Adam Schwartz
Life Happens - Saying Our Last Goodbye

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.

Mental Health, Wellbeing
Adam Schwartz
Same-sex Marriage - How I feel isn't enough

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.

Mental Health
Adam Schwartz
International Nurses Day - From a life saved, ...

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.

School, Mental Health
Adam Schwartz
Graduating University - When you don't walk the ...

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.

Relationships, Mental Health, Family, Self Help, Wellbeing
Adam Schwartz
Dear Women...

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.

suicide prevention

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Top 10 Ways To Staying Healthy - Radio Interview Top Ten at 10 | alive 90.5

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Full interview below.

This week I had the privilege to speak with Ali Taylor. A very good friend of mine, radio host on alive 90.5, and CEO and creator of The Offical Top Ten Night, a charity organisation that directly supports Suicide Prevention Australia.

Discussing the top 10 ways to keeping healthy. Small, yet significant lifestyle changes anyone can incorporate into their lives, or to be more consciously aware of.

10. Exercise
9. Diet
8. Sleep
7. Professional support
6. Having something to look forward to

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RUOK Day | Who have you asked?

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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?”

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The change we can all make | #itsokaytotalk

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Photos can do a lot of things. They inspire, educate, shock us, and make us think. They capture beauty, evoke fear, happiness, sadness, hope, and love. They can be a mirror of what society values, and what we would rather ignore. They can capture what words simply cannot; after all, as the saying goes – “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

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So what do pictures have to do with mental health?

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Black Dog Institute & David Jones | Exercise your mood

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It's great to be a part of the campaign launched between Black Dog Institute and David Jones kicking off with #exerciseyourmood month.

Exercise is just one of the important lifestyle changes that can be made to improve overall well-being. It's one of the tools I still use to maintain both my physical and mental health.

Expert guidelines: Diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in emergency service workers

A world first occurred this week, and it didn't involve space travel, or a new species. No new records have been broken, and Taylor Swift hasn't released a new album.

This world first involves the people who risk their lives to keep us safe, day in and day out.

The Black Dog Institute and the University of New South Wales, alongside several of Australia's leading organisations and mental health professionals, have developed and released a set of guidelines specifically designed for emergency workers.

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Movember | 'Tis the season to be moe-y... Fa la la la la, la la la la

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November, for us in the southern part of the world summer is only around the corner, while up north the chills of winter are creeping in. Christmas decorations are starting to make their early appearance in shopping centres, and upper lips are starting to gain more and more hair as the days go by.

It's the glorious time of year that can only be known as Movember, and I finally got my act together and set up my page. Yay for organisation!

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Mum, I wish I was dead - A parents perspective | Mental As - ABC Radio - Jessica Bineth

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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.

Anne:

"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'."

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The road to recovery shouldn't be so dark | Niamh Slevin - The Australia Times GIVE magazine

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Mental illness is often an uncomfortable topic for many as people have a lack of understanding or cannot comprehend. It is essential to share the facts and talk openly about experiences in order to equip others with knowledge and fight the stigma attached to mental illness that directly impacts on those affected.

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“I told mum my heart is black, my body is full of anger and I want to die”

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Sad taboo: Can We Talk Newcastle forum brings dark subject of mental health and suicide to the light | The Sunday Telegraph

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Schwartz, now 25 and Taylor, 24, told their excruciatingly personal stories of mental ill-health at The Sunday Telegraph’s Can We Talk forum in Newcastle on Tuesday.

For both young people, the key to survival was finding the courage to tell their parents the truth about their feelings — and then trying several mental health professionals until they found one who ‘clicked’.

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Heads Up: Young Black Dog volunteers share their personal battles with mental health | ABC News

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I'm fortunate to be alongside 11 other amazing young people who have openly shared their stories, not just amongst friends, but to a national audience. For some, this may seem like a dream, however for others, it's the complete opposite; even acknowledging it within themselves, or being open with their loved ones can take years, let alone being ready to share with the country.

It is a true reflection on the recovery, strength, and wellness of all these individuals.

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