Sunday, October 07, 2012

Driving the development of mental health services by rhetoric

West Australian Labor MP Martin Whitely has given a speech in the Legislative Assembly, Parliament of Western Australia, a transcript of which he has posted on his Speed Up & Sit Still website. He is critical of Patrick McGorry, who I have mentioned in a previous post. McGorry's ideas are affecting the development of youth mental health services in the UK. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This whole premise of trying to pre-empt a psychosis really quite irritating, to someone like me who has had 3 psychotic episodes over a 26yr period, and each one of them came on quick with little warning.

Scotland's new mental health strategy means early intervention for first episode psychosis. This is another irritating premise or proposal. As if having a second psychosis then consigns you to a schizo (affective, phrenic) label/diagnosis.

For some of us, and maybe even all of us, can have recurring episodes but recover completely and get back on with our lives. If left alone and not labelled and given lifelong psychiatric drugs. It's got tougher and tougher to recover because of the myriad labels that are likely to come your way. I say to folk, ask for the bipolar one as it's soon going to be the label of choice for everyone.

For we all have mood swings, in my opinion. It's part of life, the ups and downs of the unexpected, catching you unawares and putting you off balance. Lifelong psych drugs don't mean no psychosis and might even mean more psychosis. Plus shorter life span, diabetes, weight gain, tremors, impaired decision making etc.

Rant over.