For all of us suffering a mental illness, don't worry be happy, discover the Howard government's solution, Beyond Blue, an orginisation with Jeff Kennett at the helm with a well paid job [not jobs for the boys].

Ah yes everything is alright after all thank goodness for that, for a while there I thought we had been deserted.

Julieanne,
Big hugs for you and your family and I sincerely hope you find the grief support you need.
As a sufferer of multiple mental illnesses for more than 40 years, I hear your pain. My illnesses were caused by brain damage at 5 years old, but this went undiagnosed and undiscovered until an MRI at the age of 45. I have been in and out of psychiatric care since I was 12 years old and it has bought me no joy, just a lot of pain and a lot of sympathy for the nurses who burn out at such incredible speed. I have never posed a threat to the community, but my ex-partner, who suffered bi-polar, did. I watched as the system tore him (and me and his family) apart, spat us out in pieces, then repeated the process again and again. Each time, there was a piece of our humanity that was never recovered.
When I tell people I am mentally ill, they recoil as though I have a contagious disease like leprosy. People have actually terminated all contact with me (my ex-family for some!). Employers will not touch me because I am "mad".
This antiquated and hysterical stigma is still at the root of many of our problems. Mental illness is not seen as being real or justified, like cancer or MS, yet is just as debilitating and deadly. Many of my friends have not survived the journey.
We, as a society, need to return to compassionate human values.

SHONGA (Shaun)

Yeah. As a mental health professional of long standing, about two years ago, I offered my services cost free to Beyond Blue - since I am retired due to injury, and I love program/project and curriculum writing. They did not reply to my offer. I also offered my services cost free to the National Mental Health Council. They did not reply. What does this say to you? Has got me totally bamboozeled. 26 years of mental health nursing and teaching - wasting away.

hellzbells

Reading posts such as yours makes my heart ache. I have always been proud of my work with people who have a mental health problem or a mental illness. They are very special people for me. I have been fortunate to work alongside equally dedicated people. Even so, I know that there are people working in the field who should not be there - sadly, similar to people who should never: work with children, work in welfare, work with the police force, work for DoCS - and similar people oriented professions.

Cheers
Kay

Dear Julieanne
My deepest sympathy. I do not pretend to imagine your pain, however I have family members with mental illness and know the angst that their loving parents and family feel.

I am so sick of the mealy-mouthed weasel words that issue forth from so many quarters. Politicians, bureaucrats, policy makers and policy drivers.

Juliesnne and others I would interested to know if you thought the Report released by the Senate Inquiry will make a blind bit of difference. I for one think it is just another "crock" but then that's just me. A waste of time and taxes.

Please visit my blog http://www.lairymoo.blogspot.com and here you will find several emails between me and Senator Lyn Allison who chaired the Senate Inquiry into mental health. Her responses to my emails are very interesting.

The more I see of politicians the more I think that they are educated and promoted beyond their intellectual capacity.

Are they deliberately thick or are they maliciously clever?

Email and the internet will be the tools to unite an army of supporters. Only when politicians are threatened on their own turf will anything be done. We must enlist in this hidden army and start the mobilisation. We need a complete overhaul of health care training especially nursing. Since nursing has been rendered institutional the "caring" seems to be left out of the curriculum.

My passion is the plight of the mentally ill and the disabled and while ever my nostrils and other orifices point to the ground I will engage in every activity which heightens the reality of the problems facing these vulnerable people who need help and hope.

Our indigenous brothers and sisters are protected under a separate article in our Australian constitution as a special group. So too must those vulnerable members of our community such as the mentally ill and those with dependent disabiltiy.

Does any of you who have knowledge of mental health in adult offenders that are suffering fetal alcohol syndrome? I have found a web site useful in explaining this, and how early detection in children can help them live a near normal life, if picked up soon enough. http://alcoholism.about.com/gi/pages/mmail4.htm
They say that in many cases, the difference between, FAS, and ADHD, cannot be defined, or detected. How many mothers will admit they were partying when they fell pregnant, and afterwards continued, could be the cause of their child’s continued suffering thought his or her life? I understand there is some formula to treat adults with this affliction, but is a difficult process, like shutting the gate, after the horse has bolted.

Hi Julieanne,
Uncle Paul here! Your piece about Failing to Care about the Mentally Ill is very articulate, and it was simply not good enough that any member of our society should die from the public health neglect more associated with impoverished third world countries. I think that attributing mental illness to the food we eat is just another way people like to escape very confronting stuff. As a lifetime sufferer of severe depression with a borderline form of schizophrenia I have tried to make some sense out of my upside down life. I am still proud of getting my drivers licence at fifty years of age. This year I'll be awarded a Bachelor of Arts for three years of study. But my life has truelly been back to front. I honestly don't think mental illness is any more common now than ever. There are new triggers that set off psychotic episodes that's all. Marijuana for example, and I've had first hand experience of that. The whole trouble is that mental illness is not accepted as a true illness. A true illness is understood, although its cure may escape us. True illnesses are mostly visible. Mental illness is a case of 'now you see it, now you don't', like a very scarey phantom thing. Mental illness has been around as long as the human race. It badly needs demistifying and made more ordinary. Families need to be helped to stay calm, methodical and supportive. If it has become common knowledge that schizophrenia sufferers are more subject to psychotic episodes through injestion of marijuana then lets love the sufferers enough to start a public awareness campaign for sufferers. Screw any government who doesn't accept mental health into the mainstream of healthcare. This is the enlightened twenty first century. Ain't It?