Ways to get help

This list is for ways to get help that are available in Sydney. However, some are available in whole NSW or Australia. You may be able to find similar things in your area too. This is what I found trying to recover from Trauma. However, you might find it useful for other mental health problems too. This information is based on my own experience, therefore very limited source, but it would help me a lot if I had this information when I got injured.

Please check When you cannot cope if you are feeling overwhelmed. Daily functioning tips might be useful in day to day situations. For further reading about trauma check Trauma related resources.

Ways to get help:

• In person: Someone close to you, ED, GP, Psychologist, Safe Haven, Safe Space, Support Groups, Community / charity organisations
• Over the phone:
• Help Lines
• Online groups
• Online resources

In person

Dealing with trauma is a difficult task. There is a good reason why now research points that trauma sits in the body. Therefore face to face communications have many advantages.

Someone close to you

Trauma and consequent PTSD are the things when you will need someone close to you the most. Many other events in life can be experienced relatively the same being joyful or sad, and difficult no matter are you going alone, with loosely related social goop or with people very close to you. Trauma is different because it is so debilitating that you can not deal with it on your own. The chances to develop PTSD are strongly correlated by the support you have. The more support you have the better chances are to recover from trauma. It helps a lot to have someone you can rely on, who will take responsibility to take you through the recovery. That person does not have to expert in trauma, but has to be able to

Emergency Department (ED)

ED is most likely the first place you will visit after trauma. While there are many types of events that are traumatic, however, sever injury has a good chance to cause trauma. ED is a place where you may get first help after you got injured.

Problem. In my experience ED is not trauma informed place and does little to reduce the emotional impact of trauma. To make it worse I have not been checked for brain injury. I did it only 8 years after the injury only to find out that I had brain injury. Because I was waiting together with all people in very cold waiting room I felt (and still believe) that I was more in danger there than going back home and trying to heal by myself. Since then, I had some better experience at ED, but when I needed it the most it was very bad.

Solution. I put it in sorted list based on the criteria how I would imagine I would do it now. Mostly one item is enough, but if you cannot do it, then take next item.

• Call close person to come and help. If they will not be able to help, they will be still in better position to look for a help, than you on your own. It might be not possible if you are an immigrant (temporally or permanent), and people close to you live far away maybe even in time zone with several hours difference.
• You do not need a group of people. One is enough.
• Call acquittance to come and help. Prioritize first the ones who may have better skills to deal with it. An acquittance is still more likely to be a better option that indifferent ED employee or yourself after experiencing trauma.
• If you have no phone with you ask for help other injured people in waiting room to help to reach them, maybe you remember phone number (very unlikely), but maybe you can find them through social media.
• Be prepared for very long waiting time and indifference. Keep asking to get help as objectively as you can and remind them that you are still waiting to receive help. It is unpleasant and stressful, but this is a cruel reality of the world and you been very unfortunate to get injured.

The workflow at ED may be poorly organized and stuff cynical and indifferent (possible as a coping mechanism seeing too many injuries) causing unnecessary wait and frustration. Do, raise your concerns of not getting proper treatment, but you may need to leave other problems behind. Most likely you will not reach someone who can or will do anything about it. You can come back to systemic or particular ED problems, but now it is not a priority. Now priority is your injury.

If you cannot reach help while you at ED, do it as soon as you are back home. There are plenty of studies that having good support after trauma may reduce chances of developing PTSD.

There is also some information that not sleeping first night in order to avoid solidifying memories of traumatic event may help to reduce chances of getting PTSD. However, I did not find confirming studies (but I am not an expert). Drugs like ketamine may be used for the same purpose.

General Practitioner (GP)

General Practitioner (family doctor or other names) is a doctor that you might see as first point of contract after the trauma or after symptoms caused by trauma persist or some of them even get worse. GP may not be familiar with PTSD to provide treatment but should be knowledgeable enough to send to appropriate specialist.

Problem.

• Often GP are concerned to pick first option that come to their head as sure treatment and send you off as quickly as possible. PTSD is very complex illness, and many symptoms overlap with other illnesses. It is very easy to be misdiagnosed and then spend time and effort getting treatment that may not be helpful while core problems deepen increasing the feeling that there will be no help.
• Most of GPs I met had no clue what PTSD is and how to treat it. Often, they will listen till they find one symptom that gives them opportunity to diagnose depression. You can almost see the lightbulb moment when they come with the thought "Oh it is depression, I know what it is!". As a result, you are likely to get antidepressant medication, that will not be useful in any way only will add some negative side effects.

• Psychologist, psychology clinics
• Safe Haven
• Safe Space
• Support Groups
• Community / charity organisations: Wayside chapel, Salvation Army

Over the phone

• Help Lines

Online

• Online groups
• Online resources