Melissa Costin

Which of the following statements best describes you?
I’m a person with disability

Question 1:
During the first stage of consultations we heard that the vision and the six outcome areas under the current Strategy are still the right ones. Do you have any comments on the vision and outcome areas being proposed for the new Strategy?

All the outcome areas are obviously key, and probably been listed many times previously as the disabled are more excluded and socially isolated than ever with private care in home. I think a wholistic approach to above could be by inclusive community centres with health focus and employment opportunities. For example small crafts handmade by disabled locals, or work in community cafe which has links to health and social workers on casual basis.

Given the mass issue of anxiety, depression, insomnia and trauma, it would be nice if compassionate access to medical cannabis with options for young enthusiasts to work in the business vs go to jail or need hard drugs for feelings of exclusion or being pimped by dealers, such would unite old and young in a positive, healthy herbal environment especially during a growing epidemic of benzo and opiate OD deaths.

To encourage this those on DSP could have such income taken back at a lower rate after $60 a week threshold. Exercise in garden or dance etc would help bone density and muscle strength ensuring longer independence and osteoporosis/fractures marketing as community wellness clubs

1 per electorate with MP competing for healthiest or most improved community.

Question 2:
What do you think about the guiding principles proposed here?

Address accountability.. when traumatised by physical or mental abuse, those from whom I seek support dismiss me as mental..not realizing trauma is key cause of anxiety, depression and if severe , psychosis (through adrenergic system).

If a person being abused is dismissed as insane the abuse continues, disability worsens, and dependence on state through psychiatric or prison care if mistreated chemically especially via propsychotic stimulants such as SSRI and SNRO antidepressants which Cause mania/biploar.

Those who deny a person with a disability their human rights should be held account to that person as a person left feeling like worthless garbage by having police etc side with absuer.

More fragile/mad friendly spaces where difference is celebrated not extinguished which isn’t run like a pre-school ie talking down to fellow people as clients .etc safe housing especially for traumatized women, and action if violent assault or abuse vs ongoing trauma which worsens mental health.

Places to go which isn’t a locked ward, hard to get in or out of, while inside called subhuman names and put in a chemical straight jacket, worsens people sense of self, social standing and employablity, a cup of tea, some cannabis and reassurance may save this.

Question 3:
What is your view on the proposal for the new Strategy to have a stronger emphasis on improving community attitudes across all outcome areas?

Worst community attitude is to chronically unwell, especially mentally ill.

In a bright and shiny expensive world there is no place for those on DSP to gather or linger if isolated from family, religion etc.

Community garden style cafe whit creative activities and music may entice antisocial people who will never engage in a world they cannot trust because they only see people who look down heir nose at them.

Having creative spaces which are open and only supportively supervised rather than overmanaged migh help those who have been tormented by authority to step out.

Make a space more family or camp ground style friendly than clincial because you’re diseased will also breakdown a hurdle which reinforces the sickness vs wellness outcomes, ie hospital vs community wellness centre.

Have simple tests like blood sugar level available and perhaps even social media groups around such for those who want to engage at home to a health hub..

Maybe even work for hoons with home delivery, but only way I see youth in tough places engaging is accepting that if they are stressed cannabis is better than heroin, ice, benzo, inhalants etc, talk about, but not down drugs and users, include them in problem solving and gaining wisdon, eg finding something else to do.

Question 4:
How do you think that clearly outlining what each government is responsible for could make it easier for people with disability to access the supports and services they need?

Again sounds perfect, but having been on DSP since 2001, (about the time they shut the women’s centre in Ipswich which was helping me out of DV), I’ve seen the massive funding shift to psychiatric services which are failing to treat underlying psychosocial problems and may send some consumers out of their minds. See me on Effexor then DSP.

There is no accountability in psychiatry who can keep drugging a person more and more as they get sicker, perhaps even earning daily , or ECT fees if they make them insane enough from major depressants and stimulants cleverly marketed as the solution to every problem. Just misdiagnose it according to whatever drug you want to push. As per Forbes Aug 2020 https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisonescalante/2020/08/11/researchers-doubt-that-certain-mental-disorders-are-disorders-at-all/#465c936015a6

Time to fix broken people instead of drug them, and that is with support ie love, not calling them mental which is damaging and hateful. Note if drugs not effective but carry serious risks…do more harm than good and thus are UNETHICAL, I’m sure your front line has had to deal with many people in drugged state thinking its disease not meds.. u can never fix a wrong diagnosis.

Question 5:
How do you think the Strategy should represent the role that the non-government sector plays in improving outcomes for people with disability?

In my experience calling every support agency, it was a wait, tell your story again and bounce to next agency..20 years..total waste of money.

Just some safe space to go and socialise, and seek help in crisis which isn’t bad enough to go to medical emergency.

Triggered trauma can’t do well waiting weeks for a booked appointment, on another person’s schedule opening trauma usually with anxiety before and after, better to have a safe space to go anytime which is warm and friendly with simple activities, old school, before big pharma decided all were diseased and needed drugs to feel happy, safe and included..better to have a happy reality than a chemical delusion of artifical emotions, just keep people chronically hiding from unresolved problems. A woman’s group re self esteem and psychosexual abuse is probably generally needed for peer support, the best therapy for trauma

I’ve walked to non gov centres 15 mins on hold on mobile in crisis to see 4 staff sitting around laughing and chatting ignoring the calls on hold..parasites on disability funding..psyche ward stays excess $1000 a night costs but not spent on brain healthy food, not modelled, can’t expect the sedated to learn, need good role modelling and not to be chemically crippled or have sense of self eroded by labels.

Question 6:
What kind of information on the Strategy’s progress should governments make available to the public and how often should this information be made available?

When a disabled person makes a complaint which is ignored by government staff and ministers, and indeed complainant faces reprisals, there should be a independent community group of respected elders, eg retired professionals to hear a persons concerns, because there seems to be an attitude of power that disabled people are disposable and especially the mentally ill can’t complain because no-one will believe them, and if they continue to try they get chemically restrained and locked in psyche ward no release without ant prosecution, just opinion. I know many who have been harmed by psychiatry too scared to speak because the abuse of power by psychiatry..an increasing grouP of disabled people.

As recognised by Jun 2020 paper at UN.

Move away from outdated ‘mad or bad’ approach to mental illness, urges independent UN expert
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/07/1067741

The rates of psyche drug prescribing per region should be counted as sign of mental distress and resources used to reduce not increase this use of addictive and harmful drugs for social problems.

Look at outcomes post meds, especially self harm and violence, don’t believe shrinks who pretend its the disease not the drugs especially in children.

Question 7:
What do you think of the proposal to have Targeted Action Plans that focus on making improvements in specific areas within a defined period of time (for example within one, two or three years)?

One community health centre per state electorate.

All people can register and chart their basic health parameters and find positive social activities daily, there is also connection to potential employers with locals looking to connect to supportive work environments sensitive to needs eg PTSD.

The report can be due 3 months prior to each state election so non performing MP know they risk getting outing if the community isn’t healthier and happier, such could have working groups of various high needs areas who chose how to spend the money..perhaps marginalized but creative get suppies for etsy store or some other microbusiness, success of some leads to others and hopefully a community feel where handmade crafts from locals are a bit more special as gifts etc than mass produced, bringing back small production and feeling of connection which one can’t get from online. Open skill sharing encoraged, eg music, success can be counted in jams, bands and gigs, same could be with art , jewelery and other handmade stuff with knowledge sharing in creative act perhaps helping in words of wisdom which doesnt require the diagnosis of psychiatrist, of course OD, suicides and attempts, plus prosecutions again can be counted and improved as a matter of community pride using elders advice

Question 8:
How could the proposed Engagement Plan ensure people with disability, and the disability community, are involved in the delivery and monitoring of the next Strategy?

A seat at every table, Nothing about us without us.

Especially before a person is sentenced to hard drugging by psychiatrists, stress therapists should offer non chemical options, including reasonable boundary setting, which tends to need a social space for mirroring, that is leading, sadly many who went that road for decades are so brain damaged it’s hard to see it too different to hard drugs, that is a warning what not to do, but some people have from immense trauma as Royal Commission testimonies suggest, such also shows how inability to handle the traumatise sends them to drink, drugs and other self medicating adversely eg carrying on the abuse. Such people are excluded as drug addicts and mental by overpaid and clueless people who just reinforce the brokenness because they are clueless. Key demographics, struggling young Mum, woman in DV, bloke drinking too much needs to be able to easily access a person who has recovered from same rather easily without any emotional cost or retribution as happens when approaches a government agency about abuse by the same. Identifying people with disability who think freely from own perspective vs being subservient the the (sane) master..eg oddity is distraction which helps flashbacks in trauma from familiarity, aka disassociation.

Question 9:
Is there anything else you would like to share about the ideas and proposals in the position paper?

In my experience if one service harms you, like psychiatry, no one else will question that authority, same if police refuse to prosecute criminal violence and abuse. This enables perpetrators and disables victims, who are then additionally disabled by psychiatric drugs for when they seek help, the vicious circle I’m sure you’ll probably see intergenerational in many on DSP for so called mental illness. It’s expensive loss with large costs to break a human being such they exist only in a chemically dissociated state. Recovery will never come from more abuse, perhaps it’s time for the hands up to open up with those big sums of money vs close up and not answer phones or give appointments weeks away from crisis call only to boot to another place. One place in every electorate, full on social media to see how each MP values the community and well they are doing. Communities scoring badly will perhaps be motivated to look to communities scoring the healthiest. there can be brain challenges with people taking cognitive tests, other positive social outcome scores, such as hours of social interaction, I’ll drop my Human Rights Issues paper for DRC below or email it
google dos link to one part https://docs.google.com/document/d/1stf6nfQumo35dRRhEuQVFhblFgOgSBrZhqxMQ_mbo_U/edit?usp=sharing