Mental health is similar to any other health condition.
It’s a real thing.
COVID has shown how vulnerable we are to stress, isolation and depression.
On my mental health journey, I met many amazing people who supported my recovery. The one thing you need is hope. There are initiatives or services to support people with their mental health, but the most important thing is that genuine human interaction to tell people that there is hope.
“You’re gonna be all right. We are not giving up on you.”
You shouldn’t blame yourself.
There is a way out. You can go on to have a family, have a good career, have a good life, even if you have struggled with your mental health.
My experience is a big motivation for me to help others and improve our mental health system. I run my own mental health initiative “With Hope We Can”.
My work in supporting people and fighting stigma around mental health led to my nomination as Anglicare SA volunteer of the year (2019), and a final nominee for the City of Marion’s Australia Day Citizen of the Year award for 2 years in a row (2019 and 2020).
I am also a member of the Lived Experience Advisory Group at the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist and the governance committee in the newly established Urgent Mental Health Care Centre in Adelaide.
I honestly believe we all look at mental health from the same wrong lens, which is shame and stigma. We associate it with many other toxic views. People who have mental health struggles face a daily battle to prove themselves that they belong in the community.
We are a compassionate nation, we believe in a fair go for everyone, but we need more initiatives to educate the community around mental health. It will take time and sacrifices, but I’m highly optimistic about the future of mental health in Australia.
