Mental Health Services in Geraldton
/I would like to raise awareness during mental health week of the failure of the current mental health systems in Geraldton. Recently I was diagnosed with bi polar and mild schizophrenia with anxiety and depression. This has so far taken professionals 2 years to find and have up until recently been prescribed a barrage of drugs and misdiagnosed by local GPs including many hrs in A & E at the hospital due to lack of sleep. Somehow I managed to hold a full time professional job until recently and I am now on 12 months leave without pay to "get well". My current treatment was kickstarted by a referral to a psychiatrist in Perth who referred me to my GP to receive care as a mental health patient at Mental Health. I attended on a set day and time and after assessment was told, "you're not suicidal or thinking of harming others so we can't help you but if it gets worse come back during office hrs or A&E after hrs". I contacted PHAMS and did get a case manager who saw me once in a month and was helpful and listened but the service is sporadic and apparently underfunded. Basically I feel, like a lot of others, that there is very little practical support on the ground for people with mental health issues and professionals have no idea how it can affect the individual and their families, financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. It is draining and even more so when you feel like you have to go it alone, book weeks in advance to see someone or have complete lack of communication between so called professionals. WHERE IS THE HELP?