Don’t Settle for Short Term Solutions to Life and Death Matters
Eric Clapton, the world’s great guitarist/singer, is alive today only because he sought professional holistic treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.
Clapton then went on to establish his own rehabilitation sanctuary, the Crossroads Centre (named after his song of the same name).
Clapton has personally donated millions to the centre over its 20-year life, so that others can continue to live; as his sanctuary says,?“to heal the body as a whole; knowing it is an ongoing process promoting physical, emotional, and spiritual health”.
Our Government is holding out on you – because that is exactly what we have been pleading for here in Australia.??Holistic, Integrative, Sanctuaries?for people experiencing mind imbalances, where they can rest and recoup in safe, loving hands with appropriate support.
NOT the addictive knee-jerk responses and wasted mental health expenditure that is of limited, temporary value.
They tell us they are listening, but they do not ‘hear’.
They are not listening to the professionals in this field; instead, advocating pharmaceutical solutions and misleading the public into believing that will work.
It is said that the definition of insanity is?“doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”;?like hitting your head against a brick wall time and time again.
We can’t await for another election, another Prime Minister, to form a decisive plan on how to manage our crippling mental health crisis!
We can’t allow more lives to be lost; as well will happen if we don’t provide this same kind of care soon!
We can no longer trust our leaders to do what they have been paying lip service to for years; instead, waiting for someone else to lead the way.
We are speaking of life and death… your brother, your sister, your mum, your dad; family and friends, who will not be here for a May 2019 election, while governments allow the pharmaceutical industry to boom exponentially on the back of your woes.
There?are?similar sanctuaries scattered around the world, albeit too few to deal with the many who need this type of sustainable care.
At Crossroads, they?“use proven therapies, along with their 12-step philosophy, combined with mindfulness, fitness, and nutrition, to resolve underlying issues and build new, healthy foundations”,?which is why complete recovery becomes possible.
Many years ago, master guitarist, Mark Knopfler, confided much of our mutual life ‘connections’.
We talked for hours on end.??Knopfler also believes in the essence of the spirit that we are; and other worlds (refer to text in?Making Sense of Life Before We L’Eve…Those Were The Days’).
He shared with me how he was able to work with fellow musical legend, Peter Gabriel, to aid a person who was in a coma, who only responded to their music.
Our connection was unmistakably ‘beyond worlds’?and the reason I do not doubt the many surreal insights, healing gifts we possess in this often-treacherous life journey.??In Knopfler’s words, we live on in?“the rich tapestry of life",?that binds us all.
That’s why I know that our vision,?United?Action?for?Life; with its origins emanating from a dream I had in 2004, is a solid solution for saving lives.??It was first introduced to Federal Government Ministers in 2015 and given verbal hope of support.
United?Action?for?Life,?an AFL Legends led initiative planned as a?‘team’?effort – is a Mission is to be owned by all Australians.??It will work!
The likes of AFL Legends; Kevin Sheedy, Sam Newman, Neil Kerley; Mal and son Cam Brown and Barry Besanko (former CEO The Whitten Foundation) are all willing supporters; among so many others.
There has since been massive international support for this ‘dream’?shared by many friends, colleagues, world healers and enlightened leaders.
What we need is what is already proven and successful; Centres like Crossroads… which is what?United?Action?for?Life?is all about!
We want to set up Sanctuaries where people of all ages, race and religion can go to receive the help they need; to be cared for in a gentle, loving environment… a place where they will feel safe and properly cared for regardless of their financial circumstances and not be ‘committed’ into a mental institution.
Unfortunately, the necessary political leadership to make this happen is moving too slowly.
That’s why we need a massive, collective public response to properly deal with this endemic health crisis; to stand shoulder to shoulder – and to demand this kind of proven health care to be made available now.
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Our ‘temporary’ leaders know we have a tsunami of mental health issues to deal with; yet they are ignoring long term cures in favour of short term options that may cost less now, but will cost a fortune in the future; if allowed to continue down this path… possibly past these current leader’s ‘use by date’.
Enlightened world healers know this attitude is ‘insane’!
United?Action?For?Life Solution?Service Provision Summary in support of the 1st?‘Pilot Program’ for holistic integrative wellness centres to be made available across Australia for All Australians?-?independently prepared 30.3.2022.???
The proposed installation of a pilot program for the wholistic treatment of mental health disorders is of critical interest to the maintenance of state health service infrastructure.??
The argument for the initiation of this pilot program is multi-faceted. Firstly, in South Australia we currently have an expenditure between $2,548 and $1,124 per day for in hospital mental health services. When this is compared to interstate figures quoting $583 per person for residential provided mental health care, the immediate financial benefits to the state become apparent (AIHW 2022).??
However, this is not an argument driven solely by costs. The further implications of bringing in a residentially based system for mental healthcare are twofold. Patients admitted into residential mental health care are placed in an environment that is more sympathetic and conducive to their recovery. This in turn results in shorter stays for the patient and better clinical outcomes (Weber. Et.al. 2022). Secondly, the implementation of mental health services that are housed outside of the hospital environment would go a significant way towards addressing the serious issue with bed availability in the South Australian hospital system.??
Currently, there are insufficient beds available in South Australian hospitals. This has resulted in an ambulance ramping issue that has resulted in deaths. If the pilot program succeeds and is expanded upon, this would be just one facet of a system that would significantly contribute to the alleviation of stress upon the state hospitals. Currently, there are 7,019 public inpatient beds, and 3,494 private hospital inpatient beds (AIHW 2022). If even half of these beds could be redistributed for other uses, it would solve the issue of patient ramping.??
In terms of patient experience, it is demonstrated in several studies (Jovanovic et.al. 2020, and Weber et.al. 2022) that the physical environment of the mental health facility plays a key role in the well-being and recovery of the patients. We can then, from these studies, propose that the instigation of ‘informal’ residential environments would have a positive effect of patient recovery, thereby reducing stay times and improving patient outcomes.??
When the aspects of reduced costs, improved hospital infrastructure, and improved patient outcomes are considered, the initiation of a pilot program for the purposes of establishing residential mental health treatment is extremely beneficial to the South Australian state government, and the public.??
Based on the success of this pilot program, similar wellness centres can be replicated across Australia, thereby contributing to a healthier, safer country and life-saving solutions in which?mental illness and suicide?cost an?estimated, $220 billion a year!??????
References:??
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2022, ‘Mental Health Services in Australia’ URL: aihw.gov.au/reports-health-services/mental-health services-in-australia/report-contents/specialised-mental-health-care-facilities??
Jovanovic et.al. 2020 ‘Impact of the hospital-built environment on treatment satisfaction of psychiatric in-patients’ Psychological Medicine DOI: 10.107/S00332917200003815??
Weber et.al. 2022 ‘Patients’ Health and Wellbeing in Inpatient Mental Health-Care Facilities: A Systematic Review’ Frontiers of Psychiatry.?
“In order to carry a positive action we must develop a positive vision.”?~?Dalai Lama?
Please feel free to pass this opinion piece on to interested parties.
Yvonne Nicolas????
Founding Board Member???
United?Action?For?Life Foundation???
Mental Health Advocate?????
Author: ‘Making Sense Of Life Before We L’Eve …Those Were The Days’?(all profits from the book will go to UAFL Foundation for better mental health care)??????
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ABOUT THE SANCTUARIES??????
Integrative Mental Health Care for All Australians – Owned by All Australians???
Yvonne Nicolas, original member, SA Government?Premier’s Women’s Board Directory, at personal invitation of then Premier, is also a qualified counsellor: Lifeline, Youthline, Youthlink, street kids’ worker (C.I.T.Y.); NLP specialist / Reiki; Pranic; Feng Shui Practitioner / PR strategist / Major Events creator / writer / weekly newspaper Oped columnist (The Adelaide News) / TV producer; presenter / motivator / coach /?philanthropist / author;?‘Making Sense of Life Before We L’Eve…Those Were The Days’, and a founding member of the Mental Health Mission…?United?Action?For?Life.???