Seb
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.
As a young man Seb, now late 50s, was diagnosed with schizophrenia. A doctor later told him he had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), not schizophrenia.
In primary school Seb had very low grades, but no-one offered him any support.
In high school students bullied him and he found it very difficult to make friends.
Seb has experienced physical violence. One time someone broke into his home and threatened him with a gun.
Seb told the Royal Commission the health system only sees the schizophrenia ‘label’.
‘When a person is not labelled properly the system will come down on them. And then there is a paper trail for others to follow which is not correct.’
A few years ago, Seb hurt his leg and was having chest pains and had to go to hospital.
He told staff he’d had an argument with his family and was living in his car temporarily.
‘Two security guards come and take me away, nicely, to psych services without any explanation, none whatsoever. Ended up putting me in hospital for 10 days, medicated. I felt like a prisoner in another country.’
Recently Seb moved interstate and said the hospital system there is better.
‘They don’t just grab you and lock you up and throw the key away. They allow you to speak, so they know where you’re coming from,’ he said. ‘I believe patients should be helped to express their thoughts and feelings on situations … so that people like myself don’t caught up in the system where they shouldn’t be.’
Seb believes people see his ‘poor education’ and inability to express himself as a weakness and have ‘exploited [him] in many different ways’.
‘They’ve overlooked me as a person and I believe I’m quite a nice person.’
A psychiatrist is treating Seb for his PTSD and has changed his medication.
‘I believe with the right guidance and encouragement I can get back into the workforce. That would be nice. It doesn’t help when you’re poor.’
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.