Celia
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Celia told the Royal Commission she has been ‘in the system’ since she was 12 years old and has ‘very little trust’ in it.
She was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but she doesn’t understand why. She did not understand why she needed to be injected with antipsychotics or why, now, she no longer does.
’I’ve never had a proper answer when I’ve seen psychiatrists about it!’ she said.
In the facilities she has been in, Celia has experienced neglect. ‘I’ve been obviously ignored by workers as if to say you don’t exist!’
Celia says she has been bullied by mental health workers, to the point of being concerned for her safety.
‘I didn’t know who to speak with about it or if they’d do anything about it, and by the time I thought I could say something they said it was too late to complain. It was like bcoz I had no proof except my word over his it was pointless to say anything.’
She has also encountered inappropriate sexual behaviour from a female worker. ‘Like she was baiting me … her behaviour was flirty but awkward at the same time … she would pull her shirt down in a strange way looking directly at me and she had a bruise like she wanted me to look at her!’
Celia did try to tell someone about her experiences, but they directed her to an online complaint form. Celia says using this kind of form is difficult for some people, and in the end she didn’t think there was any point. ‘It’s legitimacy is an issue,’ she says. ‘Complaining without proof has been pointless for me.’
Celia thinks that mental health workers ‘should be watched like hawks … to protect the clients from bad workers and to protect good workers from bad workers screwing with them’.
Celia has had help from some people she liked. She had been seeing a psychologist she thought was good, but the location was too far and required public transport, which is difficult for Celia when she is in an emotional state after a session.
Celia has also liked some of the volunteer workers and student nurses, but she wonders if they are good because ‘they are not jaded or exhausted from the job yet’.
‘I wanna see mental health, disability and old age homes never have fearful clients like myself and others! I don’t want to see deaths that didn’t have to happen in news articles! I wanna know that I’m safe in these places.’
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.