Yep, I’m in a mental health state of mind. Last week was National Mental Health Week. Upon learning this (mostly through the amazing coverage by the ABC during the week) my thoughts have been consumed by the complexity of this topic. Illness, stigma, disease, access, reaching out, not reaching out, lack of support; my mind…
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DISCLAIMER: This article is written only from my own experiences and is not meant to represent other people’s experiences of ableism, transmisogyny, sexual assault, or other experiences. Trigger Warnings: Rape, sexual assault. A lot of people look up to people who appear to be struggling with life, as if they are inspirational in some…
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This week, the ABC has devoted lots of airtime to bringing mental illness into the spotlight. Titled ‘Mental As’, the suite of programming coincides with Mental Health Week and is all about removing the stigma from illnesses that are not always physically apparent, yet can be truly debilitating. On Wednesday night, viewers were treated to…
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Author’s Note: Please remember while reading this that these are my own personal thoughts and experiences and they do not represent everyone with a diagnosis of BPD. Please follow the links provided for more information. Writing a concise piece on a very misunderstood and stigmatised mental illness is no easy feat. When you speak…
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I’m incredibly proud that addressing mental health issues with programs such as this week’s Mental Health Week in support of World Mental Health Day, and ABC’S Mental As, a week of TV, radio, and online programming dedicated to dismantling the stigmas surrounding mental health, has now become an everyday norm. It’s very difficult now to…
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October 10 is World Mental Health Day, so this week (October 5-12) we are observing National Mental Health Week in Australia. In light of this, guest writer, Jaen Wilson joins us to answer some FAQs about what ‘seeking help’ means and how to go about it. There has been a lot of great public discussion lately around depression, suicide,…
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This week (5 – 10 October) is Mental Health Week in Australia. You can find various events happening around Oz by checking out websites such as this one for Victoria, and this one for Western Australia. This is in support of world Mental Health Day, which takes place on 10 October every year. For…
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Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and this year’s theme is ‘Suicide Prevention: One World Connected.’ In a world where we are constantly trying to stay connected via our iPhones and Twitter pages, we have seen an increase in depression, anxiety and suicide rates worldwide. Which begs the question: how connected are we really? My…
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This week I had a striking encounter with a guy who was up in arms about the media outpouring over Robin William’s death. His feelings were made apparent in the context of a lack of media coverage over unarmed members of the African American community being killed by police in the U.S, which has received…
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Today is International Youth Day. From the UN website, International Youth Day is a chance for ‘youth around the world to organise activities to raise awareness about the situation of youth in their country’. With 20% of youth worldwide experiencing a mental health condition, the theme for this year is ‘Youth and Mental Health’ under…
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When public figures like Ian Thorpe, Demi Lovato, and Catherine Zeta-Jones speak out about their struggles with depression and depressive disorders, it can be discouraging to find so many myths and misunderstandings about this illness still perpetrated in our society. Depression and other depressive disorders occur in 1 in 5 women and 1 in 8…
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Throughout high school, I would become physically ill every term just before everything was due. Sometimes just before only one assignment was due which meant I’d get sick a few times a term. I went through high school with a myriad of doctor’s notes trailing behind me. There was always a polite letter to excuse…
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Television personality Charlotte Dawson, whose death by suicide in late-February caused a wave of shock through the Australian public, is not the first person to fall victim to cyberbullying – and she probably won’t be the last. But it was her high-profile battle with online trolls and her subsequent death that brought the issue of…
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The Victorian Disability Sector Awards (supported by the Victorian Government Department of Human Services) were designed to ‘celebrate the achievements of individuals, teams, organisations and businesses assisting people with disabilities to achieve their personal goals.’ However, the Awards have previously not accepted nominations for people who suffer mental illness. Not realising this, in 2012 I…
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