originally posted on 04-09-2017 7:58 PM

Do you have ongoing medical appointments - with GP/Psychologist/Counsellor/Psychiatrist/Other. How do you manage them around everything else in life

 

I don't have lived experience so i'm not going to answer this one, but i can add some things i have learned from supporting people with chronic illness a bit later, if people want me to? 

 

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:07 PM

@Ben-RO keen to hear the things if you want to share 🙂

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:19 PM

Random thoughts about my experience for @N1ghtW1ngand @May_ 

• Because there's less spoons, everything in life is trickier, so if something bad happens, like there's trouble at work then things are going to be way harder to work through than they would be for someone who just has the work problem and not all the chronic illness stuff as well. Fortunately there are people like advocates, who can help, their job is to take some of the load of the problem you're dealing with and hopefully make it a little less tough to tackle.
• Likewise if there's lot's of medical appointments and things like that, there's supports to help work through the load of that. Look out for case managers, who have the job of connecting all the dots. 
• Consider talking to an occupational therapist. They work a bit different to lots of other health professionals because they want to know what your goals are for a "good life" and will help find things that help with that. 
• Right- you have lots of inalienable human rights to access things the same way other people do. That means that you can and should get MORE support than other people, because that's how equity works. Kinda like this. 
• 
• From a legal standpoint, you can ask for what are called "reasonable adjustments" so if an employer, a business or any other service can do something that's "reasonable" to help you get equity, then you can ask them to do it, there's more to it than that, but it's a good way to think about stuff. 
• There's a thing called rehabilitation fatigue, which happens when people are constantly working on recovery, it's okay to stop where you're at and just focus on having a good life, you can pick up the rehabilitation stuff later, when you're ready. You have the right to ask for a break from treatment etc and just maintain where things are until you're ready to keep going. 

Okay that's enough rambling from me, not sure if relevant or useful, hopefully some of it is! 

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:39 PM

great info @Ben-RO I like it!

Ah the good old SPOON THEORY!!!!

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:34 PM

@Ben-RO thanks for sharing that info 🙂 Never heard of rehabilitation fatigue but I can totally relate to that feeling! Because it is so draining taking breaks to focus on the positive things you have in life and just enjoying them can be so nice

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:32 PM

I agree with @Ben_RO about the rehabilitation fatigue. Sometimes you do need a break and just focus on one thing at a time

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:30 PM

Sorry I'm so slow on the chat but just read your point about Occupational Therapists @Ben-RO
I used to see one when I was younger, like when I lived in care, they were really helpful.

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:37 PM

I used to see an occupational therapist for my CP as well actually, and they were really helpful!

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:24 PM

I actually saw an OT last week and will be again this week @Ben-RO and I found it really helpful 🙂

originally posted on 04-09-2017 7:55 PM

2. Do you have ongoing medical appointments - with GP/Psychologist/Counsellor/Psychiatrist/Other. How do you manage them around everything else in life?

Yes I have on going medical appointments.

I see a psychiatrist via video-link (for those who don’t know video-link is a skype based program to bring specialist care to rural areas.) about once a month / 4 weeks. This is directly linked to how I have been feeling and how I present each session. Because I don’t see her in person, I have to see my GP afterwards.

I see my GP every time I see my Psychiatrist and if needed between sessions I see her too – this is also based upon on how I am doing and how I present. And if I have any other issues I can either bring them up then or book another time to discuss them.

I also see a psychologist who I see about every 3 weeks. Which seems to work for us. This is sometimes longer or shorter depending on holidays and circumstances. We are working on DBT skills as CBT hasn’t worked a great deal for me in terms of helping me overcome my mental illnesses.

ON TOP of that I have job search appointments. I know it’s not directly mental health related, but they are a disability support service that only sees people who meet the requirements. Appointments are fortnightly and we do all things Job Search related. My case worker also checks in with me each appointment as to how I have been and that is a predecider in how intensely the job search is scheduled for. Right now we’re in a suspension from Centrelink and are just taking it easy as terms of job search but we are looking and applying and doing what we can.

How do I manage all this!? Well I try to make one appointment each day at the moment because I’m not working as yet and it makes it less stressful. However, when I obtain part time employment I will alter appointments to suit and have a couple on the same day.

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:04 PM

@Bee that does sound like a lot! It's good that you're able to manage them all 🙂

@Ben-RO I wouldn't mind hearing some of your... learned things? (is there a word?)

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:09 PM

@N1ghtW1ng yes it is a lot, this week I have an apt every day!!! And an interview tomorrow!

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:30 PM

Good luck with your interview tomorrow @Bee!

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:13 PM

---

@Bee wrote:
@N1ghtW1ng yes it is a lot, this week I have an apt every day!!! And an interview tomorrow!

---

Me too @Bee@! I took 2 weeks off to get stuff done (I haven't had any time off since April). I have appts and and interview too, then next week I plan to have some me time. Catching up isn't much of a break

@Goodluck in your interview @Bee

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:32 PM

Good luck for your interview @Meowkins!

And hey @j95!

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:34 PM

Welcome @scared01!

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:37 PM

hey guys

if you dont mind ill answer the questions all in one heap as i struggle to keep up with these things and it overwhelms me but i am trying to read everything and answer all questions and i suffer from this as well

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:52 PM

@scared01 that is totally fine. I used to find GR's really overwhelming twoo. Take your time and go at your pace 🙂 x

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:40 PM

@scared01 all good! Looking forward to seeing your responses 🙂

There are heaps of people on tonight which is awesome but it is tricky to read everything as it is posted + formulate readable responses 😛

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:42 PM

Ah the spoon theory. I would like to raise you the TEAspoon theory! It's where you are still able to do things, due to always having teaspoons lying around, but they aren't quite Spoons, only Teaspoons.

Thanks for the info @Ben-RO! 🙂 Also yay more people! 🙂 Sorry for dropping out, I've kind of lost the track of the thread 😛

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:46 PM

love that theory @N1ghtW1ng - very relatable for people who struggle with having enough energy regardless of what other things are going on for them

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:57 PM

I have dyslexia I wasn't sure that counted @Bee

originally posted on 04-09-2017 9:01 PM

definitely counts @j95 🙂

originally posted on 04-09-2017 8:59 PM

@j95 from what I know of dyslexia (which isn't much to be honest) it totally counts!