Lived Experience Forum

[maddison]

Hi @Little_Leopard 

You said it all much better than I did. It's so refreshing to share values with others, that we are indeed not what society has brainwashed us to believe.

Absolutely, volunteer workers can easily be exploited. There is no difference really. I appreciate your comment & it's perhaps something I should have greater awareness of.

I think the difference I was referring to was more in relation to the exchange of money for services. Instantly, this creates an alternative dynamic. When I do volunteer work, my intention feels more focused. It makes me feel rich without the complication of money! That's an odd sentence.

I don't agree that it necessarily has to be short term, or simply for building skills. All our minds are unique. Perhaps paid employment in the traditional sense is not what is most suitable for everyone.

There are lots of ethos & variables to consider when determining a life that is most comfortable to each individual. I haven't worked out my path yet, each day it feels like it's becoming more defined. Tho that could be an illusion too !

❤️👍

[Little_Leopard]

@chibam  Yes I know exactly what you mean.

I can relate, its like they are being nice in the beginning and they build a relationship to get you in their grip. Then before you know it you are in a situation we’re you are being exploited and emotionally controlled and abused by the very person who was supposed to be on your side.

This is like a legit thing that happens to survivors and people with disabilities and it happens all of the time. It’s why we are always so afraid and so untrusting. After repeated betrayals you learn not to trust anyone.

I believe  you 100% that your therapist did that to you. That’s so horrible and I’m sorry.
My old therapist tried to get me to sell her course that she made. She was also my husbands therapist and in private therapy sessions with my husband she invited him on holidays with her and told him to make me have an abortion. We dont see her anymore.
Unfortunately our stories of betrayal are not uncommon but we get silenced and get afraid to speak out because who would believe us? and who would care anyway? And we think that no one cares or believes us because that is what we have experienced repeatedly in the past. That’s the lie that we end up believing after years and years of abuse and betrayal by people in places of power.

That is why we are so sceptical and why we are always on such high alert. 

But you shining light on this topic brings more awareness to a very big issue that has hurt many of us. So thank you and I’m glad that you have the courage to speak your mind.

[Little_Leopard]

@maddison @I am so glad that there are others that feel the same way a I do. It’s so refreshing.

It’s fantastic that you volunteer your time simply because you enjoy what you are doing. That’s is an ideal situation. 

I know some people who volunteer their time on the side for causes that they are passionate about and that’s wonderful and a good thing. 

my issue with long term volunteering is with organisations who use people with disability and mental health conditions as a loophole to get free work. Im talking about people who have no paid job and only get Centrelink and really do need the money and bit of extra cash. 

If you volunteer out of choice that’s one thing. But I have heard stories of people who will get their Centrelink payment cut if they dont find a job or do some kind of volunteer work. But because they are not fit to do work they just wind up being exploited doing free volunteer stuff. 
Or others who volunteer because they feel they are not good enough to be paid.

There have also been some big funding cuts to disability advocate services so they are at capacity and can no longer take and help new clients. Who will fill this gap? I bet it will be volunteers. The government cut funding and expect unpaid workers to fill the gap. It just breaks my heart.

You are a wonderful person for volunteering your precious time to help others. It is a wonderful thing to be able to do if your are in the financial situation to do it. I agree with you that everyone has different priorities in life. If I was financially stable and in the position I think I would go on a meditation retreat and live life a bit. Learn some new skill that I could then share with others. That would be really cool. 

[maddison]

Well said @Little_Leopard I get the different topics you mentioned. I agree with your insights.

[maddison]

Good @tyme I'm not sure what I meant by the word funny. I think I meant to say it would be so interesting for me to see what you see. I do see it in moments, though I don't get the big overview that you perhaps do. I don't think I'm the same person now as when I started, so I can't see things from a single continuous perspective...I don't know.. Maybe nobody can!! It makes me happy you feel pride you have given me soooo much.

I value everything you say to me❤️

[maddison]

@Little_Leopard @chibam when I was younger & trying out different occupations, trying to work out where I fit - if someone ever asked me, 'what do you do?' I would reply, 'I'm an artist.'

I've never studied art, I can't draw or paint or sculpt! I do like poetry, music, abstract colour etc.

Anyway, I would answer like this because it was best how I saw myself. i.e someone who feels most connected in doing/experiencing creative things.

I was wondering, if you could choose an occupation (no skills necessary!) that best describes you - what would you choose? 

I think I would still choose artist today. I might add quantum physicist & healer❤️

[chibam]

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@maddison wrote:

I was wondering, if you could choose an occupation (no skills necessary!) that best describes you - what would you choose?

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I think, all else being equal, I'd still choose filmmaking - particularly directing and acting... and maybe a bit of screenwriting, too.😉

But live action stuff, where we actually work with real people, filming real stuff. I have nothing but respect for the work of those guys at places like Pixar and Dreamworks who make those great CGI movies, but I just couldn't hack being condemned to sitting behind a computer monitor as a job for life. I want to actually live in an active work environment with real stuff going on.

A portion of my time sitting at a computer doing script writing and post production, I could live with. But I sure as hell don't want that to be my whole work life.

[yellowcorgi]

Today's questions :

Today, we would like to hear your thoughts around supports, goals, wellbeing and peer mentoring.

Question 5: There are times in our mental journey where we may need to adjust our commitments, seek further support, or take a break. What are the adjustments and supports you might need during that time if you were completing a work readiness program such as peer pathways?

Question 6:We foresee Peer Mentors working with participants to develop goal and wellbeing plans. What would be important to include or cover in these plans?

Question 7: What would be the most important role of a peer mentor?

We are looking forward to reading about your experiences and suggestions 😌

[chibam]

Hi @yellowcorgi !🙂

@Daisydreamerwas running this questionaire before. Can't help but wonder where she's disappeared to. Is she okay?😐

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@yellowcorgi wrote:

Today's questions :

Today, we would like to hear your thoughts around supports, goals, wellbeing and peer mentoring.

Question 5: There are times in our mental journey where we may need to adjust our commitments, seek further support, or take a break. What are the adjustments and supports you might need during that time if you were completing a work readiness program such as peer pathways?

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I'd want to go in with a good, reliable, compassionate way out in case I started getting signals that this was a road I didn't want to keep going down.

In particular, I think I'd want some sort of reliable "circuit breaker" mechanism where I could bail out at key transition points, e.g. when I'd finished the education course and was about to be assigned my job.

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@yellowcorgi wrote:

Question 6:We foresee Peer Mentors working with participants to develop goal and wellbeing plans. What would be important to include or cover in these plans?

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I don't understand how this would work, seeing as (by my understanding) the ultimate goal of the peer worker is to be a satisfactory servant to his/her patients. With each and every patient being a unique individual, those ultimate goals could be absolutely anything! So I don't really see how those goals and plans can be established higher up in the hierarchy, i.e. between the peer worker and their mentor.

I suspect I'm probably misunderstanding that question. But if I'm not, then the only advice I can offer is: "be prepared for anything. Because you never know what the patient is going to want."

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@yellowcorgi wrote:

Question 7: What would be the most important role of a peer mentor?

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My understanding of this is that these "peer mentors" will be the next rung up in the hierarchy from the people who sign up for this scheme to become peer workers. If the participants are the privates, the "peer mentors" are the corporals, ect.

Many of us are familiar with the fact that some really messed-up stuff gets peddled out from the highest levels of the mental health hierarchy. The top-level "experts" often get it so, so wrong it beggars belief. And what's worse is that, historically, the mental health system has been a very oppressive culture for it's workers. I can't tell you the number of pieces of testimony I've read or listened to that involve some low-level therapist in the mental health system questioning the system's official dogma, and being very sternly informed that, if they want to save their career, they'll keep their mouth shut. "Tow the line" is the mental health industry motto.

This submission from Dr. Niall McLaren, in particular, was a real eye-opener for me: https://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/238798/sub044-mental-health.pdf (the top of pg. 20 is a good example)

I think this really needs to be kept in mind with your program, and particularly with regard to the role of your peer mentors.

If the bottom-level peer workers start to notice that the top-level experts/leaders are peddling some really rotten doctrine/methods that the peer workers can plainly see is broken, the "peer mentor" should not turn out to be a "company man" who's job turns out to be to bully the outspoken peer worker into silence. The "peer mentor" ought to be a trustworthy ally of some degree of authority, who has the peer worker's back, as they work together to get the top level of the hierarchy to own up to their folly, and to make the necessary corrections.

In summary, the bond between peer worker and peer mentor needs to be much, much stronger then the bond between peer mentor and higher management. When the chips are down, the peer worker needs to know their mentor has their back.

[chibam]

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@yellowcorgi wrote:

Today's questions :

Today, we would like to hear your thoughts around supports, goals, wellbeing and peer mentoring.

Question 5: There are times in our mental journey where we may need to adjust our commitments, seek further support, or take a break. What are the adjustments and supports you might need during that time if you were completing a work readiness program such as peer pathways?

Question 6:We foresee Peer Mentors working with participants to develop goal and wellbeing plans. What would be important to include or cover in these plans?

Question 7: What would be the most important role of a peer mentor?

We are looking forward to reading about your experiences and suggestions 😌

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Tagging @maddison , @Little_Leopard , @Paperdaisy , @Zoe7 , @BPDSurvivor , @tyme , @Sandra23 , @Patchworks , @StuF , @Historylover , @Appleblossom , @Captain24 , @Bow , @Peregrinefalcon , to make sure everyone sees the post. 🙂