Invitation to Mental Health Documentary Exhibition – TelstraClear Pacific Centre, Manukau, Auckland

Invitation to Exhibition

A documentary-style human rights exhibition on mental health is showing at the TesltraClear Pacific Centre 20-23 Dec 2008.

 

Special free viewing of this educational exhibit has been made available in South Auckland for Pacific and Maori organisations, people working in government agencies, the community, as well as interested public.

This is a rare opportunity to look into the big questions surrounding unexplained violence and suicide, depression, behavioural and other mental health issues…  Interviews with more than 160 doctors, lawyers, educators, parents and other experts in the 14 documentaries and display panels reveal historical and contemporary information that anyone interested in children and our future, needs to see.

 

We look forward to seeing you there.  FREE Admission.

 

(Please note that there is a R18 restriction on the documentaries)                        

Steve Green
Executive Director
Citizens Commission on Human Rights
PO Box 5257
Wellesley St
Auckland
Ph/Fax: (09) 580 0060
0800 777 555
www.cchr.org.nz

cchr@xtra.co..nz

Mental Health Advocates receive a bouquet from consumers.

My partner and myself have between us had to use services at Community Mental Health Crisis team, Acute Care North Shore Hospital, Taharoto Unit Inpatient, and admission and several days at North Shore Hospital during the past few months.

 

A number of  issues arose from these experiences, some of which showed serious malfunctions and neglect in clinical practice, and some which reflected the ‘power over’ attitude of  some members  of mental health staff and management.

 

Our local North Shore of Auckland advocates have been fantastic.  I truly don’t know how we would have coped without them. We are still resolving some issues, with their assistance, so that ongoing care of my partner in particular is safe and helpful.

 

We have been consulted about everything, given choices, supported when we were both too unwell to cope with fighting to get proper care.  The outcome is a great feeling of empowerment around collaborating with these people.  It really works – being given choices and being consulted and supported fosters a feeling of  “containment” in a tricky situation and a feeling of not being alone.

 

I take my hat off to these people, they have given unstintingly of their time and efforts and I would thoroughly recommend them if people are experiencing difficulty with services.  They understand the meaning of working alongside people, and they are aware of ‘Power and Control ‘ issues for want of a better phrase, so they actually understood our dilemma when services used power over us instead of informed consent. One of these people uses the phrase ‘ Nothing about me, without me’

 

As mentioned we still have yet to get a final result with some things, but it would have been much worse on our own and we’ve been told that they are prepared take the issues further if need be.

Study links abortions, mental health problems.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10546024

More frustrated, inadequate, and ideologically flawed “Psychotherapy” by the WDHB.

I am beginning to wonder if anyone at the WDHB has ever heard of the term “informed consent”.

A mental health consumer writes:

 

“I had tried writing to a psychiatrist in WDHB in a different context – as a patient attempting to negotiate that safe practice would be used in my appointments. 

 

I had become afraid after an initial appointment with both a psychiatrist and a psychologist, where it was suddenly announced at the end of the session that I would have 5 psychotherapy appointments with the psychologist.

 

They didn’t discuss this with me; the psychologist merely turned to the psychiatrist and said ‘ the psychotherapy will start next week’ 

 

 I did one ‘psychotherapy’ session which went terribly wrong and I dissociated, tried to tell the therapist I was distressed and got no response from her.  A phone call to her only resulted in the psychologist telling me the therapy had been completely normal and I was misrepresenting the situation. 

 

I was very afraid to go back for more ‘therapy’.  I realised that no safety procedures had been established.  I’d had no idea who would hear my private information and whether it would be recorded in my notes etc.  I had been encouraged to speak about childhood abuse and neglect and this is very private information.

 

There was another appointment with both psychiatrist and Psychologist, to which I took some things that might help me to remain centred and calm, but it didn’t work. 

 

I found it very scary to be with these people.  They told me how the team worked.  They can’t give answers to requests, or firm decisions about anything from an appointment until a team meeting is held.  The team then decides what will happen and the decision is handed down to the ‘consumer’ as a done deal.  No choices, no consultation.

 

Anyway, a letter to the psychiatrist didn’t get a response.  I consulted my GP who told me to write again, putting everything I was worried about in the letter.  I did so, again no response.  By now an appointment was looming so I wrote back a third time – I was afraid of the appointment going badly.

 

When I had the appointment the psychiatrist asked my partner to wait in reception.  Then the meeting started and it wasn’t pretty.  The psychiatrist told me she doesn’t read mail – she gives it to the psychologist, so all the letters I’d written about my distress about the psychotherapy and my lack of trust in the psychologist etc as well as all the practices I was encountering with the team had been given directly to  the person I trusted the least.

 

What transpired was horrible.  The psychiatrist was angry.  My partner was in the lobby, unaware of what was happening to me, and the psychologist sat and watched.  The psychiatrist said writing 3 letters was absurd, a shocking waste of their time etc.  Also, I was not focusing on getting well, and making myself ill. 

 

I really can’t remember much more as I have this problem with dissociating when people are angry and abusive, and this was abusive.  It went on and on, all about what was wrong with me and how I wasted their time. Finally my partner was called in.  Again I can’t remember what was said.

 

But there are several issues here.

 

1] My letters were passed from the person I sent them to, not read, to her colleague.  This seemed to be standard practice. 

 

2] The fact that I wrote the letters at all was used to begin to formulate the diagnosis I was receiving – it is pathological to write letters apparently, my fear of these people also showed I was ‘disturbed’.

 

3] the diagnosis was used to patholigise and stigmatise me – Complex PTSD and  Personality Disorder.  The psychiatrist said it  was too dangerous for her to  be in a room with me with a nurse – I needed a psychologist present to decipher my pathology as a psychiatrist couldn’t have a good understanding of my severe psychological problems. 

 

So I was stuck with the psychologist.  And a diagnosis of being severely disturbed.  And a psychiatrist who found it Ok to behave in an angry and abusive manner during an appointment with me.

 

4] I now understand that all the pamphlets in the foyer at North Shore Community Mental Health about the Recovery Process are nonsense.  The team doesn’t follow any of the protocols I read about – they follow their own process which doesn’t fit with anything I’ve read about correct procedures.

 

The only safe option was to stop appointments and withdraw from contact with these people.  I’ve had to use crisis services since then but I can’t bring myself to go through appointments with people who are so unsafe.

“Thanks for giving me a voice” says Mental Health Consumer

Psychwatch NZ recently received the following feedback:

“Thank you for giving me a voice.  Now I see that others are being treated badly as well, it’s easier for me to take the blame off myself and lay some responsibility at the feet of the people who are meant to help. 

Like the other mental health consumers on Psychwatch NZ, I’m actively afraid of the people in mental health services.

I’ve received so much abusive behaviour instead of help.  I’ll try and do another story soon. 

I want people to know what’s happening to us”.

Mental health nurse loses registration, fined $7000, after sex with patient.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10547053

“It’s not our responsibility to keep you alive” says North Shore Hospital Crisis Team.

Another consumer story concerning the North Shore Hospital / Waitemata District Health Board – the thread of the stories concerning the WDHB is now becoming depressingly familiar:

I have so many stories!  My partner is a consumer and is back in a unit at present.

The one I’d like to submit I think is one I haven’t sought support for, but have been told I was treated wrongly.

 

I’ve had a string significant life stressors, including my partner being very ill in hospital with a life threatening condition.  I have trouble handing stress because of a mental health condition.  One aspect of my condition is that I can become very depressed, and experience intrusive thoughts and feelings of wanting my life to be over, and to find myself either agitated and can’t keep still, or paralysed and can’t move to do much, with a lot of’ brain fog’

 

Either of these feelings can become unbearable.  I see a therapist but still struggle with these problems.  I’ve made a deal with her to seek help if I feel unsafe.  One evening, after a long day that had been especially intense, I did what we’d planned to do, I went to the local emergency room in North Shore Hospital.

 

Hospital staff were respectful and after filling in forms, I was taken into an acute care room and told to remove my clothes don a gown, put clothes in a bag and wait.  I did this and soon after had an interview with a person from their hospital Psych Liaison team.  She was also respectful.  She instructed me to get dressed and go back to the general waiting area.  She said she would liaise with the Crisis team.

I waited and staff said to take a call at reception.

 

In this area there were lots of people and it was difficult to hear and I also couldn’t speak to her confidentially. So I asked to be transferred to another phone – the Catt member said ‘that’s what you get if you go to the hospital ….  you get to speak to us in public, and  we are not coming to see you either!’  She said I must go home and start the process from there.  I had family at home, young people that I didn’t want to involve in my situation.  After explaining this, she was even more impatient, so I suggested meeting the team somewhere else, but no, that wasn’t Ok. 

 

She even said it wasn’t their responsibility to keep me alive, we are all the same ,we must take care of ourselves and keep positive etc.  I accept that I must keep myself alive, but part of my strategy is meant to be to seek help if I’m overwhelmed.

 

 By now I was crying, sobbing actually and it was very embarrassing and humiliating ,so I terminated the conversation , hung up and left.  I sat in the car park for a few hours trying to get myself together to drive home and I talked myself through the nasty experience and went home. The self stigma and shame I’ve had about this happening has been horrible. Since then I’ve spoken to a couple of people about this and they all say it should be Ok to go to hospital, that there should be a response to a need for help.

 

Now I’m confused.  My therapist says it still should be Ok to go to North Shore Hospital if I feel like I’m at risk of losing insight and feeling unsafe, but I can’t go back.   And I wouldn’t phone CATT again in case they treat me like this again.

 

I feel ashamed to admit I’ve had these thoughts and feelings while telling this story.  I feel  pretty stupid to not be able to stop it myself without seeking help.  I wonder though if it’s happening to other people and if lives are at risk because of this.

A letter sent to Mental Health Services – is anyone listening to this person?

The following is a copy of a letter that was sent to an undisclosed Mental Health Service in New Zealand, and then forwarded to Psychwach NZ. The writer has not given Psychwatch NZ any indentifiable contact details, and has not responded as yet to any offers of assistance from Psychwatch NZ.

We can only hope that whoever received the letter is treating the matter at hand with the level of seriousness that we believe it deserves:

“This is a letter I sent to Mental health. I have been very sick since July and have tried to commit suicide several times. Mental health have been useless. I nutted off last week and smashed their windows in broad daylight. I also got myself arrested on purpose because I wanted to got to jail. I was kept in an obs cell by the cops. the cops were awesome, they treated me so well. They tried to make me look bad in court too but the cops and the lawyers stuck up for me. I’ve never been in trouble before. I’d just had enough of it it’s been so hard.
 

Dear A,

Thank you for your call the other night. I have made the decision not to use mental health services at all any more. I feel that the relationship between us has broken down irretrievably. I now have a trespass order and I was told in court that Mental Health did not want to see me any more because of the abuse and destruction. Then in court they said you would only see me away from the mental health building and with police escorts because you fear for your safety.

I’m sorry, but I couldn’t bear having a discussion with a psychiatrist under these circumstances. This has also stuffed my on/off relationship with Mind and Body Consultants because they won’t be allowed to be alone with me because I now have a record as being “unsafe”. I wanted to go to Tai Tokerau with a friend but I guess that’s out too now.

I’m really tired and I’ve got to the stage where I have given up all hope. I can’t be bothered writing up charts for the psychiatrist. I don’t see the point. She will tell me to go to counselling. I have very valid reasons why I find the counselling distressing and damaging but no one listens. I just can’t bear it any more. I really can’t. You also said you found a psychiatrist “prepared” to see me. That sounds to me like there are a lot of psychiatrists and mental health staff that don’t want to see me. It makes me feel so sad. This whole incident on Monday has broken me right down. I give up.

My physical health is falling apart. I have chronic dehydration. I have stuffed my knee from pacing up and down all time. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. The sleeping meds don’t work because I’m too high. I see horrible things when I look in the mirror. My face smudges out, sometimes it is magnified, I think I look hideous. I can barely drive sometimes. I lose concentration, I can’t communicate properly. I can’t even do the dishes or any simple tasks. I can’t stop going to the toilet because of the anxiety. Even when I stop drinking for hours the urinating goes on and on. It goes on all day and night. I can’t stand it any more. I want to die, yet when I feel well I am so afraid. The reality is that I am going to die soon. I have planned my funeral. I have discussed this with my family. They understand too. They have watched me deteriorate since July; this is the worst breakdown I have ever had. They know I love them and would never leave them if I was well. You may think this is crap, but it’s our reality and we seem to be coming to some acceptance that I won’t be here much longer.

I have to go to court on xxxxxx. It was read out in court that I had a long history of difficult behaviour with Mental Health. I was actually shocked. I didn’t like the court appointed forensic nurse either. He was the same as Mental health and said I need counselling. I just agreed with everything he said so I could go home. The court appointed nurse told me that my husband didn’t want me back home because of my behaviour. He said I was burning my bridges and that I was going to lose everything because of my bad behaviour. I was devastated after he said that. I cried because I thought I had lost everything. I wanted to hang myself in the cell. Later I found out that this wasn’t true. My husband bollocked him on the phone and told him that I needed hospital care. He didn’t say anything about not wanting me back home. I feel that you have demonised and dehumanised me. I know I have been complaining a lot but it’s because I am frustrated with your lack of services for people like me who have personality disorders. I have done so much good stuff in my life; I have helped lots of people. I had problems with the politics and staff when I was a teacher but I was an awesome teacher with the kids and I have excellent references. When I got arrested a young policeman who was there used to be a teacher aide at a school I worked for. I was embarrassed for him to see me in this state but he was so pleased to see me. He was there when the acute team visited me in the cell. After you guys left I broke up a plastic spoon and scratched up my arms. If I had a knife then I would have stabbed myself in the neck. That policemen came and talked to me for an hour after you left because I was so upset. There are lots of people who love me just the way I am. My husband and children love me and they would still love me even if I was Graham Burton. My husband told me he would never ever leave me, no matter what I do. This is what I hold onto when Mental Health try to paint me as some kind of monster.

I want to kill myself before xxxxxxx but I want to spend Christmas with my family. In the meantime I am trying to get hold of some cyanide – painful but quick death or some opiates – pleasant death. I plan to kill myself next year on the front steps of Waimarino. I will have my diary and all my research with me. I need to make a statement to the NZ GOVT that Mental Health services for people are inadequate.

I really wanted to go to hospital in July, to be observed and helped with medication. I really don’t mind the behaviour of the other patients. I have worked with some autistic adolescents with seriously difficult behaviour and I enjoyed it. I thought the respite was good, mainly because it gives my family a break from caring for me. It’s been so stressful for them. I was allowed 3 nights but I only got 2. I wouldn’t bother asking for that service again because it seems like a huge effort to organise it for me. I would have liked to see a psychiatrist now and then just to check in for a chat and some support and encouragement. I would also have liked a non-religious psychologist to teach me how to sit still and relax.

I was told that I don’t meet the criteria, I am not a priority and there are not enough resources to go around. I know there are people worse off then me and I feel guilty taking away services from people in greater need. It won’t be possible to access any of these services anyway because there is a trespass order against me. I never get these services anyway so there’s no point in wishing and feeling hurt about it all. It’s just a waste of time.

I really wanted to call acute team a few times over the last few weeks but I couldn’t bring myself too. I am going to try and pretend that I am better. I am going to tell my GP that I feel fine. I am going to lie. I am going to lock myself in my home so I can’t leave the house and cause trouble. I am going to stop seeing the GP so you can’t hassle me any more. I’m not going to sign this letter so you can’t prove I wrote it. 

Please, please leave me alone. Don’t call me because I will hang up the phone. Let me spend the last few weeks of my life in peace. I don’t want to worry about Mental Health any more. I just want to spend time with my family before I die. 

I can’t bear it any more. Please you’ve told me you can’t help me. It’s OK, I accept that now. Please tell Sachin to stop calling my husband and making appointments. I don’t want to see him with a bloody police escort. It’s just too humiliating.

I also want you to know that I have no previous convictions for assault or violence. I also want you to know that when I am well, I am a happy joyful person. I design and sew my own clothes, I make animated movies. I like cleaning, I write music. You don’t even know me but you’ve painted me as such a horrible person. It doesn’t feel very nice at all.

I hope my death next year will help people like me in the future. These personality disorders are just as devastating as schizophrenia and manic depression. Mental Health don’t seem to think so but that’s my opinion based on people I’ve met over the years.

I’m so disappointed in Mental Health’s lack of support and caring. I feel that this has caused me permanent emotional damage. I will never ever get over it. The pain goes too deep now. Please leave me alone. I need you to understand that you are doing more harm to me then good. This is against medical ethics so please respect my decision and let it drop.

I don’t think you’ll be getting any reparations out of me. I’ll be dead by then. I don’t work and we are in debt for several thousand dollars because my husband has had to take many unpaid days off work to look after me.  I hope you don’t go after my husband for money because that would just be cruel.

Please leave me alone. I’m not signing this letter because I don’t you to use it against me, put me under the mental health act and punish me with electric shock treatment. I am seriously afraid of you people now. Just keep away. It’s for the best I think.

Yours Sincerely from the “Borderline” aka Fatal Attraction aka The Hand That Rocks The Cradle aka Single White Female

Psychiatric patient found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10546667

Prison plans “could trigger mental health time bomb”: Green Party

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10546395

Now, if the Green Party could just see their way clear to recognising the causative “trigger” between Cannabis and the pre-disposing factors of various mental health conditions, we will be away.