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Our lead story on the website today is one of a woman and her family that decided to walk more than 1000 kilometres from Warialda to the steps of Parliament House and hand in a petition.
The petition came as a result of the death of a family member with severe mental illness just last year.
Why didn't they just drive there or mail it?
It's a sad reality, that in 2019, such a trek must be undertaken to make people notice and speak openly the severe lack of mental health treatment and care available to people in rural and regional Australia, Mudgee included.
Other recent editorials:
I was so moved listening to Libby talk about her nephew and David, his son, that I offered to host a copy of the paper petition at the Mudgee Guardian office in Perry Street, so if you're reading this and want to help, this is the best way you can.
It's wonderful how far we've come in the last decade in regards to removing the stigma and misinformation around mental illness.
It's often invisible and doesn't present any typical physical symptoms that someone can look at and see that you're unwell.
Even today, there are those out there that will undermine or minimise - intentionally or not - a person's mental health struggles.
Here's a brief list of things you shouldn't say or do:
- 'Just get over it'
- 'Have you tried mediation/walking?'
- 'It's your decision to get better'
- Referring to someone as their mental illness, ie: 'that bipolar guy'.
- Telling people who struggle that they are doing it for attention or drama.
What is most important is knowing that it is real, and it's one of our biggest killers.
It's fine to ask someone 'are you okay?' - but it's so much more important to know what to do if the person says 'no, I'm not okay'.
Mental illness is complex, varied and differs between people. So what works for someone won't necessarily work for another.
The best we can do is to support those in power that take mental health seriously and show that they care, it's not enough to promise better rural funding and never deliver or change the promise.
I really hope that in the next few years we can look back and celebrate the progress we've made with treatment for mental illness in Mudgee and regional Australia.
If you or anyone you know needs help:
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
- MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
- Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
- Headspace on 1800 650 890
- QLife on 1800 184 527