from the "Consumer Voice" 1998.
by Allan Pinches, northern
area consumer consultant.
Or it is seen as a one-dimensional definition of a diverse group of people, which fails to recognise that we are whole people with lives apart from our illnesses, and that we contribute to our communities in a myriad of ways, often not recognised by an economic rationalist system, which mainly values people as units of perceived economic productivity.
People with mental health issues are among the most affected groups in society when it comes to this sort of reductionist thinking, which is blind to matters of intrinsic human worth and non-material values.
With our compassion for those who suffer, knowledge of social problems and often hard-won wisdom about possible solutions, we so-called "consumers" have a great deal to offer to the wider community...if only stigma can be overcome and people would listen. I believe we can gradually reclaim a valued place and role in society, helping to build a more humane, community- focused and sustainable social order. Clearly broader humanity needs its poets, artists, alternative thinkers and seers of visions.
For years we have all been grasping for alternative terms...client,
participant, resident, member...the latest is
"c/ s/ x movement", (consumer/ survivor/ ex patient.)...but its
hard to find a better or more functional term than "consumer."
However, despite the limitations and problems with the word "consumer" it does have an up-side.
For better or worse we live in times when economic rationalism and market driven competition policy have a strong influence over our social environment. (Not to mention the services which we allegedly "consume.") And within such a setting -- although tending to be socially harsh and uncaring -- the word "consumer" tends to align us with the wider "consumer rights"-- buyer beware" sort of consumer movement which Ralph Nader crusaded for in America since the 60s and now is enshrined in Australian governments' policy and legislation, and is often highlighted in the media.
Just as a consumer buying a secondhand car or some highly-prized whitegoods must carefully assess the product he or she is purchasing, a mental health consumer is well advised to critically evaluate the services being received -- "Am I being treated as a person, genuinely cared for and respected? Does this treatment or medication meet my individual needs? Does the treatment actually do the things it sets out to do? Do the benefits outweigh side-effects or problems? Are there alternatives that might work better? How can I clearly communicate what I want?" -- These questions are just some of those a discerning consumer might try to answer in accessing a service.
We don't have to just passively receive whatever services may be dished up: We can pick and choose and seek to influence the process. When enough of us are doing this, things can be expected to change, markedly for the better.
Clearly, the word "consumer" infers a whole range of rights -- and this can only be beneficial to the mental health consumer rights movement as we strive for services with better quality, equity, accessibility, and relevance, together with the right to information, choices, effective complaint resolution mechanisms, and having a say in making services better fit our expressed needs and wants, individually and collectively.
So next time you find yourself feeling rankled about the consumer
label, you can take some comfort that it is at least a word that the present
system can relate to in generally helpful ways, and should lead to gradual
improvements in mental health clinical and disability services. Initiatives
such as mainstreaming and de-institutionalisation, growth of disability
support services, the National Mental Health Strategy, suicide prevention
efforts , consumer consultants projects, and development of service standards
and outcome measures are proof of the value of a strong consumer focus.
Even if the word is a bit ugly!