I’m pretty lucky, I had 27 years with 4 grandparents. By 28, I’ll still be lucky with 2.
July 14th, my anxiety was spiking as I was scheduled to sit my first law exam. Mum came home, tears in her eyes, I said “what’s wrong?”. She said “I don’t know if I should tell you”. “Just tell me”, I replied.
I would hope most of you are aware of the current same-sex marriage (SSM) postal vote; to be more specific, a plebiscite. A non-binding survey, used to gauge the position of the Australian electorate. The last national plebiscite was in 1977 to determine what our national song would be. The only other national plebiscites were in 1916, and 1917 regarding military service. Considering our current level of technology, the fact that this is neither mandatory, nor binding, as well as costing roughly $122 million, the question of why ‘bother with a plebiscite?’ is a reaction many have had.
Today is International Nurses Day. A day many of us wouldn’t know about.
I owe a lot to the nurses I’ve crossed paths with. In fact if any of us have ever had to experience the medical world and walk into a hospital either for ourselves, or a loved one, we owe more to the nurses we crossed paths with than we realise.
More gratitude, more appreciation, and more respect.
Graduating university; a significant achievement for some, an inevitability for others, and an impossibility for many.
I never imagined finishing university. Actually, that’s not entirely true.
Growing up, especially during high school, university was an inevitability for me. After all, that’s what you do, you go to high school, finish your exams, go to university and get a degree, and then get a job. That’s what we are taught to do, that’s the way the education system is structured. I never imaged any other path was realistic, let alone actually possible.
Today is international Women’s Day, and so to the women in my life...
Dear women,
If there’s anything I know it’s that you have had, and continue to have an immeasurable role in my life. I quite literally wouldn’t be here without you – in fact none of us would be.
Thank you for bringing me into this world, and more importantly for keeping me in it.
You have loved me when I was unlovable; you listened when no one else would.
Adam Schwartz was just 10 years old when depression took hold of him for the first time. He can remember describing the feeling to his mother, saying his heart was ‘black’ and his body ‘full of anger’.
...
“It was a huge weight off my shoulders. For so long I had felt like my depression was a choice,” Adam explains.
I received a call this afternoon from a friend of mine. She read my post about the importance of listening, and followed the links that provided tips on how to have a conversation about someone you’re concerned with. After asking “are you okay?” she was met with an “I’m fine”. When it was pushed, it was met with aggression.
She asked me:
“What can I do? How can I get someone I care for to acknowledge something isn’t right?”
As part of the ABC's Mental As programming, Jessica Bineth interviewed both mum and dad, to help give a parents perspective on my depression. It also sheds light on how a mental illness can affect more than just the sufferer.
"He called me into his room very upset one morning and said, 'mummy my heart is black, my body is full of anger and I wish I was dead'."
A few weeks ago I did an interview with the Black Dog Institute discussing my experience with suicide, suicidal thoughts and ideations, how I got to such a dark place, and the importance of hope.
It's mainly been used for educational purposes in a program that is being designed for GP's to better understand suicide.
Earlier today I had the pleasure of sitting alongside Dr. Arne Rubinstein and Joanne Fedler for the SJWF, moderated by Kim Slender.
We shared our insights to the general question 'Will the Kids be Alright?'. In the hour we managed to cover teenagers, technology, well-being, parenting, relationships, and communication. As it was a writers festival we all related back to our respective books. Arne's new book The Making of Men, Joanne's Love in the Time of Contempt, and my mum, i wish i was dead.
The Black Dog Institute hosts a series of monthly Expert Insight forums for GP's and professionals in mental health. It was a pleasure to be on the panel with Dr. Josephine Anderson, Dr. Yael Perry, and Dr. Lexine Stapinski, to have an open discussion about the latest research, technologies, and developments in adolescent mental health; moderated by Dr. Vered Gordon.
This is a personally signed copy.