Lived Experience Forum

[Jo]

A friend wants to make a documentary on Mental Illness with the aim of replacing fear, ignorance and stigma  in our society with more understanding, knowledge and compassion.
From your experience, what angle would you suggest the director/producer take to make this film different from previous documentaries made on this subject?
What issues do you feel are most important?
What elements would you personally like to be featured?
I suggested more education within the school system and also within the police force.
Your ideas would be much appreciated. Thank you.  

[Former-Member]

Personally, 'Barriers to Recocery' highlighting how the more 'able' individuals make coffee it harder in the little things. But hey,c@A

[Former-Member]

@Appleblossom, would have some great ideas

[Former-Member]

how to navigate the health care system

reeducating health care professionals especially nurses and doctors

prejudices in the health care system and ways to overcome this

intergrating mental health into the hospital system not having a seperate hospital either pulic or private but having mental health patients admitted into any ward in the hospital.

changing treatment models

[utopia]

How when you have a diagnosis of mental illness, doctors don't look after your physical health the way they do with other patients. If you go to your gp to discuss a physical concern, they tend to pass it off as being part of your depression, anxiety or whatever.
Also, education in early school years onwards about coping with stress.
How hard we fight to try and stay well.

[Appleblossom]

School System and Police System are GREAT areas to focus on.

Not just expose ... of what goes wrong ... but also be constructive because both those fields are already under enough stress.

I am not uptodate with latest docos ... not sure what has been done already.

Cover all aspects ... teacher principal ... structural ... counselling and of course the STUDENTS.

I actually think though ... that something in the way the education dept has been set up is not actually helping ... may actually be contributing to some of the rise in MI after the kids leave. Dont know why it has gotten so bad when there has been money and knowledge thrown at the system. But it has worsened.

A couple of months ago I had a great promising conversation with a young principal who was just adjusting to a new role ..... Not sure how you can access it ... Vic education dept ... but apparently thof support ...ed dept ..are experimenting with a new network he is now a principal supprt person and has over a dozen secondary school principals report to him ... trying to resolve problems as they come up ... which is ALL the time.

Good Luck with project.

[utopia]

Show positives. How some people are better. How some people live a good life in their communities even if they are still 'sick'.
Please put positives about people getting help - the earlier the better. And the new researc that shows some MI's can be stopped, recersed or halted at thaf level. Big breakthroughs.

[Appleblossom]

To do the subject matter justice, I believe you would need a 2 part format - one for police and one for schools... more if you extend the focus

Otherwise skimming may lead to sensationalisation ... and that is the last thing that is needed.

[pip]

Hi Jo. One thing none of the other replies have touched on. If you're dealing with a child with mental health problems like autism, ADHD, difficulty expressing themselves through stuttering etc. Try talking to the parents, ask them how the system has either 'been there' or if they feel they've been abandoned. Some parents with children with difficulties feel they've been let to 'slip' through the cracks. I realise the system (such as it is) tries, but lack of education, general help, more understanding, would go a long way. Autistic children, children with Asperger's need care as much as the parents/carers do. I've known parents with children with difficulties have been reported to Department of family services, rather than making sure first that the child is not being abused.

[Jo]

So true. This is really important. Thanks so much.