Lived Experience Forum

[soul]

Hey @utopia - I'm guessing that you're pretty exhausted. Hope things went favourably for you today.

[Faith-and-Hope]

Hi @utopia .... hoping it all went well.

💜

[utopia]

Psych was 15 minutes late. Saw him for 30 - 35 minutes. He kept telling me I was taking too long to tell the story. Seriously, each part of what has happened can be an hr long explanation.
When I mentioned going to hospital due to suicidal thoughts - his comment was "but they were only thoughts - you didn't act on them". As if I was whinging and not in any real pain - otherwise I would have tried to suicide by now.
He didn't ask me the right questions. He didn't ask about now - other than the meds I'm on & was then a bit shirty with me because I don't know the name of one of my night time meds.
I took 2 prn calmers after leaving and fell asleep in the taxi home. Then fell asleep. But woke in time to watch one episode of Ink Master (a tattoo competition show).
Tomorrow I have a 10.30 appointment with my psychologist. Lookimg forward to seeing him. He helps.
My own psychiatrist sent his letter today to the ACCCS -conciliation board. All of this is purely to be put back on WorkCover payments. We're talking after tax of just ober $750 a fortnight. Not a lot.
No where near psyout mode or suing the employer yet.
I'm warn out. Don't expect it to be favourable - todays meeting. Will hudt have to wait 2 weeks til I can get a copy of the report.

[soul]

Thinking of you @utopia - whilst you go through this stressful process made even more so by difficult people. Hope there is some resolution to the whole thing sooner rather than later.

[Former-Member]

Hi @utopia - well that was very observant of him to see that you hadn't acted on your suicidal thoughts. I'm thinking compassion and empathy aren't his core values. I have heard many bad things about the IMEs and how there is nothing independent about them. They are on the workcover payroll after all. My psychiatrist refers to them as being combative. I'm guessing it comes down to workcover being just another insurance company and the objective is to get you out of their system. That's crappy money being on workcover payments - disability pension pays more than that but I suppose eventually you want to get back to work in some capacity - Maybe they can offer you retraining? I really hope you can get some resolution soon.

[Former-Member]

I love that picture @soul - that would make an excellent tattoo

[soul]

Hey @utopia - hope today's meeting went okay for you. Did my back in at work a while ago and the IME told me after a few week's of therapy that now it's just normal wear and tear.

[utopia]

@Former-Member. Yes they are paid a thousand dollars to do the IME Report - so it's in their interest to write one that is favourable towards workcover - rather than the client

[Faith-and-Hope]

Which really sucks .... and there ought to be an accountability protocol to try to ensure fairness, such as comparing their review with other independent practices.

[soul]

@utopia - 😱