We are in the throws of Mental Health Month and someone posted these great calendars that might be of use. The website also has ones specifically aimed at young adults, famillies, older Australians and workplaces.
On another blog I read that the topic for 2021 is Mental Health in an Unequal World to highlight the struggle to access mental health services within class, race and disability. WHO has the slogan 'Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality'I will admit this is beyond my capability to write something useful and articulately encompassing the breadth of the issues there, especially in Australia at the moment. I do believe, however, that it's worth remembering if we strip the money out of Medicare on depression & other mental health issues then we can't help the majority of the people until their risk stressors become a full blown problem. It is better to help in preventative measures than come in after it has escalated. We can not afford to price mental health assistance out of the reach of the masses in this country. We have a crisis that needs to be addressed, and COVID issues has exacerbated that.
The lockdown has seen an increase in distress for all ages but also an increase in those seeking help and a decrease in suicide. So hopefully the stigma is being erased and the population is becoming better versed in recognising the signs and being able to provide adequate support. Black Dog has a series of webinars this month on Teen Mental Health, Mental Fitness and Breaking Down Depression. Timetable and Registration here.
October the 11th is International Coming Out Day. I know I've shared on this before but it's worth repeating, if someone has the courage to come out to you, the response should always be acceptance. Deal with your own issues about it privately. Follow the wise words of the magnificent Dolly Parton. Let's do our bit to reduce minority stress on those that are incomprehensibly still vulnerable in the 21st century.
If someone does come out to you, according to an episode of Sex Education I've yet to watch, you don't say 'Congratulations' but my question, is what do you say that is appropriate? A quick google found this article and I think it is a good reminder of what not to say. I'm not 100% sure about the second last point. If someone told me my career choice was going to make life hard for me, I'd react pretty badly so I think it would be fair if this was the same. It seems to be in the same vibe of 'she was asking for it because she was wearing a mini skirt' (or as a judge recently in a ruled in a Sydney assault case, 'her clothes were provoking the attacker' to punch her & another guy in the back of the head. The judge didn't say whether the man attacked from behind also had provocative clothes or if it was the woman's clothes still the cause of the second assault. I digress).
While I don't have the words, here are some celebratory ideas to let the person know you have their back. If a child, you can go out for rainbow cakes and celebration shakes or better yet, make a rainbow cake together, to show the child you love them just as much as before and nothing has changed in your relationship.
If an adult, Mr Consistent has a LBGT label, as part of it's census inclusion campaign & history month. Those that follow my Insta know I'm a huge fan of these mixers, so in my opinion with this you can't go wrong. Can also be used as a mocktail, or so I'm told.
If someone comes out trans or non-binary, then the teen series Pocket Change Collective has a few titles that might be of interest. This series also covers art, poetry, the environment and cooking. Worth checking out.
So even if you don't have the right words, you can still let the person know that you support them.
Lastly, I think this song nails it.
Hope you are having a great week, and if you aren't then let someone know. Everyone else, check in with your friends. It's tough out there.
Further Links:
These came in on an email from the Body Shop. Shout out to them for an excellent email. I don't know anything about these organisastions but at a glace, look good.
I saw this while dropping off some forms to the real estate agent. It sums up the Sydney lockdown vibe.
We have all hit lockdown fatigue. There was a good webinar out of Sydney Uni on it (focusing on young people and children), and the transcript will be up soon. It's worth checking out. I am apparently young too, because I recognised me in there a few times.
I am now mourning even that half life I was complaining about.
So get your vax, stay home and let's get back to the crappy old socially distanced, restricted numbers normal we had before.
If possible, buy takeaways (delivered) from your locals to keep them afloat.
Please note there is a trigger warning for suicide and depression.
A few weeks ago I went to a talk on financial stress and mental health put on at UTS with the Banksia Project, and as this government seems determined to put a good 60% of Australians under severe financial stress over the next decade, I thought I'd share a few tips. The main speakers were Brad Kane and Jamie Pride who told their personal experiences and the wisdom they'd gained from it. They both had been hugely fiscally successful, but it had come at a cost, crashing down with both their health and bank balance depleting to zero. In generously sharing their stories, it was easy to see how quickly this can happen to all of us.
In recent studies in Australia, 22% of employees are financially stressed. This will rise considerably over the next few years.
One of the key lessons was to look after yourself. Look at how much sleep you are getting. Consider how long you can sustain your current pace? Look at what you are doing to cope. Sometimes you have to do the opposite of what you want to do (not drink, don’t eat the junk, don’t go out and stay out late) - What you want to do when you are stressed is often counter intuitive to what is good for you. If you are doing unhealthy things to cope - drinking too much to be able to sleep or to relieve the stress, perhaps you need to reassess what you are doing in the first place. Get help when you need it - don't wait to hit rock bottom. MoneySmart on the Asic site has a free counselling service as well as a section on managing your debt (Note their second tip is get help if you need it). If your work place has EAP, EAP has a financial support branch too. It's not admitting failure, it's a positive proactive step. Consider it the same as seeing a doctor for a minor injury. The Growth Rooms of theThe Banksia Project helps get the skills in order before disaster hits, so you're better able to cope if it does. One of the speakers likened running a business the same as playing sport. Ask yourself 'How ‘match fit’ are you?' What was clear form the two stories, was that nothing was insurmountable., even being declared bankrupt or losing everything. It was also clear that early intervention would have avoided a lot of health issues. The rock bottom creeps up on you if you don't value capacity over capability. You might be able to keep the balls in the air for awhile, but if what you are doing is unsustainable, eventually you will physically or mentally collapse and it will all come crashing down. Realising things are getting out of control can save a lot of stress later on.
It is worth noting, 8 Australians take their life a day, and 6 of those are men. Another 240 will make an attempt. We are not okay as a nation. We have a responsibility to be vigilant of those around us. One of the speakers said he hadn't really thought about suicide but decided one day to leave the house and not return. That's how easily it can sneak up on you. One of the tips that applies to everyone was to think now of your three people that you would call in a disaster. Have that already in your mind so you don't need to think about who to talk to when you aren't thinking straight. Put Lifeline in your phone (13 11 14) so it's there as a contact and you know you ALWAYS have someone to call. Note Lifeline also has a 'chat' option and a text option if you can't quite voice the words out loud. One of the speakers made everyone put Lifeline in their phone. Because statistically, there were many of us in the audience that will one day need it. There is no shame in seeking help. When Brad Kane made the phone call to declare bankruptcy, he said it actually felt good, surprisingly. A weight lifted off him as someone else took control of the debt management. “Never let your ego get in the way of asking for help when in desperate need. We have all been helped at a point in our lives.” ― Edmond Mbiaka To finish, I want to thank the speakers for sharing some pretty tough and painful experiences for them, but to know that it will have been a survival guide to others. Seeking help and helping others are the two sides of the coin. As a nation let's keep sharing our experiences and reaching out when we need to, or we will all pay the price one way or other. Linking with #OpenSlather
