Our mental health system is broken

I’ve spent most of my adult life working in it as a psychiatrist and am someone who has lived experience of anxiety conditions. I have had periods of burn out at times. I thus feel uniquely qualified to make this statement.

I’m not a member of a political party. I hugely respect Australia’s physical health system. But I despair that it is so difficult to navigate our insane mental health system. 

• Excruciatingly long wait times - assuming you can find a psychiatrist or psychologist

• Soaring out-of-pocket costs

• Staff at breaking point

• Medications that don’t always work, or cause side effects

Our system is broken, and anyone who works in it or seeks help from it knows this.

My anxiety & imposter syndrome has stopped me calling out issues in the past, trying to do the right thing by working hard to make the system better.  

I have challenged issues of racism, homophobia and hierarchy at times.

Much more needs to be called out in terms of our mental health system. That has nearly broken me at various times over the years, but it is needed. The time is now.