Alicia Hopper is a nurse that has always encouraged being open about mental health, but when it came to her own mental health, she initially struggled. Alicia describes how she came to terms with her mental health and got involved at parkrun to help manage it. In my mid-twenties I was diagnosed with clinical depression. It…
Bill Greenwood volunteers as a Run Director at Dubbo parkrun, and as a Crisis Support Officer. Bill, a retired detective and Vietnam veteran, explains why the two roles have become intertwined over the past four years, and how the simple act of coming to the park on a Saturday morning can have a profound…
The following article contains strong themes. If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, please call triple zero (000). 24-hour support is also available at Lifeline and Beyond Blue. I am a co-Event Director at a parkrun in Victoria. I live with general and social anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, severe depression and suicidal thoughts. …
I have always been open about my depression because it’s part of who I am. In the same way people learn to manage diabetes or high blood pressure, mental health is something you deal with. There’s no shame in it. Looking back, I certainly had periods of depression as a teenager and during my…
