Tackling the Challenge project |
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What is the Tackling the Challenge project? Tackling the Challenge: Talking Local Men’s Health is a project looking to make a lasting and positive impact on local men’s familiarity and interaction of men’s health issues through the telling of local men’s stories of thriving in times of hardship. Dealing with personal distress, crisis or challenges are things not typically spoken about by men. Tackling the Challenge aims to tell local men’s stories in the hope of tackling the challenge that is addressing the stigma of men speaking up on about their health. This hope is driven by a common goal that the telling of these stories will encourage other men to open a healthy discussion on men’s health as well as seeking any help and treatment they may require. Why are we doing it? Increasing numbers of men are experiencing major stressors in their lives which can have an impact on men’s physical, psychological and social health. The purpose of this project is to encourage other men to talk more openly about the personal problems they may be dealing with and to seek support. Men respond well to the stories of other men. Your story will be one that other men can relate to, is hopeful and encourages men to share their story and seek appropriate help. How you can help We are looking for men from the Wingecarribee who are willing to have an open discussion and share their story of recovery from personal distress, crisis or challenges. Our team will go through project details with you and if you are happy to, your story will then be taken by our understanding team members from WHAM and South Western Sydney Local Health District’s Mental Wellbeing team. These stories will then become part of our aim to drive towards better men’s health outcomes through campaign publications in the local media including newspapers, radio, social media and the web. Although anonymity cannot be guaranteed, to protect your privacy you are able to elect to use a pseudonym for this purpose. Please use the contact details below if you would like to be involved. For more information or to get involved contact: Brendan Bennett Mental Wellbeing Health Promotion Officer South Western Sydney Local Health District (02) 9616 4048 [email protected] Peter Van Dort Wingecarribee Community Health Centre (02) 4861 800 |
Andy’s challenging journey to find himself through resilience and recovery
Tanya Carabez
Tanya Carabez
This October is Mental Health Month, with this year’s theme being Share the Journey.
Andy Davies is one man eager to share his story of resilience and recovery. Working as a mechanic in an industry known for its blokey culture, Andy Davies always thought of himself as the alpha male provider who could down a few schooners and laugh off stressful times without the need to speak about stress or emotions.
So after going through a tough break up, losing a best mate to cancer and working long hours with long travel time, Andy threw himself into the only coping mechanisms he knew – avoiding his home environment with working longer hours. When Andy was at home, he often chose more isolated nights in with alcohol, takeaway and laying on the lounge with the TV.
Getting lost in the resulting fog of anxiety and depression, Andy had started to ‘genuinely not see himself’ and also retreated from friends and family.
Andy’s neighbours noticed this change in behaviour and used their observations to invite Andy over to share their concerns about his wellbeing. Andy was initially held back by the stigma of speaking up about his mental health, responded defensively and left.
Luckily Andy’s neighbours wouldn’t let him leave without Lifeline’s number, and after going home and having a good think about the evening’s conversation, he came to the conclusion that he did need to seek help. After calling Lifeline, Andy started making positive changes in his life and being honest with his vulnerabilities to combat his mental health.
He then arranged an appointment with his GP to speak about getting the help he needed. The GP referred him to a counsellor who gave him practical tools to take control of his mental health as well as pointing out that he was not alone, with one in five Australians experiencing a mental health condition in their lifetime.
As Andy began to rebuild his confidence in the months that followed in his recovery journey, he also started to take more time establishing a healthy routine for himself. This included healthier lifestyle choices such as: cutting down alcohol, eating healthily, exercising regularly, getting out into nature, listening to men’s mental health podcasts, reading and regularly using breathing and muscle relaxation techniques to keep himself in check.
Looking back on it all, Andy now knows that no matter what else, his life has improved due of his experiences and has come to terms with not always having to be strong or independent. He can now recognise the signs when he has been getting off track and uses his experience with his psychologist to take the time to practice self-care. Andy is now in a more supportive work environment and has become a champion for men’s health, mentoring friends and colleagues without feeling the stigma of speaking up about mental health.Andy’s advice to other men is always to ask for help and don’t be too proud to let people know you are struggling.
Andy Davies is one man eager to share his story of resilience and recovery. Working as a mechanic in an industry known for its blokey culture, Andy Davies always thought of himself as the alpha male provider who could down a few schooners and laugh off stressful times without the need to speak about stress or emotions.
So after going through a tough break up, losing a best mate to cancer and working long hours with long travel time, Andy threw himself into the only coping mechanisms he knew – avoiding his home environment with working longer hours. When Andy was at home, he often chose more isolated nights in with alcohol, takeaway and laying on the lounge with the TV.
Getting lost in the resulting fog of anxiety and depression, Andy had started to ‘genuinely not see himself’ and also retreated from friends and family.
Andy’s neighbours noticed this change in behaviour and used their observations to invite Andy over to share their concerns about his wellbeing. Andy was initially held back by the stigma of speaking up about his mental health, responded defensively and left.
Luckily Andy’s neighbours wouldn’t let him leave without Lifeline’s number, and after going home and having a good think about the evening’s conversation, he came to the conclusion that he did need to seek help. After calling Lifeline, Andy started making positive changes in his life and being honest with his vulnerabilities to combat his mental health.
He then arranged an appointment with his GP to speak about getting the help he needed. The GP referred him to a counsellor who gave him practical tools to take control of his mental health as well as pointing out that he was not alone, with one in five Australians experiencing a mental health condition in their lifetime.
As Andy began to rebuild his confidence in the months that followed in his recovery journey, he also started to take more time establishing a healthy routine for himself. This included healthier lifestyle choices such as: cutting down alcohol, eating healthily, exercising regularly, getting out into nature, listening to men’s mental health podcasts, reading and regularly using breathing and muscle relaxation techniques to keep himself in check.
Looking back on it all, Andy now knows that no matter what else, his life has improved due of his experiences and has come to terms with not always having to be strong or independent. He can now recognise the signs when he has been getting off track and uses his experience with his psychologist to take the time to practice self-care. Andy is now in a more supportive work environment and has become a champion for men’s health, mentoring friends and colleagues without feeling the stigma of speaking up about mental health.Andy’s advice to other men is always to ask for help and don’t be too proud to let people know you are struggling.
- Andy’s story is a part of the Tackling the Challenge Project, a collection of local men’s stories, highlighting men’s strengths, resilience and recovery. If you have a story to share and would like to be a part of the project, please contact Brendan Bennett on [email protected] or on 9616 4048. Further support can be provided by a GP or health professional. You can also contact Lifeline: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au
From Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to a new lease on life
Tanya Carabez .
It started with the click of a pistol. In the moment that followed which felt like an eternity, Matthew Fredericks* ran for his life. It was later found that a bullet had been fired through a window. Matthew was left shaken, but alive.
As a young father working at a boarding school in an idyllic quiet suburban community in the 1990s, Matthew could never have imagined the long journey of trauma and recovery his life was going to take after the events that unfolded on that fateful day.
Being woken up early one morning by the news that there were intruders heading towards the girls’ boarding house, Matthew had no hesitation in putting himself in the face of danger. Before arriving at the boarding house, Matthew learnt the men were armed. Despite this, he calmly approached the intruders and asked them to leave, to protect the almost 300 student boarders. To Matthew’s surprise, the intruders seemed to accept his instructions to leave and headed towards the exit.
As a strategy to watch the intruders leave and not to irritate them, Matthew bent over to do his shoe up as the intruders walked away. Unfortunately, Matthew’s relief was short lived as he heard a clicking sound coming from the men. He looked up and saw a gun pointed at him. The next thing he knew, Matthew was running for his life.
In the days and months that followed the incident, Matthew became increasingly anxious and stressed at work, which was compounded by distress at his employer’s immediate abuse and criticism of Matthew’s brave intervention. He was also under strict instruction to not disclose any details of the events, forcing Matthew to pretend nothing had happened when asked about the incident by staff and students.
Feeling as though the world was on his shoulders each time he returned to work after having time off, Matthew also began to experience physical health issues and intense panic attacks with stroke-like symptoms. These attacks led to a dramatic drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness with Matthew regularly passing out up to 20 times a day.
Matthew’s daily fight with his mental and physical health caused him to struggle at a job he was previously very good at, leading him to seek further medical help. He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, three years after the incident took place. To add to the stress of his situation, his employer then made him redundant.
At home, things weren’t going well either as Matthew’s wife’s behaviour changed; he experienced abuse and untrue allegations and witnessed his wife’s gambling problems while at home trying to focus on his recovery.
Matthew’s wife later left him, and although this brought some relief after the abuse he’d received, it did lead Matthew to reflect on the blur of the past 10 years and the depression and anxiety he had experienced since the incident. With his children now young adults, Matthew reflected on his struggles alone and started to experience severe depression and suicidal thoughts.
When Matthew was at a loss, he took himself straight to the nearest hospital emergency department and later called LifeLine. After doing this, he spoke of his feelings and experiences with his GP and learned of local services he could connect with. These services included a psychologist for Matthew who could provide appropriate support, to work through the strong thoughts and feelings he was experiencing.
As he worked with multiple psychologists over a period of several years, Matthew then tried to simply live life and adjusted his focus to his abilities and strengths prior to the incident, rather than focusing on the trauma.
After gaining weight over the previous 10 years and then coming off anti-depressants, Matthew decided enough was enough and aimed to get back to his original fitness level prior to the incident. Planning to get himself fit enough to play rugby again, a sport he loved, Matthew initially started with 4 sets of 3 sit-ups and push-ups each day for a week. He then worked to build this up over time, adding an additional repetition each week per set until he got to 200 push-ups, 460 sit-ups and 90 chin-ups each day. As Matthew got fitter, he also added new activities to the mix, including regular walking, running, swimming, cycling, motocross and road racing, sailing and kayaking.
After learning from the psychologist how to identify and catch negative thinking and triggers associated with his trauma, the power of sport opened a new avenue for Matthew’s recovery. With his regained fitness and success in rugby, Matthew found he thought less and less of his previous trauma, anxiety and depression and started to think ‘it’s good to be me’ and his thoughts took a positive turn.
With his new found lease of life, Matthew also started to delve deeper into his recovery and started attending a local men’s support group. It was in this group that he was able to openly share his feelings with other men and seek their help and opinions. He was able to identify the connection between his thoughts and behaviours and successfully started to separate his past experiences from his thinking patterns. Matthew’s involvement and enthusiasm eventually led him to co-facilitate the group. This developed into leading the group some weeks - all to help other men in their recovery.
Reflecting on his journey, Matthew came to the realisation that his wellbeing was far more important than any material item, as he identified how strong and caring he was as a person. He also now knew how crucial it was to prioritise his wellbeing to ensure he got the help he needed. Matthew realised there are better things in life to live for, which has allowed him to let go of his stigma. Matthew is now happily remarried and a great father and friend. He is going on to study psychology and hopes to continue to provide strength to help men living with mental illness.
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
- Matthew’s story is a part of the Tackling the Challenge Project, a collection of local men’s stories, highlighting men’s strengths, resilience and recovery. If you have a story to share and would like to be a part of the project, please contact Brendan Bennett on [email protected] or on 9616 4048. Further support can be provided by a GP or health professional. You can also contact Lifeline: 13 11 14
As a young father working at a boarding school in an idyllic quiet suburban community in the 1990s, Matthew could never have imagined the long journey of trauma and recovery his life was going to take after the events that unfolded on that fateful day.
Being woken up early one morning by the news that there were intruders heading towards the girls’ boarding house, Matthew had no hesitation in putting himself in the face of danger. Before arriving at the boarding house, Matthew learnt the men were armed. Despite this, he calmly approached the intruders and asked them to leave, to protect the almost 300 student boarders. To Matthew’s surprise, the intruders seemed to accept his instructions to leave and headed towards the exit.
As a strategy to watch the intruders leave and not to irritate them, Matthew bent over to do his shoe up as the intruders walked away. Unfortunately, Matthew’s relief was short lived as he heard a clicking sound coming from the men. He looked up and saw a gun pointed at him. The next thing he knew, Matthew was running for his life.
In the days and months that followed the incident, Matthew became increasingly anxious and stressed at work, which was compounded by distress at his employer’s immediate abuse and criticism of Matthew’s brave intervention. He was also under strict instruction to not disclose any details of the events, forcing Matthew to pretend nothing had happened when asked about the incident by staff and students.
Feeling as though the world was on his shoulders each time he returned to work after having time off, Matthew also began to experience physical health issues and intense panic attacks with stroke-like symptoms. These attacks led to a dramatic drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness with Matthew regularly passing out up to 20 times a day.
Matthew’s daily fight with his mental and physical health caused him to struggle at a job he was previously very good at, leading him to seek further medical help. He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, three years after the incident took place. To add to the stress of his situation, his employer then made him redundant.
At home, things weren’t going well either as Matthew’s wife’s behaviour changed; he experienced abuse and untrue allegations and witnessed his wife’s gambling problems while at home trying to focus on his recovery.
Matthew’s wife later left him, and although this brought some relief after the abuse he’d received, it did lead Matthew to reflect on the blur of the past 10 years and the depression and anxiety he had experienced since the incident. With his children now young adults, Matthew reflected on his struggles alone and started to experience severe depression and suicidal thoughts.
When Matthew was at a loss, he took himself straight to the nearest hospital emergency department and later called LifeLine. After doing this, he spoke of his feelings and experiences with his GP and learned of local services he could connect with. These services included a psychologist for Matthew who could provide appropriate support, to work through the strong thoughts and feelings he was experiencing.
As he worked with multiple psychologists over a period of several years, Matthew then tried to simply live life and adjusted his focus to his abilities and strengths prior to the incident, rather than focusing on the trauma.
After gaining weight over the previous 10 years and then coming off anti-depressants, Matthew decided enough was enough and aimed to get back to his original fitness level prior to the incident. Planning to get himself fit enough to play rugby again, a sport he loved, Matthew initially started with 4 sets of 3 sit-ups and push-ups each day for a week. He then worked to build this up over time, adding an additional repetition each week per set until he got to 200 push-ups, 460 sit-ups and 90 chin-ups each day. As Matthew got fitter, he also added new activities to the mix, including regular walking, running, swimming, cycling, motocross and road racing, sailing and kayaking.
After learning from the psychologist how to identify and catch negative thinking and triggers associated with his trauma, the power of sport opened a new avenue for Matthew’s recovery. With his regained fitness and success in rugby, Matthew found he thought less and less of his previous trauma, anxiety and depression and started to think ‘it’s good to be me’ and his thoughts took a positive turn.
With his new found lease of life, Matthew also started to delve deeper into his recovery and started attending a local men’s support group. It was in this group that he was able to openly share his feelings with other men and seek their help and opinions. He was able to identify the connection between his thoughts and behaviours and successfully started to separate his past experiences from his thinking patterns. Matthew’s involvement and enthusiasm eventually led him to co-facilitate the group. This developed into leading the group some weeks - all to help other men in their recovery.
Reflecting on his journey, Matthew came to the realisation that his wellbeing was far more important than any material item, as he identified how strong and caring he was as a person. He also now knew how crucial it was to prioritise his wellbeing to ensure he got the help he needed. Matthew realised there are better things in life to live for, which has allowed him to let go of his stigma. Matthew is now happily remarried and a great father and friend. He is going on to study psychology and hopes to continue to provide strength to help men living with mental illness.
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
- Matthew’s story is a part of the Tackling the Challenge Project, a collection of local men’s stories, highlighting men’s strengths, resilience and recovery. If you have a story to share and would like to be a part of the project, please contact Brendan Bennett on [email protected] or on 9616 4048. Further support can be provided by a GP or health professional. You can also contact Lifeline: 13 11 14
More to life than a diagnosis
Brendan Bennett
John felt relief when he was told he was unwell and had schizophrenia. There was finally some explanation for the thoughts, feelings and actions he had experienced for so long.
More than ten years previously, John suffered an injury to his shoulder on the job which stopped him from being able to work. Much like other men and women, John’s commitment to work was a big part of his life which brought satisfaction, enjoyment and connection to others but through circumstances beyond his control, this was quickly turned upside down.
Living with chronic pain caused by the injury, John found himself feeling increasingly isolated and lonely in his community with limited opportunities to connect with others. John had a growing sense of feeling unsafe and felt like he was being watched and targeted by his neighbour.
This gradual build-up of pressure gained momentum over two years and John was now feeling overwhelmed, paranoid and no longer comfortable to leave the house. John was at boiling point; feeling further confined and shut off from his community.
John knew he desperately needed to reach out for help but he didn’t know how or who to turn to. It was the first time in his life that John was experiencing something like this. He was feeling trapped and his mental health was at an all-time low. He knew he needed to reach out.
Luckily for John in this moment of vulnerability, his local real estate agent at a routine inspection saw that he needed a helping hand, expressed concern for his mental wellbeing and called an ambulance.
After John was taken to hospital, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He spent two weeks at an acute hospital-based mental health service that provides a place of safety and treatment for people with acute mental health needs. After the diagnosis, John experienced relief to ‘know that I wasn’t going stupid, that there was something else going on’, he explains.
John was released from hospital with the support of health and community services and he moved to the Southern Highlands to a new living environment with more options for community participation. In the years that followed, John had other visits to mental health services for support and coordination of his goals and needs towards recovery.
Working towards becoming well took hard work but he believes the information provided by his care coordinator and mental health workers was key to the success of his treatment. One therapeutic based course in particular helped John to understand and manage his experiences, to be more present, to reframe and choose new directions to take and to be ‘a lot less paranoid of what’s going on around me’, John explains.
As John navigated his recovery, a major part of this journey was his involvement in the local men’s shed and community gardens - ‘both groups look out for me and they have helped me develop as a person’. At the men’s shed, John was able to meet new people, learn new skills and teach other men woodworking techniques. It is a supportive environment that encourages mateship and members look out for one another. John is also a proud volunteer at the community garden, regularly providing visitor tours, helping with growing orchids and selling plants at the local market.
Looking back on his journey so far, John acknowledges it is better to seek support early and that there is plenty of help out there. He now lives in a welcoming community, with support flowing in both directions, both for John and by John. He wants the community to know, ‘there is life after a mental health diagnosis’.
John’s story is a part of the Tackling the Challenge Project, a collection of local men’s stories, highlighting men’s strengths, resilience and recovery. If you have a story to share and would like to be a part of the project, please contact Brendan Bennett on [email protected]. Further support can be provided by a GP or health professional. You can also contact Lifeline: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au
This week from June 10 -16 is National Men's Health Week, with this year's theme Keeping Boys and Men healthy.
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