It's called https://www.patientopinion.org.au which is a website that takes feedback from people who have used health care services. They take the feedback to the service and give them the opportunity to respond too. I believe it's all published on their site too.

You have come to the right place if you're looking to connect with others with BPD. Something that might be useful is using the 'Search this forum' section. If you type in there 'BPD' or 'borderline personality disorder' all the discussions about BPD will show up. This will help you find the members who you may want to connect with.

As I said in my email, I'm sorry you haven't had the best experience here. I really want to work with you though so your posts don't get deleted.

One way to manage the defamation issue is to list the organisations that haven't worked for you and avoid the details of their actions. eg:

I have contacted the following organisations -

a)

b)

c)

etc

and I haven't found them helpful, are there any other options people have tried and found useful?

I hope this helps.

Nik

[ivana]

In response to Niknik-

I just wanted to add that i'm not sure that www.patientopinion.com.au will be able to provide the change that Catalytic is probably seeking.

Patientopinion is an excellent company that is highly devoted to exposing and improving customer/patient experence in hospitals.

The main problem with Patientopinion though is that ONLY healthcare services that already are interested in and commited to change will respond to the feedback.

If the hospital has a cultural climate that is not interested in bettering customer service and isn't responsive to patients feelings and negative experiences,then they dont respond.

The reality is that this is the culture in many public hospitals,so without being forced to change,patients such as Catalytic continue to feel that their voices arn't heard and that theres no way to implement cultural change amongst doctors/hospitals.

[ivana]

Catalytic-

I hope you keep posting on these forums

I love your determination and i personally dont believe you should stop feeling critical of services (telling it how it is) or that you should "accept they're trying their best" or any other such nonsense.

In the same way as hairdressers that ruin hair,do an ugly job,burn hair or leave it in a much worse condition shouldnt get paid for it,neither should Psychiatrists or Psychologists who are sub par and not commited to customer service and excellence.

To avoid being triggered or mad when people suggest the services you have already tried and have been "useless",so to speak,perhaps you could put in a different thread the services you have tried?

That way people would know what you've tried so they wouldn't resuggest it and that thread wouldn't be tied/related to this thread,if you know what i mean?

[MoonGal]

Hi catalytic, what a struggle you have been through, so sorry to hear of the never ending bouncing about with medical professionals. Please stay, be focussed on looking after ypurself and not listeneing to the impuslses that would have us checking out permanently, be gentle with yourself (and kids and S) and I hope some good solutions come your way to help. 

I made a pact/commitment to my partner that I would never harm myself again. And that deep vow holds me in good stead when the deep and concuming wish to just have it all over comes my way. I stay with gritted teethsometimes, but I stay. 

Glad you managed to post your story (lived experience) and hope you will continue to visit the forum, I have only been here a week or so and am finding it helpful to have other people who "get it and get me".