Wow, I can’t believe that it’s the end of October already. That of course means that it’s the end of the mental health month focus here on the blog. I know that must seem strange, because my blog is primarily about mental health, but I took this month to write about nothing but mental health. There was more of the mental health and less of the ‘parenting and everything in between’.
As part of ABC’s Mental As Week there was an inside look into Sydney’s busiest public mental health unit in a documentary called Changing Minds. The documentary followed patients and their loved ones, during their stay in the psychiatric inpatient unit. It was the first of it’s kind, allowing the cameras access to therapy sessions, tribunal meetings and behind the locked doors of a high dependency unit.
*The following post contains triggering information. Please ensure that you are in a safe place before reading. If you need help please call Lifeline 13 11 14 or speak with someone you trust*
Some days it can be hard to live in a world that seems hell bent on throwing triggers in your face. A trigger is an object, sound, smell or even person that your mind links with a negative or painful experience. Every day people are faced with things that remind them of people they know, or experiences they’ve had. However it starts to get problematic when you link those reminders with something that you wish to avoid.
‘You’re so brave’ is a phrase I hear often when I share my personal stories of dealing with mental illness. People believe that I am brave for speaking up, and I believe that other people are brave for sharing their stories. However I struggle when it comes to myself, I don’t feel brave.
Last week I read this post about justification. It really struck a cord with me and rather than leave the poor woman with a giant novel of a comment I decided to nut my thoughts out here. To give a little background on the post, she noticed that people are finding they have to justify their decisions on social media.