Medical & Health Issues
Mental HealthMental Health Services Gateway Grampians RegionGrampians Medicare Local has launched a Mental Health Services Gateway on their website, a mental health first for the Grampians region. This gateway is the the 'go to place' for the community to find the right mental health services in their area. It was developed in response to the needs of the community who reported difficulty in finding relevant mental health services and how to access them. To access it all you have to do i answer two questions; where are you and who are you? Once you answer these questions the available mental health options are displayed. Help in the following areas are provided:
The gateway provides information on all mental health problems, ranging from mild to severe. This could include severe depression, panic attacks, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The gateway is found on the Grampians Medicare Local website. Use the Mental Health Services link.
People with a mental illness can be among the most disadvantaged in society, and many confront barriers as a direct result of their illness. Cognitive and communication impairments may pose challenges, while stigma and discriminatory attitudes can be worse than the illness itself. Discrimination and stigma can create barriers to recovery for people with mental illness including access to housing, employment and insurance and people often report that fear of stigma and discrimination is a key reason for not seeking help early. Changing perceptions about mental illness can go a long way towards breaking down some of the barriers that stigma and discrimination creates.
Approximately 20 per cent of the Australian population will experience mental illness in any given year. Services must be improved to meet increasing demands and to ensure that people with a mental illness receive high quality and targeted services. Life stage
| Getting Help Early for Mental IllnessDon’t ignore warning signs of mental illness in a family member or friend. The sooner the person receives treatment, the better the outcome is likely to be. It will help if you:
Common Reactions to Mental Illness The distress associated with having a family member with a mental illness may lead to feelings of guilt, anger or shame. Acknowledging these feelings is the first step towards resolving them. It is important to understand that neither you nor the person with the mental illness are to blame for it. Attitude to Mental Illness Developing a positive attitude will help you to provide better support for a friend or family member with a mental illness. It will help if you:
Limitations to Dealing With Mental Illness You should decide what level of support and care you are realistically able to provide. Explain this to the friend or relative with the mental illness, as well as the health professionals involved in their care (for example, the psychiatrist or case manager). This will ensure that the type of support you are unable to provide can be arranged in another way. Planning to Cope With Mental Illness It is important to encourage a sense of structure in the life of a person severely affected by mental illness. You can develop plans to cope on a day-to-day basis, such as:
Dealing with Disturbed BehaviourTry and discuss strategies with the person and health professionals to deal with:
Aggressive Behaviour If someone is persistently aggressive, you should report actual or threatened violence to the treating health professionals (and the police, if necessary) immediately. If you live with someone who is persistently aggressive, seriously consider ways you can live apart. It is very likely that living apart will work out better for both of you. Effects of Mental Illness on Brothers and Sisters Mental illness can lead to a variety of emotional effects for brothers and sisters of the affected person. For example, they may feel:
How brothers and sisters can help If your sibling has a mental illness, you can:
If your sibling has a mental illness, you can’t:
Where to Get Help
Things to Remember
| We're Here to Help YouSee the person, do it together, do it right and do it better.That’s the Scope Approach, and it’s dear to our hearts. Scope is a not-for-profit organisation that exists to champion and support people with physical, intellectual and multiple disabilities. Our services help more than 6,000 individuals and their families. Our 99 locations in Victoria mean we can help you where ever you are. Learn more about Scope. |