Halifax, Nova Scotia
As a Mental Health Advocate, I see many strong and courageous individuals send their cries for change to our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.
As a Haligonian, however, I feel an overwhelming need to instead direct my concerns to you, as I know we have the capacity to work together in setting a precedent to make much needed changes to our Mental Health System here in Nova Scotia.
I know that you've heard the concerns before, and I will certainly not be the last to bring them to your attention, but I hope you will hear me out, regardless.
Let me start by introducing myself:
My name is Alycia. I am a 23 year old living with symptomology of Complex PTSD, along with diagnosed Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
I have lived with the latter two for 10 years, and instead of receiving better, more comprehensive treatment with time, I- like many- have been left to fend for myself the majority of my fight.
When I have mustered up the incredible courage it takes to reach out for help and support, I have been turned away. I have been turned away from both Primary and Secondary services alike, and that is such a discouraging, helpless feeling. It discredits your sense of self worth. We live in a system that constantly tells you that you are not sick enough to receive support, and that's a huge dilemma.
Let me tell you why;
This past January, whilst nearing my "1 Year of Recovery", I experienced a significant relapse in my Mental Health. With the only fight I had left in me, I reached out for support and admitted I could not get through this alone.
Three nights in a row, I was brought by paramedics to the ER, where doctors and psychiatrists made empty promises of follow-up appointments, told me that if I were to be admitted, I could not receive or take advantage of the services I needed to get better (which is a blatant lie), and was sent home despite the knowledge that I did not feel safe and had plans to take my life.
On the second night, in fact, I shared with the doctor my then-carefully calculated plan, and with a huge lacking in any sort of compassion or empathy, was asked "If you haven't yet received this substance in the mail, why can't you go home and just come back when it arrives?".
I understand that there is a lacking in beds, in resources, in staff to handle the very prevalent issue of Mental Health, however the blatant disregard for patient's feelings or stability- to the point of interrogation- merely instigates a patient's susceptibility to completing suicide, and this needs to change. This cannot take a back seat- Our citizens living with these concerns are being turned away, invalidated and challenged to take more drastic measures before they will be taken seriously.
The fact of the matter is when a patient is turned away from care and support, the likelihood that they will reach out again is significantly decreased. We need to be working harder to mitigate this injustice.
Unfortunately, I have learned that when you are in need of support for Mental Health concerns, that you cannot rely on our federally or provincially regulated medical and mental health systems. And, in fact, whilst advocating for the well-being and mental health of others, I am reluctant to turn them over to these services, as I know all too well the mistreatment they are likely to receive.
I work with people every day who are terrified to go to the hospital, because they are made to feel belittled and invalidated. This is, as you know, simply not okay.
I refuse to raise my concerns without providing you with potential solutions, however- So here is what I propose:
This past January, whilst nearing my "1 Year of Recovery", I experienced a significant relapse in my Mental Health. With the only fight I had left in me, I reached out for support and admitted I could not get through this alone.
Three nights in a row, I was brought by paramedics to the ER, where doctors and psychiatrists made empty promises of follow-up appointments, told me that if I were to be admitted, I could not receive or take advantage of the services I needed to get better (which is a blatant lie), and was sent home despite the knowledge that I did not feel safe and had plans to take my life.
On the second night, in fact, I shared with the doctor my then-carefully calculated plan, and with a huge lacking in any sort of compassion or empathy, was asked "If you haven't yet received this substance in the mail, why can't you go home and just come back when it arrives?".
I understand that there is a lacking in beds, in resources, in staff to handle the very prevalent issue of Mental Health, however the blatant disregard for patient's feelings or stability- to the point of interrogation- merely instigates a patient's susceptibility to completing suicide, and this needs to change. This cannot take a back seat- Our citizens living with these concerns are being turned away, invalidated and challenged to take more drastic measures before they will be taken seriously.
The fact of the matter is when a patient is turned away from care and support, the likelihood that they will reach out again is significantly decreased. We need to be working harder to mitigate this injustice.
Unfortunately, I have learned that when you are in need of support for Mental Health concerns, that you cannot rely on our federally or provincially regulated medical and mental health systems. And, in fact, whilst advocating for the well-being and mental health of others, I am reluctant to turn them over to these services, as I know all too well the mistreatment they are likely to receive.
I work with people every day who are terrified to go to the hospital, because they are made to feel belittled and invalidated. This is, as you know, simply not okay.
I refuse to raise my concerns without providing you with potential solutions, however- So here is what I propose:
- Training: The MD's, Psychiatrists, Nurses and Mental Health Practitioners that are dealing directly with patients in a mental health crisis require more education surrounding language, tone of voice, follow-up treatment, and compassion fatigue. There should not be a case in which a health practitioner who lacks in these departments should be dealing with a patient who is already unstable and in need of kind support.
- Additional Staff: I understand that not all who present themselves to the ER for mental health purposes are in a crisis- many of them require support in lieu of medical attention. Having a trained psychologist on staff would help mitigate the overwhelming number of patients seeing both MD's and Psychiatrists. This, in turn, will help decrease compassion fatigue with our practitioners.
- Funding: We, in Nova Scotia, have pulled a significant amount of funding from our Mental Health systems and services. Comprehensive and appropriate mental health care is preventative, and if our communities are receiving the appropriate resources, there is less of a need for resources pertaining to a mental health crisis. If the only way we are able to receive any sort of support or medical attention is by becoming "sick enough" to "deserve" it, we are allowing there to be an unnecessary amount of pressure on our emergency departments. An increase in funding for our mental health system, whose wait lists are far from reasonable, and an increase in funding for nonprofits and secondary support systems within the community will also help in terms of alleviating the pressures in the ER.
There needs to be a shift in conversation surrounding mental health and wellness, and I know that by working together, we can create this shift on a Provincial level.
And so, Mr. Fillmore and Mr. Fisher, I hope that we can work as a team to #DitchTheStigma surrounding mental illness, and create a more safe, more accessible, more comprehensive system for those in need, to seek the support and care they very much deserve.
Sincerely,
Alycia Dort
alycia@findyourlight.ca
alycia@findyourlight.ca
