Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[kristin]

Hi Amber,

Thanks for being so courageous in sharing your experiences with us. The workplace stuff sounds horrendous enough once, let alone repeated. People can be so cruel with mind games, and deliberately do your head in. I'm sorry you've suffered so much, good on you for your determination to use what you've learned to help support others.

We might be kindred spirits as I have a similar passion - I see it as part of the gifts that come from surviving through so much suffering.

Catch you around - keep up the good work. 🙂

Best regards,

Kristin

[Hobbit]

I just wanted to say that it's so good to hear people conversing about this very important but rather unfortunate topic.

I really encourage anyone else to share their views/experiences. Stigma is something we all need to fight against, for the benefit of everyone.

[Neb]

Sadly, in my family I have a cuzzie whom I have not seen since he was about 12 who evidently became unwell, refused to see a doctor, lives with his parents who will not talk about him to anyone. I suspect he has terrified them in the past, but I do hope something dreadful never occurs....it sounds gothic, it is also a bit creepy, but sadly, this is true. I wonder if there are many cases such as this around the country.

[ivana]

There is no effective avenue to have these complaints heard and for people discriminated due to mental illness by doctors,to actually "win" these cases.
In NSW,there is the Healthcare Complaints Commission(HCCC) but it is well known that complaining to them gets you nowhere and the majority of times they side with doctors.
The ironic thing is that the people who make the case decisions at HCCC are doctors too and there's an unfortunate culture of doctors "protecting their own" colleagues.
HCCC case outcomes can be viewed online and the majority of cases where doctors have actually been "punished" involve situations where the doctor has either sexually assaulted someone,done gross malpractice such as removing a uterus in surgery without patient permission,or came to work under the influence of illegal substances.
There is not even one case listed which shows a doctor being "punished" for discriminating against person/s with mental illness or the person being treated disrespectfully.

The fact is people in these situations have learnt not to complain about doctors because noone listens and no punitive measures are ever put into effect.
You meant well by posting the health complaints website but the truth is these places don't do anything.
Noone listens to a "crazy person" over a doctors word.

[ivana]

Can you explain further what you mean by any Psychiatric information was suppressed?

This is most likely due to either

1.Many doctors in this country still only conceive a person as having a Medical Illness or a Psychiatric illness.The don't understand that people can have both simultaneously.
In addition many doctors,Mental Health workers + others still lack awareness that many psychiatric type symptoms can be caused by Physical causes-eg:thyroid disorders,Vitamin B12 deficiency,Temporal Lobe Epilepsy...etc

2.Stigma towards psychiatric illness that many doctors(though not all) still have.

[ivana]

I can relate but probably in a different way to your sons situation.
Doctors say "catastrophising" in reference to that they believe the individuals symptoms are caused by anxiety and anxiety type cognitive processes.
Like you said,it was and perhaps still is,the buzzword of the moment.
It's the "in thing" for doctors to put down some peoples symptoms,especially unusual symptoms,down to being anxiety.
The fact is though,many of these people don't have anxiety and their symptoms might be caused by a more serious mental illness or sometimes from genuine heart disease and other illnesses.

Personally I think we can learn two things from these types of situations:

1.How do we make doctors listen to us more because this who problem stems from doctors relying on their training and closemindedly not listening to their patients and/or their families.
2.Not to ever think that doctors know more then us.Some people erroneously think "doctors are the professionals",I'll trust their judgments etc.
Doctors are really only human though,make mistakes like all,and families shouldn't substitute their own judgments for a doctors.

Sorry you experienced this.
I hope your son is better now?

[PeppiPatty]

Hi Ivana

I've read your email and thought about what you have written... I LOve what you have written..that symptoms are all put down to anxiety and the issue might actually be heart disease or a more serious psychiatric issue.. am I right ?



But what is also important to acknowledge is that in particular Jo was not listened to. She, the mother, the woman who Knows her son was not treated as someone relevant in her sons life.
I bet if Jo was a Doctor, Amber a psychiatrist they would have been listened to.

[Hobbit]

Hi Justanother47yr,

I absolutely agree with you. In fact, I have had people tell me at times "they call me a carer, but I'm actually a mother". Reminds me of that old saying "mother knows best"!!

(PS - great profile pic!)

[Boink]

You are so right. My ex wife is a neurologist and she despised patients with a mental illness. Usually she would assme they have created the situation themselves because of drugs and felt she should not have to treat them at all.

[ivana]

I 100% agree.