"All I want is what my rights are."

I went to Kwinana & Rockingham Mental Health Unit 2 years ago. I was suicidal because of harassment and trouble, so I moved here to get away. 

Staff from the unit came to see me 3 or 4 time. They said I had thoughts of suicide, but didn't think I was likely to act on these thoughts. The psychologist said I needed to go on a better medication. I also needed to go on a heart monitor while taking the medication. My rhythms were too high, so then I couldn't go on that medication. The psychologist then put me on another medication. But this doctor didn't tell me the side effects of this medication. He had only given me choices of 3 medications I could take, but I have since found out that there are other choices he could have told me about. 

While I was taking my medications, my partner and I did some research. My partner said he thought I didn't need to be on the dose of one of the medications I was taking and that I should reduce my dose, so I did. I have always had schizophrenia with paranoia and hallucination, but the psychiatrist said that I was having paranoia and hallucinations because I had reduced that medication. He said I wasn't compliant with my medication, so I needed to have an injection instead. He said I wouldn't need to take my tablets and could come in once a month for my injection instead and I wouldn't need any other medication. The injection was free, so I thought I would do this because it otherwise costs me a lot of money to buy my medication. When I sat down to have my injection the doctor said, don't fight it. I couldn't understand why the psychiatrist was saying don't be aggressive and don't fight it, when I was sitting there quietly having the injection.

My partner and I did some research about the injection and found out that if you are grossly overweight you can go into a coma, have a heart attack and there are other nasty side effects. I am morbidly obese and my diabetes is already high, but the doctor didn't tell me about these side effects.

An advocate took me to my GP because I didn't want to go back to the psychologist because I had lost trust in him. I was then able to have the injections at my GP's practice. I asked my GP for a referral to a private psychologist who I had heard has a good reputation. But when I called to make an appointment, I found out it was going to be extremely expensive. 

My advocate then phoned Kwinana & Rockingham Mental Health to see if I could go back to see them again. They said if I came back I would have to relinquish seeing my GP. At first I thought they meant I couldn't see my GP at all, but when they were asked they just meant for my mental health care. I need to be able to have trust in the psychiatrist. I just trust people and think they know that they are doing and that they are telling me what I should know. I feel that I have been taken advantage of in a number of different aspects of my healthcare. 

All I want is what my rights are. I should be given all the information and I shouldn't have to ask about things that are happening to me. I want to feel like I can trust the people who are caring for me.