Accessibility Tools
It's a sad reality that people living with a complex mental health issue will hear inappropriate comments, sometimes at a time when they are struggling.
A glib, flippant or offhand comment – whether born of ignorance, awkwardness, or arrogance – can cut to the bone and leave people questioning their place in the world.
So, what's the worst thing you can say to someone living with a complex mental health issue?
SANE mourns the passing of Jackie Crowe.
Jackie was a fearless and passionate advocate across so many mental health issues. She was an absolute champion in ensuring that people directly affected by mental ill-health were put in the design seat of programs and services.
The word 'recovery' can mean different things to different people.
Taken literally the Macquarie Dictionary says it's 'to regain a former (and better) state or condition'. But in the world of mental health recovery is more nuanced than this.
So to find out what recovery really means, we asked people living with mental illness what the word meant to them.
SANE's Spotlight on OCD page collects together our stories, blog posts, information and research about obsessive compulsive disorder.
But the internet is a big place, and there are a lot more terrific, useful resources out there. Here are ten, hand picked by our staff.
There's far more to borderline personality disorder (BPD) than the stereotypes, myths and misunderstandings that often exist.
People who live with BPD are ordinary people. People who are overcoming challenging symptoms, as well as stigma and discrimination.
So, to raise awareness and reduce stigma we asked the community what they wanted to know about BPD. These questions have been answered by people who live with BPD and the SANE Help Centre.
Every relationship has its ups and downs, but when one partner is diagnosed with a mental illness, it can add an extra pressure. When your carer is also your spouse, it is important for both partners to look after themselves and each other. Todd and Natalie have worked together to manage Todd's mental illness since he was first diagnosed six years ago.
When people think of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), soldiers with traumatic experiences of war and people who have lived through disasters often come to mind.
However, trauma can arise from a variety of situations, such as neglect, abuse, domestic violence or abandonment by the primary caregiver.
Awareness of Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is certainly growing.
The term is now commonplace in the Australian vernacular and characters with the disorder are regularly depicted on television and in the movies.
But do these adjectives, analogies and representations come close to depicting the experiences of people living with the disorder?
At SANE we receive many calls from people concerned that a loved one may be displaying symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD).
It's common for someone concerned about a family member or friend to want to learn as much as possible about BPD and confirm what is happening to their loved one.
On first impression bipolar disorder is easy to understand. It’s a disorder where a person experiences extreme mood changes, highs and lows, with periods of normality in between.
But, when we look further into the disorder, or we hear people talk about their experiences, it starts to get a little more complex, and the terms bipolar I and bipolar II emerge.