What is your hospital and healthcare system like?

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Here in Sunny Queensland, Australia we have public hospitals funded by the government. If you are in crisis and need to go to a locked ward you end up in public mental health hospital even with private insurance. While I hate hospital, in hindsight it’s an OK system. Not fun but it kinda works.

In the community we have outreach teams consisting of doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, OT’s and caseworkers who help rehabilitate you, and are all funded by the government. There’s also mental health organisations in the community you can visit for social and support purposes.

You can get a pension from the government to live off too although it’s a struggle to survive on sometimes.

I’m curious to know what other countries system’s are like. Do you think they work? Are they good or bad? What experience did you have in there?

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We dont have such system in our country…i belong to underdeveloped country Nepal… we also dont have disability money or benifit in our country…one have be super rich to enjoy all the facilities…

I am sz since 8 yrs… i cant work in a job…my family looks after me … they provide me with fooding lodgezing and shelter… btw my dad is undiagnosed szphernic… he worked full time in low stress job…

My family is poor to be honest… hey @AuditoryCortex how much do u get as disability benifit…i get zero tbh… any way u guys are lucky to be born in rich country…

And i think with in 10 to 20 yrs we will get effective medication for negative and cognitive symptoms i am hoping so… i dont wanna die of sz… anyways take care homie…

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@far_cry0

Oh wow, sounds intense. You are lucky to have your family looking after you. So still struggling to get the right meds? That sucks.

We get about $500-$600 a fortnight on Newstart Allowance and $700-$800 if you are on the disability pension. And a healthcare rebate on medication.

I am so grateful to be born in a country that has schizophrenic support. I don’t think I’d be here if there wasn’t.

You’re a trooper for doing as well as you are. I’m sending you hopeful thoughts!

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Hey! I’m from Queensland!

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haha…MIne is your system! I’m 47 and been on the pension for years. I live with my parents in sunny Caboolture.! Three Queenslanders can’t go wrong!

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@anon84763962 and @rogueone: What do you guys think of the system?

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It’s ok. I lived for 2 years in the States back in the noughties and that was a great system if you had money or health insurance. I worked for a national book store and they had great health insurance so I had no complaints but I know meds and treatment was expensive without.

Australia not too bad but it’s getting worse! The more cuts to health the more they’ll come for people like me on a pension.

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Yeah they’re really cracking down on DSP hey. My mum tried to get on it as she’s sz as well but didn’t get enough points. I’m lucky that on medication I’m well most of the time and can hold down a job.

@rogueone I hope if they review you it all goes well for you :crossed_fingers:

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I live in the U.S. It depends what hospital you go to. One hospital the first I went to was OK. Except some patients got away with things like stealing money and peeing on my bed. There is four mental hospitals within an hour of me. The one connected to my clinic is moderate in caring for patients. The best is connected to the trinity hospitals but they are the most expensive.

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I was in a psychiatric ward hospital in the Gold Coast area and they took good care of us.

The food was delicious truly.

The isolation room was way better than others I have seen.
Because they had soft lights and soft mattress.
I begged them not to lock me in and they listened thankfully.
They gave me injection and led me to my room.

I was afraid but after a few days was more coping.

I was not aloud out not even with my mother which I was upset abiout but they thought I would run away.

They were very nice too.

We got a special nurse that was the one we should contact ask etc

My first hospitalisation I was locked in a isolation room with nothing soft in it and bright hard light that did not exactly sooth or no light.

I was in public hospital every time.

They had little activity in last ward.
Painting,singing group and baking .

The other patients were usually really nice.

One was having a punch fight with a male nurse and another nurse pushed me in to another room to protect me because I was right next to them.

I think there is a lot of thoughtfulness and care put in to psychiatric hospitals now a days.

So sweet.

Lite n easy food also so much care put into their meals.

Thankful now that I got care when I could not give it to myself because I was psychotic.

I still believe I contribute to world ,society, community etc with my existence and I try to be good and improve myself.

Wishing us all good care etc

Far cry I wish you well and that you can improve your situation and feel better soon.

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I’ve never been hospitalized (thankfully). But I have complaints about the health care system. It is very expensive to get therapy and pdoc appointments. Most of the pdocs and therapists don’t bill insurance directly and you have to pay for the appt yourself and then do the paper work to get the insurance to pay you back. It is a lot of work. And you have to keep badgering the insurance to pay you back.

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So glad and grateful to hear you had a positive experience and that you were safe when you needed it.

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@amethyst what country are you from?

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It exists

…1515

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From USA (California)

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Thank you!

I am also grateful for the good care I received when I could not take care of myself.

I was always scared afraid when hospitalised because I did not go voluntarily I was forsed by family and once by a psychologist.

I am so proud of them for improving such as isolation rooms are less scary now in many places just by putting something soft and gentle lighting etc

I remember one smelling of sh## vomit and urine and it was tiny and nothing soft and a cold horrid bright light and five or so people sitting on me and twisting my arms so I could not breath.

I am proud of the people coming up with improvement through being thoughtful empathetic and wise …

And the good work they do.

Proud of the patients and staff of places I have been too.

Blessed they be.

:pray:t3::two_hearts:

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Here in Italy after they closed mental hospitals with a wannabe communist law(Basaglia Law) in the 70s (hundreds of patients committed suicide or died shortly after being dismissed) they hospitalize psychiatric patients in often inadequate normal hospitals usually for short periods. In some richer cities the hospitals are better and they hospitalize critical people for months, in other poor ones they don’t and their families have big problems.

When you are not in crisis you are under your local ‘mental health center’, there are day treatment programs for low functioning people, groups with activities outside for higher functioning people, a social worker, a psychologist, a psychiatrist and an educator.

One bad thing is that, because one of the dogmas of that law was that mental patients should be ‘integrated’ with their territory, you cannot change psychiatrist even if the one you have is bad because he is the pdoc for your city.

Hospitalizations are free, meds are usually very cheap 2-10 dollars per box, visits with public pdocs and psychologits are also very cheap (like $15).

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I use the Veterans Administration Health System and it is great where I live in the midlands of the U.S. I get great care here. I have no complaints.

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