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The SANE Blog

Let our community have peace of mind

Holly smiling, wearing purple hair and a green collared shirt

As we approach the end of Pride Month, SANE Peer Ambassadors Lisa and Holly chat about the brilliant and frustrating parts of Pride. They also reflect on the interaction between mental health and discrimination - how having to be vigilant of others’ reactions and assumptions takes a toll.

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'Nothing was ever your fault': living with PTSD and complex PTSD

Jess stands outside smiling with hands in pockets

Sophie and Jess, two SANE Peer Ambassadors, chat about living with PTSD and complex PTSD. They want everyone to know a meaningful life is possible, and they have hope and love for anyone going through post-traumatic symptoms. 

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When I came out

Sandy standing in front of window sill and looking calmly at the camera

This Pride Month, Peer Ambassador Sandy shares her experiences of falling in love, coming out and receiving mental health treatment over the years. She reflects on how attitudes to LGBTQIA+ people have shifted from dark and discriminatory to something more accepting.

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The patient-psychiatrist relationship: it's a matter of trust

Anita wearing bright pink and standing outside in front of a garden fence covered with vines

Anita is a SANE Peer Ambassador, mother, vet and writer who lives with Bipolar 1. From her experience of hospital and recovery, she reflects on the importance of a trusting and collaborative relationship with her psychiatrist.  

I don’t clearly remember the first time I met my psychiatrist. I was too sick.

My first encounter with mental illness was sudden and brutal. Psychosis swept in within a week of my first baby’s birth 14 years ago. That episode was the beginning of my bipolar 1 disorder.

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How I learnt it's ok to get help

Person looking down and smiling they are outside and sun is shining on them.

I grew up in a culture where many people don’t talk about mental health issues. So, it has always been hard to discuss my mental health journey with others.

However, having navigated challenges and stigma around mental health issues to get support, I would like to share what I've learnt so others know they are not alone.

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Coping with a sudden Victorian lockdown

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Feeling overwhelmed or upset by the news of a hard Victorian lockdown? We are too.

The snap three day lockdown we had in February was the first glimpse of our new valued freedom being interupted. The news today that we are going back into yet another hard lockdown at midnight may feel like deja vu and be hard to process.

For those of us living with complex mental health issues or with a history of trauma, the suddenness of this lockdown could be a trigger for mental health symptoms and high distress.

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‘Discover More’: The REAL reasons living with ‘schizophrenia’ is so challenging

Person from shoulders up with long blond hair smiling at camera. They are outside and there are trees in the background.

I thrive with my ‘diagnosis of schizophrenia’ but there are still challenges for me that I feel aren’t well understood by others.

So, what are the REAL reasons that my life with ‘a diagnosis of schizophrenia’ is so challenging?

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'Discover More': How my brothers’ experiences with schizophrenia sparked my decision to become an advocate.

Sarah is wearing a blue jumper and leaning against a stone wall smiling at the camera.
Sarah Sutton is a sister, a daughter, a psychologist, and a sibling carer for her two brothers, both diagnosed with schizophrenia. For over eight years, she’s been a passionate advocate for increased recognition of the work of carers and their unique lived experiences.

This Schizophrenia Awareness Week, Sarah invites others to ‘discover more’ about her invaluable experiences as a carer, as well as a SANE Peer Ambassador.

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‘Discover More’: the power of choir and community to expand horizons

Jenni and Niall standing in front of the Voices of Frankston banner at the Frankston Uniting Church

From singing alongside acrobats, community and acceptance, to improvement in mental health symptoms, Niall and Jenni chat about the empowerment that comes from ‘finding their voice’ in Voices of Frankston.

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'Discover More': how my husband's schizophrenia led me to Oxford University...twice!

Sandra is standing outside, smiling and wearing a patterned shirt. Sun is shining on her and the trees and plants behind her.

I eloped with my partner in November 1985, wearing huge ‘leg of mutton’ puff sleeves and listening to Starship’s ‘We built this city’. I worked in marketing and he was a registered nurse. He was funny, quirky, different and we were in love. We did what everyone was doing; buying a house, partying, dinners, birthdays, Christmas and in a blink, ten years had passed.

In 1998 our son was born, and everything seemed perfect. Seemed.

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