Gibson
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Gibson told the Royal Commission about the difficulties he has accessing mental health support in prison.
He has post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and schizophrenia. He said his mental health issues were known when he was charged but he still went through the standard court process.
‘Since being in prison my mental health has declined a lot.’
Gibson said his anxiety is very bad and ‘there is no help to cope with anything here’.
‘In here you have to do something drastic to escalate things and get any help, but then you have to deal with the repercussions for your actions. So you might get medical treatment but then you are placed in detention unit and have your rights removed – basically isolation.’
Medication and exercise help but Gibson wants more meaningful counselling sessions.
‘I was given a flyer with instructions on how to breathe if anxious but there was no help given when I had bad anxiety and I was lying on the floor in my cell using a bag to breathe.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.