Health insurance reform: With the hidden camera in psychiatry

C hristian Specht, born in 1969, is politically active and advocates for more opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in the media. Since 2017 he has been the first person with a disability on the board of Lebenshilfe Berlin. If he wants, he will draw us the “woodpecker of the week”.

This is about therapy. Many people need it and there are many different types, for example art therapy. But everyone is still trying to save money on this topic. This is bad for people who need therapy. The waiting lists are already so long. I was recently in a psychiatric hospital in Lichtenberg. They invited Lebenshilfe and me so that we could take a look and tell them what we thought of psychiatry. So we exchanged ideas.

People with disabilities are also in psychiatric hospitals and they often have different support needs. Many facilities are not well prepared for this. I don't think it's good for many people with disabilities in a psychiatric hospital. And some people can't even say that because they can't speak at all or not as well as I can. Where we were now there is a padded cell and also a room where people can be strapped to the bed if they become dangerous to themselves or others. But only with court permission! And when they have calmed down, they are released again.

The employees were all very nice, but I think there were too few staff. Maybe there needs to be a podcast about psychiatric hospitals so that everyone is better informed. There are some good ones, but also some bad ones.

I've had experiences with this myself. During the conversation they only ever talked to my supervisor, even though I was the patient. My supervisor was really angry about it too. I would actually like to do an internship in a psychiatric hospital. Or you can smuggle me in there with a hidden camera. Then I can talk to the patients and find out in secret what their mood is like. Protocol: Johannes Drosdowski