Over the years I have found it extremely discouraging when searching for Mental Health Help Resources on the Internet and since I have decades of experience in working with computers, A Diploma in IT Systems Administration and a Degree in Multi Media, it makes it all the more apparent that the average person has even less chance of quickly and effortlessly locating any genuinely helpful resources on the internet for people living with the effects of Mental Illness.
Oh sure you will find site after site of government funded organisations but most of them appear to be designed for people working within the Mental Health sector. Many people have limited computers and internet skills but these sites don’t reflex that situation and are not user friendly. They are often confusing and written in an impersonal, clinical manner. The Site navigation is all over the place and it is often difficult to find what you are looking for. A final frustration is when you think you have located a helpful resource and you click on the link, email, etc and it doesn’t even work.
I find it frustrating when sites lump in support documentation for people with Mental Illness with support documentation developed for people working within the Mental Health sector. When I stumble onto posts teaching workers how to deal with my kind, the Mentally Ill, it can be most upsetting, you would be surprised at the way they talk about some of us. Even though I am aware that this type of information is necessary to help Mental Health Workers, it should be located on its own site.
Obviously there are some good sites out there, which have been designed specifically for people with mental illness and/or other more specific disorders. I recommend that when you are searching for help about your Mental Health, be specific, rather then doing a search for Mental Health Help Australia, name your condition if you can, for example, if you have Depression, include the word depression in your search.
We are living in a world where most people have access to the internet and many people who experience the isolation associated to their mental illness, will often turn to the Internet as a source of release or companionship. I find using computers and the Internet a great way to distance myself from my troubled mind, but searching online for help can quickly become extremely distressing as you become more lost on the way.
Sites I would recommend:
http://www.headspace.org.au/ – Helping young people with Mental Health Issues
http://www.beyondblue.org.au/ – Helping people with Depression
http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome – Helping people with Depression
http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/index.cfm – Helping people with Depression
