Reese

‘I was acting psychotic and no-one did anything, but when I put on some make-up and cross-dressed they wanted to section me.’

Reese, late 20s, is non-binary and gender diverse. When they first started experiencing hallucinations and paranoia a few years ago, they weren’t ‘taken seriously’, they told the Royal Commission.

Reese was ultimately diagnosed with psychosis due to schizophrenia. They’ve also been diagnosed with anxiety and depression. One doctor told them they had borderline personality disorder. Reese is not so sure about this.

Reese doesn’t know whether people abuse them because of their disability or gender diversity. But they know, either way, it’s ‘not good’.

Not long ago, Reese was experiencing psychosis and was in crisis. They rang a mental health service and two people arrived at Reese’s home. They told Reese that Reese needed to exercise more. Reese asked to speak to their manager. When Reese rang the number they provided, a person from a TV news desk answered the call. Reese made a formal complaint but said it was dismissed ‘because of [their] condition’.

Reese was in hospital when their grandmother died. They were upset and told a nurse, who said ‘good’. Her colleague looked shocked.

‘A lot of services … staff have value systems that demonise gender diverse and psychotic people and there’s not much accountability or ways to complain.’

Doctors and nurses have called Reese a ‘faggot’ and have ‘smirked’ at Reese because of their gender presentation.

‘[At] another service, I was trying to fill out my information as non-binary and gender diverse. I later found out … they hadn’t listened to anything and just put down male.’

Over the years, Reese has had multiple misdiagnoses. They have been over medicated and at one point were on more than six different drugs, causing a number of adverse medical issues. They’ve also signed a lot of forms ‘in impaired states’. ‘On reflection,’ Reese said, ‘[it] kind of seems wrong.’

Reese described ‘a cycle’ of hospital, work and relapse.

If Reese relapses they go to hospital. There, they are ‘tranquillised and restrained’. No-one treats the ‘causes or experiences that led to the psychosis’. ‘Once you’re stable [you’re] sent away.’

To continue to receive a JobSeeker payment, Reese has to engage with a disability employment agency. Reese is required to ‘apply for so many jobs’ they’re not qualified for and ‘don’t have the mental health to manage’. They said they’re often pressured to accept a job before they are ready. Most of the work available is low paid. The employers are often ‘unscrupulous’ and don’t give consideration for their disability. Reese said they’ve been forced to work extra hours unpaid and take on significant more responsibility without being renumerated. Reese’s health deteriorates and they relapse.

Reese has broken the cycle for the moment and ‘feels lucky’. ‘I’ve been able to come out of that and hold down a job for a while. A lot of people in my situation don’t have private health cover or relatively supportive families.’

Recently, Reese described the emotional and physical abuse and neglect they experienced at school and in relationships to a new doctor. For the first time a doctor acknowledged ‘there’s a lot of trauma which could be the root cause’. Reese is trying to access trauma treatment. They feel community treatment would be better than the medical model.

‘Supporting people economically while they get community treatment, learn about their illness, learn how to manage their illness … when they’re not worried about managing their house, food and bills.’

Reese wants greater ‘respect and dignity given to people with psychotic illnesses’.