Patrick O’Connor

Patrick O’Connor is a former financial services executive, who is now a human rights advocate with lived experience in managing severe mental illness. After being diagnosed with complex PTSD, MDD and severe anxiety shortly after his 40th birthday, he immediately retired to focus full time on treating his conditions. 5 years after navigating the Australian mental health system, Patrick moved to the US to access treatments not available in Australia. These treatments includes intravenous Ketamine infusions for depression, psychedelics and medical cannabis for anxiety. In the financial services sector, he is well known for his campaigning for the improvement in the treatment of people on mental illness insurance claims. He was an integral part of the Banking & Finance Royal Commission that uncovered systemic failures in this area. After 3 years of research, and at a cost of over $300,000, in 2020 Patrick published a report titled Prescribed Deaths – Life in the Killing Zone. Written with the assistance of doctors from Harvard and Yale, the report details the systemic issues with prescription medications in Australia. The report was the core part of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s first complaint against the Commonwealth of Australia, for alleged human rights violations due to prescription medications. Patrick is currently working with members of Federal Parliament and the media, to bring some of the reports recommendations to action.