"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter"
..."A violation of Article 7 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. Transferred to a Forensic Hospital for protection(sic)without having ever committed a crime or having been found guilty in a court of law... incarcerated with rapists, murderers and those found guilty by the courts... placed in seclusion for fifty-five days... given a cocktail of prescriptions drugs...and intramuscular injections. The jaw is broken... the zygomatic arch...
Next a University Teaching Hospital...you are shackled to a bed in four point restraint for nine weeks... given intramuscular injections which causes akathisia [inability to sit or stand still, also known as restless legs syndrome- see Sachdev]. Then given a drug to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) - causing itching and hives on the skin - which you cannot scratch because you are shackled to a bed... What they don't tell you is that the DVT drug is actually to prevent DVT caused by the intramuscular injection drug Acuphase - given to 'cure' your violence.
Then because of the violent reaction of akathisia you spit and scream at staff - you are labelled violent - then your carers are told you are in a life threatening situation - you need to be released from restraints. And, the only way you will be released from restraint is to be shocked - SHOCKED with an electrical current to your brain to quell your violent behaviour which they attribute to your chronic condition they call treatment resistant schizophrenia... Never considering the fact that its the iatrogenic effect of the drugs.
You are beaten up by another patient… who breaks your arm and your finger when you are allowed out of restraint - they call Code Black - police arrive - they shackle you to the bed again . No one asks you what happened - they just assume its you because you are labelled violent. You are given a further blood clotting prevention drug in your stomach (clexane and fragmin )- but, you bleed from the wounds inflicted by the patient - who at this stage is discharged...
We will stop the ElectroShocks if you agree to clozapine...You are told... You refuse to consent... they lodge an application to the Mental Health Tribunal... Twelve more shocks... It appears they will continue to shock you until you agree to consent. The thrust of course is that after more than one hundred ElectroShocks your mind is dulled...then you are told they want to lock you away and give you clozapine.
But, you protest... I have a heart condition... clozapine affects my immune system...can cause agranulocytosis... Its ok they say we will monitor side effects... that's why we need to keep you in hospital for 18 weeks... so if your immune system fails or you get a heart attack you are already in hospital. But, no I don't consent! You protest... I'm under duress... but, the shocks continue.
Dr.Anthony Cidoni of Monash Health and Paul Katz of Eastern Health each declare the other responsible for your treatment. You are transferred from Eastern Health to Monash Health... You are under the jurisdiction of Monash Health but treated in an Eastern Health Bed... therefore, Eastern Health is responsible for your treatment you are told... Your Medical Power of Attorney and Allied person ( Nominated persons) and advocates grapple in the Supreme Court of Victoria to ascertain which doctor/psychiatrists bears the responsibility of your treatment.
Quietly, you extricate yourself from the debacle of which doctor... Your parents home is raided by the police... they learn that you have left the state.
No more shocks, no more being tied to a bed, no more torturous akathisia... you are free. Three months later there is an emergence of the traumas... A short spell in hospital and you are out free again. Then PTSD raises its head as you relive the experiences and find yourself once again on a dreaded ITO (Involuntary Treatment Order). You are assured there will be no ElectroShock you have a sigh of relief... then out of the left field you are forced the prescription of clozapine...sprayed into your mouth under extreme duress.
You have a right to life...your resistance is repelled by physical force and you respond under duress. Now you are charged with assault... You no longer resist but continue to inform that you are under duress and DO NOT CONSENT... Because you know this drug is extremely high risk... You are kept in high dependency locked ward... You are told your clozapine levels have not yet been reached...BUT, you never told what level needs to be reached. You wonder is it empirical or experimental?
NOW your treatment appears sanctioned under the direct auspices of the Government of the State of Queensland... Without informed consent,clozapine is forcefully sprayed into your mouth with a syringe ...cruel, inhuman and a violation of your human rights."
