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kenny66
Senior Contributor

Where are we on the pecking oder?

I have been reading a whole lot written about mental illness, disability,and other discrimination over the last month. From all this material it makes you wonder where we with MI fit.

The Minister for Social Services, who by the way is opening some World Congress of Families conference in Melbourne I think soon (this is a homophobic-anti womens right to choose far right group that praises the Russian Government for its antii gay persecution) has been attacking the majority of DSP welfare recipients with MI as not needing support because their illness is "episodic" and they should be able to work between the episodes. 

This shows a great deal of insight into how MI works!!!!  I also read the new impairment tables for people with MI which is being implemented now.

To get the DSP based on mental illness you i have to be virtually institutionalized and completely non functioning. This is totally removed from the original purpose of the DSP which was to assist us financially so that we could eat, pay rent and take part as a member of society because we couldn't work and had little or no assets. Well, what about working between those episodes?

The unemployment rate has climbed up to 6.5% and rising. Youth unemployment is about 17% and rising. There are almost no effective strategies to place people with mental illness in the work place, even if there were jobs available.

Leave aside regional Australia, where the unemployment rate is through the roof, the general availability of jobs for MI people is at historic lows. MI people are competing against a young demographic of job seekers who are perceived to have no "complications" in being employed and are cheap to employ and train, due to government subsidies.

Included in this are a large group of other discriminated against disabled people. Add to this people discriminated against because of Age, Aboriginality and a whole lot of other reasons.

So people with MI are not only competing against the non ill workforce but a large group of other disabled and disadvantaged groups as well, all with their own financial and work demands, which seem to get more sympathetic air play and attention than those suffering M!.

It seems to me that these various disadvantaged groups, are out their pitching for their own groups interests, often at the disadvantage of people with MI who pretty well get no good press and even less dollars. Media, has been vicious in their portrayal of DSP recipients with MI.

I am still trying to find some concrete practical strategies which actually forward the interests of people with MI. I am still looking!!!!!!

37 REPLIES 37

Re: Where are we on the pecking oder?

Hmm, thought provoking! Not sure I have the answer either.

It seems as if certain groups come in and out of the public arena, I think awareness at a macro level keeps MI on the agenda of those in a position of power, either that or an experience at a micro level can be influential i.e. family member with MI.

What have you concluded after your readings?

Ever thought about sitting on a consumer group??

Re: Where are we on the pecking oder?

They do but MI is in that position at the moment for

all the wrong reasons. The awareness at the political level is driven by political opportunism at the time. So it is convenient to position MI as full of inconsistencies for the purposes of reviewing the DSP at the moment. Unfortunately good public policy dealing with the myriad

of MI issues gets subsumed in this irrational political debate, which is taken up eagerly by the media. Policy direction is contradictory.

On the one hand a sophisticated, sympathetic and forward thinking strategy has been implemented dealing with the the rates of male depression, particularly young men.

On the other hand there is a portrayal of MI people on DSP as using the system undeservedly.

The male depression campaign has been delicately excised from the whole picture of MI,  positioning it as a separate issue, which it is not. Whilst dealing with this topic now and so aggressively is to be lauded. It is a pity the general question of MI does not get the same air time.

My belief is that deep within the current political psyche MI has become marginalised. My comments are of course too generalised to carry any weight and I must say that I am only looking at this issue now after a  period of being unwell .

So I have only been on the case of this issue recently. Having said all of the above, is of course not to take away all of the successes, money and effort put into the area generally. The advocacy groups will continue to do their stirling work.I am more focused on a fairly narrow area of it.

About sitting on a consumer group. I would like to but am not quite sure where to start being situated in the Far North. However my med regime is very successful so I am probably up for it. I will make some enquiries.

Re: Where are we on the pecking oder?

Hi Kenny,

This whole thing really gets my goat too. I have avoided the media for a very long time because I find watching the news and reading the papers downright depressing. I call them bad news and bull-!

A couple of months ago I started engaging with on-line news forums and then got involved with posting comments on them. Some of them have been excellent, if anyone is interested and it's ok with the mods I can post a few of them in a reply here - just let me know.

Whereas I can't get much satisfaction shouting at the tv or arguing with the newspaper, I have found a lot of like-minded people out there who are compassionate and supportive to people on DSP regardless of their disability. I have also got quite a lot of satisafaction from challenging people for their poor arguments, rudeness, and even bigotedness. Most people are respectful, some are not (you can report them), and then there are "trolls". When it gets too much and I really start to lose it I get off!

BTW mods - how are we going to deal with them when they show up here - trolls that is?

In answer to your original question, I think right now we come about rock bottom in the eyes of society generally. Many like to feel superior to us, and think we take and offer nothing because we don't "contribute" by paying taxes. Well some of us did, or do, and many many of us contribute in all sorts of ways that make our community a better place. But you know there are none so blind as those who will not see, and this govt would have everyone blind because then we wouldn't be awake to what's they're up to.

Keep up the great questions 🙂

Best regards,

Kristin

Re: Where are we on the pecking oder?

Your so right Kristin

I was on another MH forum. It had a function on it  to allow people to PM you. Well I got a troll twice and some of the messages I got were pretty horrible and disgusting. You could block them but the damage was pretty well done in the first PM. So I got off that pronto. So I do agree that there has to be a way of dealing with trolls. Maybe that report inappropriate comment function will take care of that.

Re: Where are we on the pecking oder?

Politics at the moment seems to be all about winning votes by cutting out and throwing away and punishing various sections of society. It's not just the mentally ill; just consider how both sides of politics treat single mothers, asylum seekers, the indigenous people.... And God help you if you face overlapping fields of discrimination because employment, employment and housing discrimination is rife. 

 

It's such a shame, cos you know I think we've got a lot to offer! 

Re: Where are we on the pecking oder?

Hi Kristin,

See responses below in Bold Blue

 

@kristin wrote:

Hi Kenny,

This whole thing really gets my goat too. I have avoided the media for a very long time because I find watching the news and reading the papers downright depressing. I call them bad news and bull-!

And I thought B&B meant 'bread & breakfast'.......I'm learning a lot from you Kristin.........Lol!

A couple of months ago I started engaging with on-line news forums and then got involved with posting comments on them. Some of them have been excellent, if anyone is interested and it's ok with the mods I can post a few of them in a reply here - just let me know.

Whereas I can't get much satisfaction shouting at the tv or arguing with the newspaper, I have found a lot of like-minded people out there who are compassionate and supportive to people on DSP regardless of their disability.

It's interesting, in my community, anyone with a physical illness (like the 'Big C') gets all the attention (no offence meant to any sufferers - it's just a comparison) but no-one would ever guess I am on DSP - let alone DSP for MI. Perhaps they think I am on the dole, but no-one ever asks me - which reflects the level of concern shown for my welfare (in my mind anyway).

I have also got quite a lot of satisafaction from challenging people for their poor arguments, rudeness, and even bigotedness. Most people are respectful, some are not (you can report them), and then there are "trolls". When it gets too much and I really start to lose it I get off!

Stigma is alive and well in 2014, regardless of what the health professionals say (sorry - not aimed anyone) why else does SANE have a 'stigma watch' program!  

BTW mods - how are we going to deal with them when they show up here - trolls that is?

This is my first forum - sorry, what's a 'troll'??

In answer to your original question, I think right now we come about rock bottom in the eyes of society generally. Many like to feel superior to us, and think we take and offer nothing because we don't "contribute" by paying taxes. Well some of us did, or do, and many many of us contribute in all sorts of ways that make our community a better place. But you know there are none so blind as those who will not see, and this govt would have everyone blind because then we wouldn't be awake to what's they're up to.

I used to pay tax when I was working, but now I am happy to volunteer my time for a charity. I don't even qualify for mobility allowance (can't give too many details here) as I am deemed to be not doing enough hours per fortnight. I pay for fuel to get to work and back, which is a fair way away, as I am in a rural area. 

Keep up the great questions 🙂

Best regards,

Kristin

Regards, Jake


 

Re: Where are we on the pecking oder?

Hi all,

This is my first post so I apologise in advance for anything I might be doing wrong. 

Bill Nye said "Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't." This is absolutely paramount for us to remember. 

Regardless of our illness, we can still do things better than someone else. Our illness might even give us an advantage. We just need to find out what that is.

I have had the diagnosis of schizophrenia for over 13 years and I would not change the way I see the world for a second. Our day to day function is inhibited, yes. And in many cases, severely. But there will be a day where for just one moment what you can do will appear and once you see that, those days will increase until it becomes you and not your illness

I hope this helps. I really do.

Great to meet everyone.

Re: Where are we on the pecking oder?

Hi All, I didn't want to take this conversation on a tangent, so I started a thread about 'trolls' here

Smiley Happy

Re: Where are we on the pecking oder?

The body politic is all about targeting those areas of society where there is no or very little sympathy by society generally.

Single mothers were singled out because the conservative side of politics was easily able to convince its even more conservative constituency that they do not fit within their supposed norm of the typical definition of "family". 

Hence the reduction of the supporting mothers benefit (placing them on NewStart), although this policy was first introduced by the Labour Government and supported by the Coalition.

I don't quite agree on the topic of Indigenous Australians. I think there is great public sympathy and good will relating to Aboriginal Affairs and the budget allocation I am not sure about.. The problem there I think is that the delivery of basic services to our indigenous brothers and sisters is chaotic and without direction.

The Federal Government and those states with large indigenous populations seem incapable of having a cohesive policy-coordinated through the various administrations. 

Asylum seekers, again  are a group easily targeted and there appears to be enormous public support for "stopping the boats", so popularity drives poor public policy. I am not even going to comment on that because there are such passions attributed to both sides of the argument.

Part of my pecking order view is i think supported by the fact, for better or for worse each of the categories you mention are up there for debate in lights and are highly visible. I think MI is not.

Discrimination in employment and housing is entrenched.

I cant remember the last time I observed a detailed intelligent debate on the issue of MI in society at a national level. Except debate stimulated by the advocacy groups of course.

The recent "Insight" I saw on the ABC unfortunately narrowly talked about depression in men, which was great. But I think the program missed the opportunity to headline the general issues of MI in the community. Perhaps a follow up program might do that.

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