‘Minister, I am begging you to help me’
17-year-old Cíara Molloy from Dublin felt she had no choice but to blog online about her struggle against depression. She then emailed the Department of Health and local news outlets, asking very publically "Where is my public servant?"
Imagine you're 17 years old entering your final year in school, whilst struggling with depression and anxiety. Imagine then, that in order to get the help you need, you have to publish an open letter to the Health Minister online.
This is Cíara Molloy's story. Cíara felt there were no options left but to go public with her struggle.
She had sought help through her local hospital and GP. The only assistance she received was a letter from a local primary care team, informing her that she could attend a 'stress control' course. However Cíara had requested an appointment with a psychologist. 'This is not helpful in the slightest. To my mind, this course and letter is simply a way for the HSE to wash their hands of me' – she wrote in her letter.
The course would last for 6 weeks, but it wasn’t group therapy. Moreover, the sessions would be on a Wednesday morning, during Cíara's school hours. “Minister, I am begging you to help me. Nobody else seems to want to, and the HSE appear to have washed their hands of me. Psychiatric care for teenagers in this country is a disgrace. There are no facilities. Unless you've attempted suicide, you can't even be seen by a counsellor. How is this fair?”
“I cannot afford to see a private counsellor. I can't afford to see a private dietician. Is the HSE simply going to let me rot because of my socio-economic class? I thought Ireland looked after its people.”
Following her blog entry, Cíara confirmed she had received a letter from the HSE informing her that she would be put on the list for adult help. She commented via twitter, “It’s not ideal, but better than nothing”.
