Brooke

My why

For 20 hours, I will be stepping away from the noise — no talking, no technology — just me and my thoughts. I’m doing this for mental health. For my own, for my family’s, and for the countless other lives that have been affected, lost, or forever changed by mental illness.

As well as hundreds of others, My family has felt the deep, lasting impact of mental health struggles. We’ve lost friends and loved ones to suicide, to alcohol abuse, to overdoses — lives gone too soon, and pain that runs deep. These losses aren’t just statistics. They’re names, faces, memories — people we loved.

This silence is for them.

It's a way to honor their memory, to sit with the pain, and to push myself into a space of reflection and resilience. I want to show that I can face my thoughts head-on, without distractions. I want to raise awareness and be a voice for those who no longer have one.

In order to raise funds for mental health charity 20Talk, I'm going to take on the challenge of sitting in a 2 metre square box for 20 hours with no technology and no talking. This challenge will be a small look into the day of someone struggling with mental health and how alone one can feel. All I have is my own thoughts, a journal and a chair to sit on. This cause is one that hits home, I’ve been exposed to mental health impact since I was born through family and unfortunately loosing one friend to sui##de

So why am I doing this?

To step into someone shoes, to challenge myself and to be uncomfortable for a good cause. We have all been touched in some way or another by the reality of mental health, personally, with friends or family.  It can be a dark, lonely, and confronting time for those dealing and seeing those around you struggling. 

Structurally, the statistics are still alarming..

• Suicide still remains the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-44. 
• Only 2% of mental health funding goes towards prevention (Mental Health Commission 2022)

I'm completing the 20 Hours for 20Talk to turn these statistics around and raise awareness. Your contribution goes towards 20Talk's relatable prevention campaigns. They are a mental health charity that makes education cool and accessible, for young people by young people. They work for prevention and to act on people 18-30 before the mental health impacts them. 

Your generous donations go towards:

• Every $300 puts a young person through a two-day Mental Health First Aid course
• Expanding 20Talk's online resources and 60,000+ social media community
• Running large-scale interactive mental health events

By improving mental health literacy, removing the harmful stigma, and encouraging professional help-seeking we are preventing people from getting people into crisis in the first place.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post and for hopefully donating to the cause. Hopefully this small challenge can help change someone’s life, that person may be someone in your life, a neighbour, colleague or family member.

If you ever need to chat, I’m always open to listen and help when someone needs! 

Love you all and thanks again!