Been having a pretty rough time after a psychiatrist suddenly reversed course and refused to supply documentation I need for disability benefits. It definitely feels like a very personal instance of “you’re a useless mouth and should be dead, or at least out of the system where nobody has to think about you”.

Not the best idea but I also read pretty extensively about how bad Australia’s health system is for disabled people. Also lived through two of my grandparents being left to die by it. Also a lot of contact trauma from being on the periphery of the welfare, disability, and poverty rights movements.

So, let’s have a chat. What helps? I usually make it through immediate mental health crises but every episode of suicidal planning ratchets my preparedness up a bit more. I think I need to be more proactive about not getting to that state in the first place.

  •  Rowin of Win   ( @rowinofwin@beehaw.org ) English
    4•10 months ago

    There are so many things to say here but ultimately the whole Centrelink system is not built to provide payments, it is built to deny them, so it is definitely going to be hard. That said, once you are approved it is fairly stable and my partner who has been on it for about 8 years has never had a blip or glitch or even hint of a problem. I was also able to eventually get Carer payment and provide care full time, though now with the progress we have made I am working part time and moving towards full time.

    Depending on what you are diagnosed with the oath can be really variable. If it is something like bipolar (rapid cycling especially) there is no reasonable way you can maintain employment without significant support and accomodations.

    That said, a reasonable doctor should be able to see the impact in your life and should be willing to handle the form, regardless of your age. Saying because you are young you are not disabled is just pure nonsense and would definitely be a good reason to move on and if possible make a complaint. It is literally discrimination to deny someone services based on age and this person is aware of that. Saying that you don’t need DSP because you are in your 30s is like saying you don’t need insulin in your 30s, maybe statistically it is less common but medical decisions are driven by statistics and implemented on an individual basis.

    Anyway, switching psychiatrist is probably the best move if you think they are unlikely to change their mind. Trying one more time to get them to process the paperwork may be worthwhile depending on your circumstances.

    If you do try I would recommend making a list you take with you of the areas of your life that are impacted. Can you perform your activities of daily living? Do you currently receive support from other people? How many jobs have you had and for how long over the last 10 years? How many units have you failed? Have you had a large variance in grades between units because of this issue? What about relationships? What about non work non education things like friends and hobbies? What about physical health, including diet, exercise, and drug use?

    Lastly, I would consider being cautious about which drugs you are recommended. My partner developed mild twitching as a result of one medication and now 3 years later the symptoms are starting to lessen, but some of the meds can have big side effects and may also not do all that much to help. An incorrect diagnosis can lead to significant harm, so making sure you are personally well informed about what is happening, what you have been diagosed with, and what medications you are on will help protect you from harm. Also consider that non medical interventions can be a good adjunct to medical interventions, so managing your diet, getting good social connection time, exercising, and engaging with things you enjoy can make a significant difference.

    My partner was diagnosed with extremely rapid cycling bipolar 1 and was on lots of meds for it, after a lot of work we have figured out that they are actually autistic and have ADHD along with a buttload of childhood trauma resulting in CPTSD. Work on the CPTSD has made a massive difference to life and making appropriate accomodations for the autism and ADHD have led to tonnes of other improvements. Medical support for ADHD is not practical where we are living but in another year we will be moving to somewhere that has actual support for that and meds look likely, specifically a stimulant, but apart from that the entire current treatment plan for the last 3 years has been diet (strict keto moving towards carnivore), reduction and eventual removal of almost all dairy (caesin specifically), and a buttload of trauma work as the interventions and then supportive modification of the environment including changing lighting, removing loud electronics (some wall chargers scream all day), managing clothing, and removing sensory stimulation that is unpleasant like terracotta and smelly deodorant. All of these things have done more than the meds ever did, but those meds were for the wrong issue and so may be perfectly good for other issues without being right for my partner, no shade on meds.

    Good luck, and DM if you have questions