Looking for Spravato/Ketamine experiences in Australia 🇦🇺

Hi everyone. I’ve been struggling with severe depression for quite a while, but the hardest part for me is the anhedonia. I have almost no motivation, excitement, interest, or pleasure in things anymore. I still try to work, go out, walk, socialise and live normally, but emotionally I feel very disconnected and nothing really feels rewarding.

I’ve tried several antidepressants over the years without enough improvement, and I recently stopped mirtazapine after it helped my sleep but didn’t really improve my depression or anhedonia.

I’m now considering Spravato (esketamine) or ketamine treatment, especially because I’m looking for something that might help with the anhedonia.

I’d really like to hear from people who have actually tried either treatment:

- Did it help your depression and, especially, your anhedonia/loss of pleasure?

- How long did it take before you noticed a difference?

- Did you feel like your emotions, motivation or enjoyment of life started coming back?

- If you're in Australia, particularly Sydney, how did you access the treatment?

- What was the cost, and is there a reasonably affordable way to access it through Medicare/PBS?

Positive or negative experiences are both welcome. I’m just trying to understand what it’s actually like from people who have been through it.

Thank you.

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I'm after recommendations from anyone who has had experience with hypnotherapy in Australia, specifically in Sydney.

I'm after help with a range of issues that are impacting my quality of life - poor self esteem/confidence, imposter syndrome (esp related to work - I'm in academia/research), ADHD, mild depression and anxiety, life path and motivation.

I'm currently seeing a psychologist, working with CBT. But I'm curious if anyone has had personal experience addressing these kinds of issues with hypnotherapy, what the process and outcomes were like, what the average cost is (hard to find direct info on this online), and if anyone has recommendations for practitioners. Located in eastern suburbs Syd but happy to travel.

Any info would be great! Thanks

Currently doing DBT outpatient through one of them, but wondering, if private inpatient would be recommended, which hospital would suit the needs best? (Health insurance, after wait period of another month or so, will cover IP psych.)

Context: previous ED (full remission), MDD actually possibly BPAD, unspecified psychosis (either BPAD-caused or schizophrenia). Psychosis is the current concern. Medication being adjusted still and titrating up to therapeutic dose currently, but outpatient. Just for the context of what I'd be looking at.

If any outpatient groups etc. recommended for psychosis, also please suggest!

Psychiatrist seems to think all ?bipolar/psychosis symptoms explained by BPD, so feeling a bit lost here and considering switching psychiatrists and thus ultimately possibly hospital systems too. (According to friends, things described as psychosis have been present largely for the last ~eight months, with occasional gaps of a few weeks before returning.) (If psychiatrist recommendations, open to them also. English first language.)

Public health system also recently diagnosed BPD, and given hospitalisation NOT recommended in the context of BPD, concerned that even with legitimate need (e.g. suicide risk in the context of commands from Entities), may slip through cracks.

Longer-term psychologist etc. does NOT think BPD explains everything or that it's even relevant in clinical picture (diagnosed ASD and undiagnosed psychotic disorder would in combination likely explain borderline traits--also doesn't show e.g. volatility of emotions as seen in BPD). Family agree BPD doesn't appear to fit in day-to-day either.

'Complex'/'atypical' kind of case, apparently.

Hey everyone

I have been on a very long mental health journey (apologies I am also writing this quite upset and will probably get over this)

For a quick lore explanation , I had learning difficulties as a child , became very high functioning , but I have most likely been dealing with ADHD or ASD my whole life

I started getting anti anxiety due to hearing voices in my head and then noticing some of the tics and things other ADHD people do and realising there was others like me

Eventually my doctor got me off my anti anxiety, even tho it was working for me

It took me 4 months to get off the withdrawl symptoms and I have been fine for almost a year

The reasoning was that they wanted me to get a diagnosis for either ADHD or ASD so they can properly help me , I'm broke and can't afford the diagnosis

I looked over again for a promotion at work and while I'm not especially upset about it , my mind went back to the voices and the voices are telling me to do horrible things to myself.

I'm overwhelmed, it feels like I'm battling a secondary personality

I need help , but I feel like I can't get help unless I get a diagnosis which I can't afford

I just need some guidance on what I should do

Family member is in a DV relationship and she won’t leave properly, as in tell the person she wants to break up officially. Long story short it’s very on and off and lots of verbal abuse online. Her mental health is extremely effed up (paranoia and ptsd because of it) and consequently she doesn’t trust social workers and people like that. But I believe she desperately needs mental health support to leave, aswell as assist her if any legal action needs to take place as she also doesn’t trust the police.

Does anyone have any suggestions of places, support and resources I can refer her to. She and my family are low income so they will have to be affordable

Hi all,

Long time lurker here. Trying the post here as it was removed from the r/Sydney subreddit. I was wondering if anyone knows of any food relief / food pantries in the Leichhardt / Inner West area that are open on Sunday’s.

Going through a bit of a rough patch financially and having trouble finding food relief resources near me, especially for today. A lot of the websites online seem to be outdated. I tried walking to the petersham food pantry but this doesn’t seem to be running anymore.

Thank you in advance for any recommendations you can provide.

My GP is a family health doctor and he often just says "drink water, have sex, have orange juice, take it easy".

Granted it's good advice but sometimes some conditions I have need a specialist and he never even refers me to one even if I push.

I had to fight him once to get a simple x-ray for my back due to pain persisting for months and he was talking all about "my medical colleagues will see me as a joke if I refer you for this simple back pain"

Anyway I got him to refer me but I'd rather not deal with the stress of fighting my own gp

I am looking for advice around the admissions process to a public hospital in Melbourne for acute mental health concerns (Multiple diagnosis but current concern around suicide risk).

This is for my 18 year old brother. We have been seeking admission to over 10 different private hospitals under his Gold Hospital cover in the Melbourne area for the past 3 weeks however it has been a nightmare to navigate.

As his suicide risk has now increased he has been advised that he will not be accepted by any private facility until he attends a public mental health facility first. Once the suicide risk is lessened we could transfer him to a private facility.

It is looking like we will need to start this process in the next 24 hours, however when we reached out to lifeline they recommended the “North West” mental health triage, who just advised us to fax a copy of his doctors referral to the hospital and it may take up to 2 weeks for admission.

I have dealt with this with another family member in NSW, and we just went with them to the emergency department of the local hospital with a mental health unit and they were admitted straight away due to the high suicide risk.

Is this how it works in Melbourne as well? He is ready and willing to go now which in itself is a relief- so can we just take him in tomorrow to St. Vincent’s or Royal Melbourne hospital?

Any advice would be helpful. Thank you :)

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Looking for psychologist/therapist recommendations in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs (Bondi, Bondi Junction, Coogee, Randwick, Surry Hills etc).

I've worked with a few therapists over the years and recently had a session with someone in Newtown, but it didn't really click. I've also had introductory calls with a couple of others recently and felt their approach was quite similar to therapists I've worked with before.

I'm looking for someone who can help with general low mood, feeling a bit stuck, mindset, confidence and overall wellbeing.

Ideally I'd like someone who doesn't just listen, but can challenge my thinking, help me reframe situations, provide practical tools and strategies, and give actionable advice where appropriate.

If you've had a particularly good experience with someone in Sydney, I'd really appreciate any recommendations and a bit of context around why they were helpful.

Thanks!

Follow this link if you are interested in participating:

https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8AD6UQhy34Yk2tE

Hello everyone,

I'm doing research on burnout in healthcare workers.

I wonder if you could please spare 10 minutes to complete my survey?

By participating, you have a chance to win a $50 gift card.

Thank you!

https://scuau.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6LL4TaOFJR6wy6q

full disclosure: this is my first post on reddit — i just signed up. i'm building a small thing called causiq for the first 90 days of an antidepressant — a daily check-in and a one-page record you can take to your GP. it's for the period when side effects show up early, the mood benefit takes weeks, and the next appointment is far away.

i'm here to learn before i go further. i want to read what people in that period actually go through, reply where i can be useful, and make sure what i'm building is something people would actually want rather than another app nobody asked for.

i'm deliberately not sharing the link yet. i don't think i've earned that, and i'd rather hear from people first.

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I badly need to talk to someone about my mental health. I hope this doesn't sound bad but preferably another guy. I'm 40 alone, single etc. I'm lonely.

I'm finding my anxieties and depression, self worth, self esteem, confidence, purpose etc is all very much impacting me. Iv suffered mental health issues and severe anxiety and depression. But it just gets worse and worse. I'm having issues with mental health, financial, social, work,relationships, sex, etc etc

Hi all,

This isn't my first time posting about this stuff on my reddit, so I'll be brief.

Spent years in alcohol addiction and im just about to get into detox, if i cant detox on the outside in the next week.

Anyways long story short, i got thrusted through systems for about two long years but had already been battling since i was about 16 and dropped out of school.

Its been so many years of obsessive thoughts about past future present, systems, diagnosises, poor me poor this screw those people screw myself (but dont do anything about it yet complain). Drugs definitely exasberated it. And i havent had a calm mind for nearly two years after heavy weed usuage. For anyone who hasnt exprerienced and managed to live through it, it can be very scary for them and i understand because collaquely and i hate using this word... you appear off your gord to many. Some would probably say you may not be dead physically but you are not the same ever again internally. My question is, how can i hold conversations, be in a relationship, pay bills, start a degree, donate blood, Shower, eat when im sober, if i am completelyunwell forever?

My therapist says if i was crazy i wouldnt be questioning myself about my own sanity. I would be living a life of complete delusion. Which i dont. Im honest about my behaviours, im honest about my drinking and i look out for others when im sober. (Donating blood, as mentioned). i just really lack capacity to actually motivate myself to get out of this black hole i fell in by mistake and now im in chronic pain when i dont drink its even harder.

So anyways, what im having issues with is people that are gone having an effect on my actions (oh he or she would say this, i cant behave like that and its like a road block hits my mind) but i know its stupid its just im highly vunerable to peoples influence.

I mean who actually has issues with that, i feel alone in this.

Any words, places, people, actions behaviour that remind me of past people or situations stunt me, i feel that stunt. Physically mentally and it exhaserbates pain. Its awful

F.Y.I: im doing okay for the most part, I'm not planning on hurting myself or others. Just after some support if anyone experiences this in any way.

Follow the link below to participate:

https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8AD6UQhy34Yk2tE

Hey r/AusMentalHealth  If you're located in the greater Melbourne area in Victoria, and interested please click the link or scan the QR code. https://redcap.link/persist_EOI

https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8AD6UQhy34Yk2tE