Homelessness can happen to anyone, and for dean, it was a journey that tested his resilience and strength.
The SANE Blog
I grew up completely ‘normal’, or at least in my own narrow mind it was. I did what I wanted when I wanted, went places without physical challenges, social or emotional. Played community and school sports, performed in bands, productions – I was absolutely, “normal”. I had no true understanding or construct of disability - or so I thought. I thought that because I had no form of diagnosed disability, I was much like everyone else and everything in my life I was exposed to. I saw disability as, “different”. How wrong I was.
Therese is a passionate social work student and hiker who has worked in early education for over 20 years. She grew up with a father who had schizophrenia. Last week Therese spoke with SANE about her experience of living with someone with a complex mental illness, how things have evolved over time, and how talking about everything has helped.
If you've seen people diagnosed with bipolar disorder on the news, or in a movie, you might have an idea of what bipolar disorder involves. But did you know that there are different types of bipolar disorder, and it affects people in different ways?
This World Bipolar Day (March 30 2023), we’re focusing on the unique experiences of three people living with bipolar disorder – Matt, Holly and Alice. We talked to them about what they think is important for people to know about bipolar disorder.
This post originally appeared on Dr Deb Robert's blog here.
There is no one all ‘fixit’ for those who suffer from mental health conditions. I’ve searched far and wide since I was a teenager for a therapy that can give me a lasting reprieve from the bouts of anxiety and depression I have suffered from for most of my life. Whether my condition is a genetic predisposition or has developed from adverse experiences, I can’t conclude for certain but what I do know is that a combination of factors has contributed to my reality.
Traditional methods and farfetched therapies, I’ve explored them all. I’ve seen psychologists who provide Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and I’ve seen psychiatrists who provide psychotherapy and pharmaceuticals. I’ve explored Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). I’ve tried kinesiology, chiropractic work, osteopathy and naturopathy. Acupuncture, yoga, yoga therapy and massage therapy. Heck, I’ve even attempted equine therapy. But, nothing has provided sustainable, long-lasting relief.
Many of us, including me at times, have put barriers up to historically controversial therapies. One such therapy is Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT).
For a long time, I sided with societal prejudice about ECT, so my decision to try ECT was not an easy one.
As part of Be Kind to Your Mind, we asked young people who've lived with mental illness questions about their experience. Here's what they told us.
As part of Be Kind to Your Mind, we asked young people who've lived with mental illness questions about their experience. Here's what they told us.
As part of Be Kind to Your Mind, we asked young people who've lived with mental illness questions about their experience. Here's what they told us.
As part of Be Kind to Your Mind, we asked young people who've lived with mental illness questions about their experience. Here's what they told us.
On Thursday 28 March, Julia Young, Curator at The Dax Centre, sat down with four artists from their current exhibition—STIGMA: dismantled, revealed to talk about their experience of stigma, self expression and art making.
Once the audience had indulged in cheese platters and drinks, they gathered around Cornelia Selover’s oil on board artwork, The complex heaven of a broken mind, to hear Simon Crosbie, Lucy Hotchin, Kylie Steinhardt and artist in residence Jessie Brooks-Dowsett participate in a Q&A style panel conversation.
“What are your experiences of stigma, and how do you feel we can dismantle and reveal it?,” Julia asked the artists.
“I think my own self stigma was my biggest obstacle,” Kylie said.
“Emergency room stigma from doctors, nurses and the medical system is the worst. That’s the part of the stigma that gets in your soul,” Lucy added. “The whole idea of doing well whilst experiencing mental illness—you can actually be in a state of flux and still be doing well in life.”