The SANE Blog

Depression is not feeling down for an hour out of your day. It's not something to be glorified. It's not beautiful.

Depression is being on the brink of tears because you dropped your glass of water. It’s not having the urge to clean up the mess, rather you fall on the floor and cry.

It’s been nearly three years since I lost my mind.

I had told people in the past that I’d lost my mind, but I didn’t know what I was talking about.

Since becoming a mental health advocate I’ve received a lot of uplifting messages. A very popular message I’ve received is that people are keeping me in their prayers, or they will pray for me.

Although I don’t believe in most of these people’s God, I appreciate it. I used to go to church, but I’ve found another religion that better suits my beliefs. Still, there is comfort in knowing people wish me well, and are praying for me. That’s kind.

There is a thin line with this though…

A few weeks ago I publicly shared my battle with depression and anxiety. The ‘black dog’ as Churchill dubbed it. At the time I felt the worst was over, that the future could very well be brighter, if a little bumpy, as is the way with this beast. But I was wrong.

Dear Me, Myself, & I

I am writing this letter to myself, to me, to you, in the hopes that you will read it on the day when depression rears its ugly head. When depression strikes and covers you in a black fog your brain has a funny way of forgetting everything you know, so this letter is here to remind you of all the things that you may forget.

I have Bipolar Disorder Type 1 and my husband has Bipolar Disorder Type 2. We’ve been married for 12 years and call ourselves Mr and Mrs Bipolar, in an affectionate way. But it's not always been an easy way. Not by a long shot.

It is so easy to disassociate, not only from each other, but from ourselves when things 'get too hard'. For me, I need more to live beyond 'just coping'. I want to thrive, rather than just survive. But on the bad days I'll settle with survive!

Living with a mental illness can be a daunting situation.

People often feel ashamed, alone, and totally misunderstood. Add to that the misperception and stigma of mental illness. This is particularly exacerbated for people who suffer from a severe mental illness.

Due to this misunderstanding and judgement, people are often categorised into 'the weirdo’ basket. What most people don't realise is that mental illness can affect anyone.

What is obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)? SANE spoke to Tim Hillier about his experience of OCD, the symptoms he encounters and his advice for others diagnosed with the disorder.

I've had obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) since I was about seven or eight years old.

I've had a lot of different symptoms throughout the years and I've read a lot about it.

People don't really see the seriousness and the impact that it has, I suppose it's seen as more of a quirk or a temporary behaviour.

'It's hard, they give you the option of Christmas day off, but thats no good to people who are flying in and out of there from places like Brisbane, Townsville and Tassie,' says Chris a FIFO mine supervisor with more than 30 years experience.

'What usually happens is a guy who is of an older or younger age will try and fill-in for a guy with two or three kids. But if that doesn't work-out, unfortunately you have to work, as mines don't close for the whole Christmas period.'

Chris and Laurel have been married for over 30 years, balancing family life while working out of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) mining sites. SANE's Mindful Employer asked them to share their journey and provide their tips for coping as a FIFO family.