Something has to change
Mental health crises and conditions are at an all time high, with a system that's struggling to support the demands of this increase, and people suffering from an inability to access timely intervention.
I have lived experience navigating this expensive, and often ineffectual, system. I have also experienced loss of friends, family, and other people in my community who are casualties of a system under duress.
Something needs to change.
I have lifelong lived experience with mental illness. I know it intimately, and it has followed me and will continue to be with me throughout the rest of my life.
It's a scary experience trying to navigating a mental illness, especially when you're a young person with the additional stressors of education, work, growing up, and navigating the complexities of peer relationships. When you add onto this the stigma that continues to prevail around mental illness, and the difficulty to access relevant, timely, and adequate support and intervention - it can all feel insurmountable.
This doesn't have to be this way. Through awareness, candid and frequent conversation, and support through organisations like this, we can work to improve services and conditions for the young people of Australia.
