The Indigo Project: Sydney’s Boutique Mindfulness studio

 – MARY HOANG | FOUNDER AND HEAD PSYCHOLOGIST OF THE INDIGO PROJECT

“We believe you are enough. You have the tools to lead a life that’s brimming with meaning, purpose and happiness. But sometimes, you just need a little help getting there”   

Indigo Project began as a Psychological , alternative & holistic health service

in Sydney and recently they have expanded their horizons purchasing a new space and adding workshops, yoga, meditation and nap time sessions to name a few activities. 

 

In an era where Australians are experiencing increasingly stressful lifestyles and  rising mental health issues, Indigo Project is offering a safe oasis in the heart of the city. What makes them so special (and so rare) is the holistic approach of their service which goes far beyond  just therapy or just yoga. 

Here at Mind Your Head AUS  we are strong advocates for holistic treatment of mental health and that means stepping outside of singular treatment categories i.e. not only  using psychology or  medication , or exercise or meditation, instead using ALL of these things until you find the right combination for you as an individual. 

Mary Hoang, the founder and head psychologist of the Indigo Project set out to build a sanctuary for busy and stressed city siders to de-stress and practice some self-care. Hoang removes the lofty and sometimes pretentious barriers from the process of holistic therapy with her ‘keep it real’ approach  and no nonsense workshops on “ How to get your shit together” 

Hoang previously worked with  The Salvation Army’s Oasis Youth Support Network, a job where she discovered the powerful connection that mediums such as art, music and dance can play in therapy. She says ” I became passionate about a creative, down-to-earth approach to psychology.”

Many employers didn’t embrace the uniqueness of Hoang’s approach. “I had all these ideas like taking meditation into the corporate world and creating mindfulness workshops that incorporated music, but my bosses preferred to stick to their old-school ways,” she says.

In 2012, Hoang put everything on the line and with a huge leap of courage began developing her own business which she named after the concept of indigo children (a generation of individuals thought to have supernatural intuition, intelligence, and creativity). Here she set out to teach mindfulness in a more approachable and unique way. 

Picture : Yoga class at Indigo Project via Concrete Playground

The space offers something for everyone from Tea blending classes to Mindful photography and 8 week workshops. Hoang says  The only “requirement”, is a curious mind. “If you’re asking questions about how you can be more present and reduce your stress, we have something for you.”

You have nothing to lose so head down and check them out ! We certainly will be and we will be posting about each class and course we try so keep your eyes peeled !

SERVICES OFFERED 

Psychology  / Mindfulness Meditation  / Yoga Classes  / Naptime  / Workshops and courses 

Retreats  / Events / Practitioners

Mary Hoang : Leading a guided Meditation class Image via @concreteplayground.

The Indigo Project 

Location : 33 Foster Street, Surry Hills.

For more information and a class timetable, head to theindigoproject.com.au.

Article Via Concrete playground 

xX BB

List of 5 films about depression that aren’t depressing

In honour of Mental Health Month here are 5, feel good flicks about mental health. These are the kind of topical films that you can sit back and watch without going through a whole box of tissues (dont get me wrong I love a good movie cry); but sometimes you dont want to to walk away more depressed than when you started. I can solidly vouch for the greatness of all of these films especiallly Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, which happens to be my favorite movie of all time with Silver Linings playbook coming in a close second !

So get your comfy pants on, a cup of tea and a bowl of snacks, and settle in for a good old fashion movie marathon.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) 

 

Got any really bad memories you just wish you could scrub away? That’s the basic premise of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is set in the wake of a relationship breakup between Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet). Having a bleached clean brain might sound very nice (I would 100% get rid of that time I farted in a job interview), but the film shows us how if we never learn to live with our own mistakes and bad memories, we’ll never learn how to live with ourselves.

Young Adult (2012) 

You know the story about the mid-career professional who returns to her hometown to reunite with her high school sweetheart? You do? Not like Young Adult you don’t. Trust me. The movie centres on Mavis (Charlize Theron), a successful writer with a drinking problem who makes some really bad decisions and does some really awful things during what is obviously a psychologically painful part of her life. If you think Young Adultis all about heaping scorn on Mavis for being a bad person, you’re wrong (sorry). Instead, Young Adult asks us to care about Mavis, despite what she does, despite what she says, because it’s what she deserves.

Inside Out (2015) 

Neuroscientists love Inside Out, and for good reason: it makes bright and colourful the complex workings of the human mind and shows how emotions shape and guide our daily lives. In Inside Out, we spend time with five brightly coloured emotions who live in 11-year-old Riley’s brain: Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Joy (Amy Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). Through their dealings with one another, we get to discover that all emotions have a purpose and that no one emotion is categorically better than another (Joy gets a bit exhausting after a while, tbh). In other words, feeling sad sometimes is good because it helps us to understand what we

Silver Linings playbook (2012) 

Pat (Bradley Cooper) is back home after a court-ordered stay in a psychiatric facility. Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) is emerging from a self-destructive spiral following the death of her husband. With this intro, you might be forgiven for thinking Silver Linings Playbook is a very serious, very earnest “exploration” of psychological conditions. Instead, the film refuses to despair in the face of its characters’ crises. Even during their mad furies and deep sorrows, Pat and Tiffany still show us their human energy and soul, whose inclinations are always bending, at least in this film, towards the shared experience of joy.

The Skeleton Twins (2014) 

The Skeleton Twins begins with a suicide attempt being interrupted by a suicide attempt: the instant Maggie (Kristen Wiig) is ready to swallow a handful of sleeping pills, she receives a phone call from California, telling her that her estranged brother Milo (Bill Hader) is in hospital after slashing his wrists. The twins haven’t spoken in 10 years, but Maggie eventually (and not very enthusiastically) offers Milo a place to stay. It’s so, so nice watching the twins reconnect, but I think the best thing about The Skeleton Twins might be how effortlessly it moves between drama and comedy – it’s very, very funny but it also aches with sadness, loneliness and regret.

xX BB

Via Frankie Magazine: five films about depression that aren’t depressing

Why medication for mental illness should be viewed as one piece of the puzzle not the solution.

There are three main things that I want to talk about in relation to medication.

Firstly that it should be viewed as one piece in a puzzle of treatment, not as the single cure. Secondly that you should aim to use it as a short term solution not a long term answer. Thirdly, with point one and two being said taking medication should not be viewed with stigma. 

I suffered with severe anxiety for around 8 years before I really sought help, and it wasn’t until the last year that I finally began medication. I had always been strongly opposed to being on medication, and viewed it as a sign of mental weakness. 

With a strong family history of mental illness  (mainly depression) on both my parents sides  I had seen its effects first hand on the lives of loved ones. I had watched my pop (grandfather) take medication every day for well over 10 years.

When my anxiety began to shift into depression I became fearful and resistant of taking medication, scared that I would end up dependent for the rest of my life like my pop. I was scared of the idea that a chemical would be effecting my brain, altering my genuine thoughts and feelings and making me a more palatable version of myself. I feared the inauthenticity of it. 

Now looking back I almost laugh at that idea. Because it has been the opposite feeling for me. Medication gave me a window of opportunity, to remember who I was and what it felt like to live without crushing anxiety gripping my heart. It helped me remember what it felt like to wake up in the morning and stop counting the minutes until the day would be over again, how to get out of bed before 11am, how to eat food again and actually keep it down. My point is I had been living in a state of anxiety and depression for so long I had completely forgotten what life felt like before, and had therefore lost the belief it could ever feel that way again. 

When you finally have those old feelings again, those moments of laughter and elation, or calmness and clarity you slowly flex different muscles in your heart and mind and begin to re-train your brain to think differently. 

I remember the first day I took medication, I cried and cried after swallowing it, consumed by the belief that I had failed, and that I was weak. Even people close to me spoke about medication as though it was some dirty fix, it made me feel shameful. 

This is NOT OKAY. Every person is on their own mental health journey and it is not up to us to judge them. There is NOTHING WEAK about medication. It is a scaffolding that you can build around and when you are ready to stand on your own two feet you can remove the safety. But it is your choice and only you will know when you are ready for this. 

I want to round off by mentioning how important it is to see medication as only ONE aspect of your treatment. I have learnt the hard way that there is no easy fix. Mental illness cannot be treated with only band aid solutions (which medication ultimately is). As much as this is a cliche you MUST invest in your mind , body and soul. Everything effects your mental state, your exercise patterns, your food intake (this is a huge one) your thought patterns and ability to quiet your mind. When you start working with all these things together you start seeing long term changes . 

I hope you my experience has helped provide some insight into treatment. Don’t forget that you should never be ashamed of mental illness OR taking medication. Like any challenge mental illness can be the most transformative experience you will ever have. And if you approach it right it can change you for the better.

x X 

BB

5 Must read books for sufferers of anxiety and depression

This reading list is very personal to me, each book on it has helped me through certain times in my life when I needed it the most. The first book in particular was gifted to me by a very dear friend Geri, who also suffers from anxiety. I had just gotten out of a bad break up where I found out my partner had cheated on me and the experience severely triggered my anxiety and depression.

I found myself in constant memory loops that I couldn’t turn off. My anxiety was so bad that I could barely focus on anything or anyone. I would be in my head all day, to the point where I had to stop driving places after a particularly close call when I ran a red light at an intersection. It seemed impossible in those days to stay present.

I had insomnia at the time and I remember one sleepless night spotting the little yellow book on my bedside table. I spent hours reading the small book , meditatively following its instructions and feeling a sense of presentness and peace that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I would turn back to the first page reading Thich Nhat Hahn’s simple words

“Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. 

Breathing out, I know I am breathing out” 

And each time I remembered how to breathe again.

1. Thich Nhat Hanh : You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment

Thich Nhat Han is a buddhist monk, author, and meditation master, who translates Buddhist thought and practice into an accessible form.

This book examines the powerful practice of mindfulness and the ways that it can transform our lives.  He breaks the practice down into a number of simple steps including; awareness of  breathing and walking, deep listening, and skillful speech. The book also offers insight into emotional healing and on how to manifest loving and compassionate relationships with those around us.

“Mindfulness means being here, present, and totally alive. It is true freedom—and without this freedom, there is no happiness.”

“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.” –  Thich Nhat Hanh : You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment

2. Pema Chodron : The Places That Scare You 

 Pema Chödrön teaches us that in difficult times we can choose how to react and how to let the events we have been through shape us. She provides the tools to deal with the problems and difficulties that life throws our way. The book is broken down into points, sequential stepping stones to the end destination of Bodhichitta.

Bodhchitta is a state of enlightened heart and mind of compassion and truth. She teaches us that this state of openheartedness and tenderness lies beyond  fear.

The book teaches us to love the imperfections in our selves and others , master our ego and remain in the present moment.

“Each moment is an opportunity to make a fresh start.”

“When we touch the center of sorrow, when we sit with discomfort without trying to fix it, when we stay present to the pain of disapproval or betrayal and let it soften us, these are times that we connect with bohdichitta.” 

― Pema Chödrön, The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times

3. Paulo Coelho : The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho’s novel is one of the most loved tales around the world.  The story follows a young boy who leaves his home land in Spain and his life as Shepard behind as he embarks on a journey to Egypt in search of treasure. He meets many obstacles and characters along the way who all carry lessons. But what begins as a journey to find worldy possessions turns into a journey of self discovery and of what lies within.

This is a transformative book, enchanting in its simplicity and unforgettable in its message.

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

4. Brene Brown : Rising Strong

Brene Brown writes -the physics of vulnerability are simple: If we are brave enough often enough, we will fall. Sequel to her  #1 New York Times bestseller Daring Greatly Brown examines how to get back up when we have fallen. She claims that by owning our stories of disappointment, failure, and heartbreak we harness the power to write a daring new ending.

Struggle, Brené Brown writes, can be our greatest call to courage, and rising strong our clearest path to deeper meaning, wisdom, and hope.

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”
― Brené Brown, Rising Strong

 

5. Ekhart Tolle : The Power of Now : A guide to spiritual Enlightenment

One of the most famous spiritual guidance books of all time, Eckhart Tolle teaches us how to detach from our ego and reminds us how to be truely present.

Using accessible simple language and an easy question and answer format to guide us. This book has a transformative power and as cheesy as it sounds it can help you reassess the way you have been living your life.

 

“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.”
― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

 

I hope you find knowledge, solace, joy and new ideas in these books as I have.

x X

BB

Via Good Reads 

 

 

 

 

Student Minds Conference 2016: Students as Partners – Part 2 Our Solution

So in our last post on the Student Minds conference we discussed the University’s  problems with their current support framework for students with mental health issues. But its not very helpful for us to just point out negatives, which brings us to the second half of the conference. 

After some much needed refreshments we reconvened for the workshop portion of the event. We were asked to divide into groups mixed with students and workers and given large sheets of paper to come up with a step by step initiative for Students as partners. I presented the initiative ( I had a lot to say on the topic) to the rest of the conference and received a really positive reaction with multiple people approaching me later in the day. Below is a rough outline of what I said. 

Step 1 : Conduct a Q & A style forum where both students and staff have equal opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns to one another. 

Step 2 : Accessibility / Normalisation of Mental Health resilience/ mindfulness

• Continue with Curriculum re-newel to build student resilience and success 
• General education courses on mental resilience/ mindfulness should be made available for ALL university students not just the psychology department. 
• These courses could be offered (or compulsory) to students in their first year of university providing them with the best opportunity to maximise their studies and reduce stress levels.
• This could also be introduced in the form of a compulsory online tutorial ( similar to ELISE on Moodle) 
• Encourages the idea of self management 

Step 3 : Compulsory Mental health / First aid Training for lecturers, tutors, support staff.

This will help in a number of areas:

• Take some much needed pressure off overburdened support staff. 
• Reduce University drop out rates. 
• Build better relationships between students / teachers and academics. 
• Students shouldn’t have to be registered with disabilities in order for staff to take them seriously or show kindness / compassion. 
• May help ease problem of promoting help seeking support services that are too overwhelmed to assist. 

At the end of semester students could also fill in a CATEI type evaluation of their own mental health state. This way the university could gather regular much needed data , and even screen those struggling. 

These were just a few simple suggestions I came up with from the conference. There is still a huge amount of work to be done in this area. The conference was a great starting point for initiating  the conversation between students and staff and represents an opportunity to form meaningful connections and collaborate to create a safe and nurturing environment for both parties. 

X x

BB

Student Minds Conference 2016: Students as Partners

During the mid-semester break I attended a student run mental health conference at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) for Mind Your Head Australia . The theme of the day was ‘students as partners’, a fitting theme given that the conference itself was put together by the wonderful (student) initiative  Student Minds.

The conferences (as its theme suggests) looked at the importance of using  students as partners, specifically those who have been through or been touched by mental health services before, as they are able to provide invaluable insight and feedback for improvement of the universities current support systems.

This is an issue very dear to my heart as my own personal struggle with the University’s support system was a horrible experience and almost led to me dropping out of my studies permanently. Below is a mixture of points taken from the conference and personal observations about what needs to happen in the University.

The most glaringly obvious issue is lack of infrastructure, the university is under-resourced, under-funded and under-staffed. As a result an obvious burden is being placed on the few staff members that remain, this has a number of flow on effects. Firstly it means that staff often have to go ‘beyond the line of duty’ staying back and working long hours. Secondly it can mean that the quality of service being delivered to students suffers as staff are trying to accomodate for growing numbers of students seeking mental health assistance or disability registration. Thirdly and this one is probably the most important, students seeking help are getting turned away or wait listed ! This is simply unacceptable.

As we mentioned in a previous post Beyond blue state that 1 in 4 youths are experiencing mental health issues. With roughly  53, 400 students currently at UNSW that would mean an estimate of 13,370 current students may be affected and I can assure you that the University wouldn’t have the capabilities to deal with this if all of a sudden these students began actively seeking help (as we are ‘encouraged’ to do).

This places support staff in a difficult position, while they try to encourage student ‘help seeking behaviour’ they are cautious about doing so given the services current state of overwhelm. Deterring students who have built up the courage to help seek is simply not an option.  So what is the answer ?

The First speaker of the day, Ben Veness suggested one answer to this is partnerships with health services. This way the University could outsource their spill over and still be assured that students would be receive the treatment and support they need. I think this is a great solution in the short run, but it needs to be more than just handing a student a page full of websites and helplines (although that has its place). If a student has made the effort to try and see a advisor or councillor then they are often at a point of overwhelm and need assistance making the next steps. It should be a REQUIREMENT for Universities (especially expensive ones like UNSW) to provide students with this basic First aid.

Other major issues identified with the current system were :

1. The level of red tape and bureaucracy -> The difficulty this presents for student who are in need and at the end of their tether.
2. Problem of being palmed from one department to another i.e. the old ‘we cant help you but you should go to this department’ or the many people you need to see and documents you need to provide for extensions and extenuating circumstances.
3. The level of distrust and ignorance among lecturers and tutors about mental health. In an establishment full of staff that primarily deal with young adults ( a considerable amount of whom suffer mental health issues) it seems like a no brainer that staff should all be required to take basic mental health first aid. Teachers are all required to under go basic physical first aid qualifications, so why is mental first aid being so ignored? If the University was serious about fostering a better mental health environment they would make is compulsory for all teaching staff to undergo basic training. In the end it is the staff who are dealing with students on a day to day basis and it can have serious effects when they do not know how to handle sensitive situations or even recognise signs of a problem. Often this can result in students leaving University and drop out rates rising.

Photo: The Student Minds Conference at UNSW

Photo: Some of the amazing Student Minds Team 

 

 

How Brene Brown Changed the Conversation about Vulnerability Part 1

Brene Brown is an American academic turned bestselling author who rose to prominence after her  Ted talk on vulnerability (see below) went viral. Her talk argues that to live a full life requires courage – and showing courage means doing things that make you feel vulnerable. It quickly became one of the most successful Ted talks of all time racking up more than 27 million views, there is a reason for its successes. Brown warns us that in our search for perfection many of us have forgotten how to accept ourselves as we are and engage meaningfully with one another.

She claims one of our largest barriers is worthiness. We have this constant narrative of ‘I am not good enough’.  Her insights come after suffering what she herself calls a breakdown and her therapist calls a ‘spiritual awakening’. 

Brown explains that there is only one variable that separates the people who have a strong sense of love and belonging from the people who struggle for it. And it’s simply that the people who have a strong sense of love and belonging believe they’re worthy of it i.e the thing that is keeping us from connection, is our fear of unworthiness.

The other aspect ‘happy’ people had in common was a sense of courage but not courage in the sense we know it, more like the courage of authenticity to “tell the story of who you are with your whole heart”.The courage to be imperfect. 

“She explains “ They had the compassion to be kind to themselves first and then to others, because, as it turns out, we can’t practice compassion with other people if we can’t treat ourselves kindly. And they had connection… as a result of authenticity, they were willing to let go of who they thought they should be in order to be who they were. ” 

They fully embraced vulnerability. They believed that what made them vulnerable made them beautiful.  They took chances like being the first one to say “I love you” knowing they could be setting  themselves up for pain. It is the willingness to feel whatever needs to be felt.

Instead we run away from this. We numb vulnerability. Brown points out that the problem is you cannot be selective about what aspects you numb, so we end up blocking the other things like gratitude and happiness as well. This all makes us miserable and vulnerable again , so we reach for the next block…(drink, cigarette, destructive choice) and so we continue the dangerous cycle.  It is our job then to embrace our imperfection, to be authentic and to take responsibility.

So what does Brown say the answer to all this is ?  

“ To let ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen … to love with our whole hearts, even though there’s no guarantee — and that’s really hard,… to practice gratitude and joy in those moments of terror, when we’re wondering, “Can I love you this much? Can I believe in this this passionately? “ just to be able to stop and, instead of catastrophizing what might happen, to say, “I’m just so grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means I’m alive.” And the last, which I think is probably the most important, is to believe that we’re enough. Because when we work from a place, I believe, that says, “I’m enough” … then we stop screaming and start listening, we’re kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we’re kinder and gentler to ourselves.” 

I first saw these videos when I was ‘away’ in recovery after what I can only really describe as a nervous break down. During that time my psychiatrist set me the ‘homework’ of watching this Brene Brown video and it struck a huge chord with me. My emotional rawness had often been used against me and I had been attempting for a long time to stem the overwhelming tide of feelings that threatened to engulf me in as many dangerous ways as I could. Brown explained it all to me so well, I realised that the secret wasn’t detaching from your feelings or covering your self in armour to be strong. And life wasn’t about demanding nothing short of perfection from yourself but that the secret was kindness; for yourself and for others.

I hope you can take something worthwhile from this video too.

Video 1 : Vulnerability

 

Video 2: Shame (Couldn’t resist adding her follow up video too)

 

Her two most popular books :

x X  BB

World Mental Health Day Oct 10 2016

 

We have already mentioned October is mental health month. But we haven’t mentioned that October 10th is World Mental Health Day ! and to help raise awareness Mental Health Australia have encouraged all of us to make our own #MentalHealthPromise for 2016. 

Mental Health Australia is a national non-government organisation who represent and promote the interests of the Australian mental health sector. They are working in a number of different areas to promote mentally healthy communities, educate Australians on mental health issues, as well as conducting mental health research and helping to reform Australia’s mental health system.

Here at Mind your Head Aus our founder Bronte decided to head on over to their page and make a promise (see below).

Many of us who have made it through mental health struggles, want nothing more than to help others who are also struggling. This is when the experience of something painful can be turned into something worthwhile and even beautiful. It is SO important that as a community we come together to help share the knowledge we have. Lived experience is the most powerful we can have, and those who have been touched by mental health matters can provide empathetic insight and advice.

We also feel very passionate about preventative mental health. Too often mental health issues are only treated when they have reached a  critical level. The more we can teach mental resilience techniques from an early age the better; and the earlier we can encourage people to seek ‘help’ on their own the more likely we are to catch things before crisis point. That is why Mind Your Head is here to act as a directory to mental health resources, to share stories from people who have been there and to hopefully make your days a little easier.

So jump on over to the World Mental Health day website and pledge your #metalhealthpromise for 2016.

 

You can see some of the heart warming promises being made here .

xx

M Y H

 

 

Mental illness & Me : The Beginning

My most obvious experience with mental health issues began when I was in year 10 of high school. I was 16 and studying for my Higher school certificate exams when I began to realise that I was stressing to a level that none of my peers came close too. I would spend hours poring over notes, colour coding them and making them beautiful. I wasn’t sleeping, my eyes were blood shot and I was always on the verge of tears. I started isolating myself from my friends during these times. And I began having physical reactions more and more frequently where I would have moments of uncontrollable hot sweats that would wash over and drench me instantly.

The word ‘perfectionist’ was thrown around by my teachers constantly, a word that I loathed for what it did to me but took pride in what it meant to me. This may sound strange to you but for years and years I never understood the idea of not doing something to the absolute highest standard you are capable of. The idea of doing the bare minimum or even of doing just enough made me feel uneasy and anxious.

I started to feel myself falling into a category; the girl who was always stressed about something, running late to hand work in, and pulling all nighters to finish assignments. Socially I had no issues, I had wonderful friends I was socially confident and I had the most amazing family a person could ask for but I was plagued by my own self doubt never feeling ‘good enough’. I lived in fear that one day people would realise I was just hardworking not smart. Soon I started feeling like I was loosing control of my emotions and myself, growing less and less confidant about my abilities and my looks. I started channeling  my perfectionism into something new, something I could control, my body.

I had discovered something new to focus on, something I could actually control which made me feel powerful. It was the ability to skip meals. I would empty my lunch in the bin everyday or give it out to friends, when close friends were getting suspicious I would try and brush it away like it meant nothing to me.

At the end of the year I was feeling unhappy, I needed a change in my life and I needed more structure in my studies, I was spending ridiculous amounts of time pouring over my work. At the time I attended a ‘alternative education school’ which was very lax on rules and encouraged a lot of self motivation. I decided to make a huge move and go to a mainstream  private school on the north shore for my final two years of HSC, hopeful that a new environment would help me disrupt the patterns I was beginning to get stuck in. Little did I know that everything was about to get a whole lot worse…

To be continued…

 

x X

B B

 

 

Mental Health Month : Learn & Grow

It’s that time of year again!

Frightening as it may be we are already in October which means it is Mental Health Month in Australia!

Led by The Mental Health Commission of NSW and WayAhead  this years theme ‘Learn and Grow’  has two aims:

1. Encouraging people & communities to learn more about mental health
2. To use that knowledge to grow personally and take control of their mental wellbeing.

Given that a staggering 45% of Australians are affected by mental illness in their lifetime and that even more are indirectly affected through loved ones or friends, its hard to believe that so much stigma and confusion still surrounds such an important topic.

There are so many reasons why it is essential that people understand what mental illness looks like; to name a few:

• Early intervention and prevention as opposed to after-the-fact treatment.
• Decreasing stigma and shame associated with treatment.
• Encouraging help seeking behaviour.
• Allowing for bigger picture societal changes to better accommodate sufferers as well as effected loved ones.
• Better work place safety measures etc.

We could keep going forever ….but the point is that there is actually not a single downside and countless upsides to spreading mental health understanding and knowledge.

So during the month of October communities around Australia I will be hosting events focused on this theme !

Here is Mind Your Head Aus on RUOKAY DAY volunteering at the UNSW Student Minds stall.

Picture : Mind your Head AUS volunteering for RUOKAYDAY 

 

You can head here to see a detailed list of registered events.

And you can click here to download a Learn and Grow Factsheet.

Make sure to stay up to date with all the Mental health events this month by following us on our  Facebook page where we will be listing regular events !

x X BB