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. …
My name is Belinda, I’m 42 and I live in Canberra with my wife, Emily, and my Jack Russell-Maltese cross, Millie. As I type this, we are in lockdown and parkrun is on hiatus. It’s a conundrum in a sense that parkrun, for some people, is their major source of social interaction all week….
My mental health journey started at university with obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety, but this was 20 years ago when people didn’t talk about mental health. I lived this way for five years at uni followed by a two years backpacking, unsure of what was really going on. I settled down and got a job, met…
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…
When Mary comes to parkrun, she’s always got her assistance dog Roxy by her side. The Australian Army veteran and self-confessed “adrenaline junkie” started parkrun in February 2018 with Roxy, after she was medically discharged from the military due to a broken neck and PTS. Mary left her home state of Tasmania at…
Children’s Health Queensland’s Child and Youth Mental Health Service supports infants, children and young people up to the age of 18 years who have complex mental health needs, and their families. We spoke with Psychologists, a Clinical Nurse, Carer, Health/Education Link Worker, Social Worker, Consumer Carer Co-ordinator, Indigenous health Worker, Speech Pathologist and Child…
Last week I shared with you in some detail about my recent struggles with anxiety. It made me feel great to write this piece knowing that my story would most likely resonate with some of you and hopefully provide help to others who are also struggling with mental health conditions. Since then I have…
In 2019 I was in a dark place, and parkrun was one of the reasons I got through it all. I am a mum of two and my children take up most of my time! I enjoy doing Body Pump and Zumba classes at the gym, having a good laugh with friends and generally…
