WESTERN suburbs resident Jeff Galvin, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia 23 years ago, has backed the national mental health charity SANE Australia in its request for extra Federal Government support for people with mental illness.
New research by the charity found people with the illness are often forced to choose between medical treatment and putting food on the table.
Mr Galvin, who gets by on a small income, has learned to manage his illness, but he faces many hurdles and says his situation would have been much worse but for the love and support of his family.
"There were times when I drifted in and out of life, held down some very good jobs and often left some very good jobs.
"It [the illness] is transient and episodic and causes people to drift in and out of their illness and it's only when you reach the point where you can't look after yourself that you get treatment.
"Not everybody can afford to [get treatment], but I was fortunate that I had a very supportive family who led me in the right direction so I could begin the long, arduous task of recovery."
Mr Galvin said he often hallucinated about hearing voices.
"One unusual hallucination I had was where I would smell things and it was so real; I would hear the words, 'Oh, that's a load of rubbish' and then I'd smell rubbish. It was not a happy time in my life."
Now on medication, he's a project worker in consumer mental health in Melbourne's west.
"I went through some tough times before finally being placed on the right type of medication.
"This is so important. You have to have appropriate medication at appropriate levels and you have to be fortunate enough to have a good response to it, because everybody is different."
There were many avenues available to people with a mental illness, and medication alonewas not enough," Mr Galvin said.
"I attend a rehabilitation day program that teaches life skills. There are also outreach services in the west that are very good; so medication coupled with cognitive behaviour programs and talking therapies are a must to help people with mental illness fit into society and regain confidence."
Mr Galvin said although he worked and managed to live day to day, he relied on his mother for financial support.
"I do put food on the table that is nutritious for very little money, but sometimes I really like to do something that's more special to reward myself and I can't always do that."
Mr Galvin needs only one tablet a day to treat his condition, a minor cost compared to that borne by some others. "I'm one of the lucky ones. Somebody with bipolar would be on several different tables a day and that's where the cost is a problem." Mr Galvin said the Federal Government needed to take measures so that people with a mental illness were able to afford the treatments they needed.
"I remember the days when you got your pension card you got whatever medication you needed. Now, it's penny-pinching by the Government for a $5 script some of us can't afford. In my opinion the medication should be free."
SANE FINDINGS
THE following are SANE Australia's research findings and its recommendations to the Federal Government:
* Most people with a mental illness live on below-average incomes, with one-third surviving on less than $20,000 a year.
* The cost of living with a mental illness is high, with many expenses not fully met by Medicare or social security payments.
* People with a mental illness often have to choose between going without medical treatment or without essentials such as food.
* One-third of people with a mental illness surveyed were not registered with the Medicare Safety Net.
Recommendations< p>
* Improved financial support for health care is needed, targeted at making PBS co-payments, gap payments to health professionals, and other recommended medical services affordable for people on low incomes, including those with a mental illness.
* Proactive steps are needed by government and mental health services to ensure financial literacy and counselling are available for people living with a mental illness.
* Medicare safety net: One-third of people with a mental illness surveyed were not registered with the Medicare Safety Net.
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