Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[waves]

I am so tired of the "recovery" being all about the families and the people who have mental illness.

There are serious issues within the overall community.

Right now the linkage of "terrorism" with "mental illness' is quite disturbing. 

and look at what is happening to youth detained in NT (Four Corner last night).

those people are sociopaths, yet they hold positions of responsibility.

so where is the mental health and the overall recovery for whom? How?

[Kisia]

And to answer your question. Recovering Our Families is a online training program which HelpingMinds has available to carers and family members of someone with a mental illness across Australia and in New Zealand. For many people its not until this course that we realise and give ourselves permission to be hurting too. To realise and validate how much we have been affected, given up and changed. Recovering our families looks at different topics each week for you. Not the person you care for. But YOU. How are YOU doing, How much hope to YOU have, etc. Through that we can look at how to heal as a whole family, group, communit, etc. And improve how we all interact. For my mum that meant I changed how I interacted and she then changed to be more respectful, understanding and supportive of me - as much as she could despite being still unwell.

[Kisia]

FOR INFO:
http://helpingminds.org.au/education-advocacy/recovering-our-families
FOR THE FLYER: http://www.helpingminds.org.au/images/13236_ROF_DL_Flyer_Revised_for_WEB.pdf

[waves]

Mental Health is commmunity health for all... which means we have to challenge poverty, homelessness, Islamaphobia, racism... a lot to take on.  but to think our families can achieve "mental health" on their own? Doubtful

[Shaz51]

Hello @Kisia, @NikNik

as a carer and wife , with all the mental health team that my husband  has been too over the years , only one person asked ¬How are you going to me ¬

and guess what I cryed

[Kisia]

Yes you are right in all of those points waves. I think most mental illnesses are symptoms of society often due to the poverty, homelessness, Islamaphobia, racisim, ect that you talk about. But every change happens somewhere. It may not happen as a whole family unit but as a group of people who are connected it might. I have seen the small but significant changes that can happen and continue to work on building that. It wont happen over night, in a year, or maybe 10 - but there are changes that can happen to a specific person over night. My mum for the first time EVER asked me how I was the other day. She commented that she had suddenly realised I always ask her how she is, and we talk about how she is but she never asked me how I am or talk about how I am doing. Small change but so powerful.

[Kisia]

Its so terrible but true! Do you mind if I ask what happened afterwards? Did they listen, did they help you get your own supports?

[NikNik]

Hi @waves

You're so spot on - stigma and other factors in the wider community does contribute to so many issues. I actually find it so overwhelming!

Tonight we're starting with what we can control in our own environment and those closest to us. But we totally recognise there are broader issues in our society that needs work to help families and their loved ones.

[Shaz51]

Hi @Kisia

For my mum  that meant I changed how I interacted and she then changed to be more respectful, understanding and supportive of me - as much as she could despite being still unwell. -- My husband has changed over the years

and I have too, earier years were soo hard , I have learnt a lot and I am still learning

[Kisia]

I remember counting the days it took for someone to ask if I was ok. It was always - "Hows your mum". Never "How are you?". To this day the only mental health worker who has actually stopped me to ask if I am getting support actually recommended where I now work. Its lovely to see tho.