Tess 14/07/10 11:14 PM Report Abuse

Where do the Liberal Party stand when it comes to the internet filter? If they are not totally against it they won't get my vote!

Kathie 16/07/10 11:32 AM Report Abuse

There are an increasing number of people becoming addicted to harmful substances, which lead them into the prison system. It is well known that the prisons hold a high percentage of people with mental health problems, often drug related. Incarceration is not the answer to drug addicts as they will likely reoffend due rejoining the underlying drug culture when they are released. Also those with mental illness will not be cured by a term in prison. Will the Libs overhaul the prison mental health system to identify and treat/detox those in the prison system in order to reduce drug related crime and prison outcomes. A country is not healthy nor productive by the amount of people incarcerated in its prisons; better to evaluate and treat the fundamental mental health problems for a safer, healthier society.

BundyGal 17/07/10 12:45 PM Report Abuse

As a person recently diagnosed with BiPolar 2 I can't tell you how important this is.. I could have been diagnosed 15 years earlier if I had access to the right people.

My youngest child may have this illness as well and as I am on a pension and live in a regional town I will have to pay for expensive help out of limited finances to make sure he gets the best possible assessment....

Noel 19/07/10 10:11 AM Report Abuse

Hey BundyGal! It would be good to hear your whole story, my wife is bipolar but will not get treatment as she believes it is going to "Dumb her Down".

Well,, no more than the "volksverdummung" that is happening now anyway

LIZ 20/07/10 03:06 PM Report Abuse

Your plans for mental health are excellent. When you are attacked for 'closing' super clinics ( as against not continuing with Labors stalled programme) the shadow health minister must retaliate by stressing how the saved money is being directed to Mental health services.

The Liberals are allowing themselves to be criticised and scrutinised while not refuting misinformation. We, your supporters, need to see some 'fight'.

Dr Maurice White 20/07/10 07:35 PM Report Abuse

Why have governments done nothing to improve oral health promotion as recommended by recent health reform reports like ‘A healthier future for all Australians’ (item 86) ?
Tooth decay and gum disease are the most common human afflictions. 11 million Australians develop a cavity each year yet cavities are easy to prevent with better tooth care paricularly inside pits and fissures where over 80% of cavities occur and brushing cannot reach.

Jane 20/07/10 07:49 PM Report Abuse

Kathy has made a valid point. Drug-induced psychosis is draining our hospitals, prisons and mental health system.

It's great that money is being spent on mental health. It would be even better if the preventable drug-induced problems could be addressed at their core. Hard penalties for drug dealing would save our country an enormous amount - in dollars and in heartache.

Gail N. 20/07/10 10:03 PM Report Abuse

Why is it saying my post has profanities in it?

Gail N. 20/07/10 10:05 PM Report Abuse

Here's some of what I tried to post:

..... At no point did my doctors discuss the impact of diet and good nutrition on depression, or ask me how much sunlight I was getting, they just wrote prescriptions and referred me for counselling.

If there are any depressed people reading this, what you need to do is focus on your diet. Eat a lot of fish, take extra omega 3 capsules, get rid of processed oils, trans fats, margarines etc, eat a range of healthy fruits and vegetables, get rid of all processed carbohydrates and any other processed food, make sure you take extra vitamin supplements, especially vitamin D and get out more and enjoy more sunlight. Getting out and doing things will help a lot more than the doctors will.

I would also suggest everyone read the medication reviews on the askapatient website before they naively suggest that people need psychiatric medication.

Here's Prozac:

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=18936&name=PROZAC

And Aropax:

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20031&name=PAXIL

Gail N. 20/07/10 10:07 PM Report Abuse

Sorry, I can't work out what was wrong with my first paragraph. I just said that the side-effects of anti-depressants are worse than what they're being used to treat. They're horrible.

Kathie 07/08/10 11:37 AM Report Abuse

Message
Regarding prisoner health again! This morning I heard on ABC Newsradio a segment about the great work that Bethlehem House (http://www.bethlehemhouse.org.au/bethlehem/) has been doing with men in the prison system. This organization works with prisoners before and after their release, to support and ease them back into society at a time when many are overwhelmed with inadequacies and often unresolved anger. Without a family background, some are left high and dry with no prospect of a normal life and will fall back into the prison system. Bethlehem House picks up this challenge and works with them to bring back self esteem, and respect for society. This reduces the burden on society in many ways, both financial and with better mental health outcomes.

Unfortunately, the funding for Bethlehem House ends in February next year. In view of the huge contribution that this Organization makes to society, I am asking that the LIbs, if elected will continue the funding, but also increase the number of organizations such as this throughout the States, for all offenders. It will not be a quick fix of course, but many lives would be changed for the better, with less cost to the Nation in the long term.

Trans Help Foundation 09/08/10 08:17 PM Report Abuse

We run a National Foundation that supports Transport Personnel and their families, with mental health, suicides and drivers being victims of suicides. Our foundation has been seeking funding for four years and get no support or government funding. We are saving the government millions by preventing accidents and fatalities, we are getting drivers off the workcover system and back to work sooner... We need urgent funding as the demand is increasing and our volunteers can't sustain the demand!

By committing to our foundation will bring votes from a grass roots level... out on our road, where you have half a million drivers. Visit our website and check out some of our case histories.. this is the reality of the people that leave their families to put bread and milk on every Australian's table!

www.transhelpfoundation.com.au

Fabian 10/08/10 09:27 AM Report Abuse

Can the Liberals please start attacking on the hypocriscy of the ALP and their annoying ads about Abbott's cuts to Health. According to the 'The Age' newspapaer in Victoria, the ALP Government cut $340 million from mental health from the past 2 years. However, they want to put in $277 million (ALP's 2010 election promise). That doesn't make up for amount of money they cut in the first place. Liberals injected 1.9 billion during the last year of the Howard Government and now want to inject 1.5 billion if elected (that's health reform). Gillard says that her father is a psychiatric nurse, so how does she allow the 340 million to be cut? ask her that!

In addition, why do I need to put my e-mail address down to post a comment? Is it for the Liberals to send a reply or something? Just a bit curious about that.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/mental-health-funds-cut-back-20100322-qrdt.html

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/gillards-mentalhealth-move-patches-on-broken-system-20100727-10tjt.html

Kathie 11/08/10 09:35 AM Report Abuse

Will the Libs form a useful working relationship with the Mental Health organisation SANE....... http://www.sane.org/images/stories/frontpage/1008_home_electionperspective.pdf

Dennis 11/08/10 01:46 PM Report Abuse

Peter, I just watched you at the National Press club. Well done! You were positive,showed you have a real vision for health in Australia and were miles better than the Minister Nicola Roxon. I'd vote for the coalition just on what you have presented. Dennis

Maurice White 20/08/10 04:32 PM Report Abuse

Don't send iron over seas to make steel. Value add to our finite natural resources and make more steel in Austrlia with more Australian jobs more profitable exports and more tax revenue but no increase in tax, perhaps a decrese in tax

Louise 07/10/10 11:04 PM Report Abuse

Nice thought, but it's a little naive to think that doctors actually have the answer when it comes to mental illness. I've been on anti-depressants, and I can tell you, they're not pleasant, I would even go so far as to say they shouldn't be on the market. What has helped me the most is Vitamin D supplementation, fish oil and a better diet with more natural, unprocessed oils and much less refined carbohydrates. Doctors overlook the importance of diet when it comes to depression and other mental illnesses, they just write scripts.

And yes, Kathie, drugs are a huge part of the problem for a lot of people (not me). The focus needs to be on stopping people from doing them in the first place, but how?

Mrvyn Jacobi 06/04/11 11:19 AM Report Abuse

The reduction of the top tax from what it was in the 1950's and '60's, has been responsible for the reduction of services and interest in many things including the health system. The patients, generally wage earners or pensioners, are are more depressed with their inability to properly look after their family in food, clothing and housing, and it is becoming more apparent that - with the hospital system getting worse, the right essential treatment is not forthcoming. Getting the Liberal party back into power has not proved to be the answer, they had their chance last time and blew it. The only answer seems to be to get a new party with intelligence, integrity, allegiance and courage. I consider that none of the existing parties are worth their weight in dog food.

Mia 11/05/11 03:40 PM Report Abuse

I applaud Liberal's stand on Mental illness..... I had a psychotic episode last year at age eighteen during my final HSC exams, due to multiple stresses. My illness progressed to a stage where eventually I had to be taken away by the police and hospitalized. I visited my local GP five times during my month of decline and despite being delusional my condition was not diagnosed. I even had to still sit for two of my exams! There is definitely a major need for front line services.
So many problems such as the cost upon my health, the trauma to myself and my family, the use of stronger medication.......all these could have been prevented!
My hope is that people with any mental illness do not have to unnecessarily go through these problems because front line services are inadequate!

Kathie 16/10/11 06:09 PM Report Abuse

Derek, I didn't see the comment you mentined, but do not think cheap language is ever constructive in a civilised society. But why did Mr Brown feel he had to defend the leader of a Party which is not his own, and which has serious truth and credbility issues?