Mental Health Letter

Dear everything Geraldton,

As I'm sure a lot of people have been doing since your post on mental health, I would like to share my story with you.

Recently, my life got so bad that I decided that I want to take my own life. I got to a point where I talked myself out of taking my own life and I pushed myself to go to the Geraldton Regional hospital Emergency Department.

The struggle lone to get to the hospital was hard, actually talking myself to walk through the doors and tell someone that I had a problem. The sick feeling and butterflies of walking in, the feeling of your whole body being over whelmed by the anxiety of admitting you suffer with depression was horrible. Trying not to vomit as you speak, that was hard. But the hardest part of it all was, being judged, being made feel like I should go home and deal with my problems as there are more important things to be done.

I understand that ANY hospital or health workers job would be more stressful than your average one! BUT in saying that, I'm important too and what I feel and think that's real and I needed help. I was taken into hospital arid admitted .. For 2 whole days I had nurses come in and monitor me and make sure I wasn't going to do anything stupid( Thank you to the nurses who did that) But not once did a doctor or a counsellor or a psychiatrist come and see me, not once did anyone in that hospital ask me why I felt like I felt, My antidepressants where upped to the next higher dose and I was sent on my way and asked to see my GP in the next few days and ofcourse I was told if I felt like that again don't hesitate to come back.

I'm Sorry but, NO WAY! Haven for bid I feel like that again because that's the last place I want to be, alone in a room with nothing but my thoughts. Horribly enough I wouldn't want to tell anyone again.

Please don't get me wrong, I know funding is pore for mental health and the workers do what they can, but what I experienced was not enough. Depression is becoming more and more apart of peoples lives more then we know and its happening fast. More needs to be done, this isn't enough.

So I take my anti-depressants each day, dealing with my thoughts and how I feel. But I'm scared that when I hit that point again, I'm not sure where I will turn.

I hope that you can get the word to make a difference and save more lives.

Thank you,
Anonymous