‘Oh my gosh, that’s what I’m going through right now.’
SAMHC Weekly Blogger:
Belinda Brown
Senior Project Officer, Lived Experience Workforce Project
Mental Health Coalition of South Australia
In 2006, after a career in the baking industry in which I was a full time TAFE Lecturer, I moved into the non-government organisation mental health sector to take up a training development opportunity.
The BCSA/MIFSA Peer Work Project was tasked with developing training for a relatively new role in mental health – Peer Work. Effective Peer Workers are professionally trained to support recovery in others and improve service delivery, by drawing purposefully and skilfully from their lived experience of mental illness and recovery (as a consumer or carer).
It was during delivery of one of the early courses that I heard the stories of two amazing women, who had both experienced perinatal mental health issues.
As I listened to them sharing safely and purposefully, it hit me: ‘Oh my gosh – this is what I’m going through right now!’
I gave birth to my beautiful son in 2005 and from early in pregnancy, I knew things weren’t right.
“I was trying to appear to my husband and everyone around me that I was happy, healthy and coping beautifully. The truth was far from it.”
I had an inkling it may be mental illness but reassurances from a well-meaning nurse had convinced me that it was just the baby blues and would pass.
Things were incredibly difficult to manage. I was juggling a baby, house, working almost full-time and all the while trying to appear to my husband and everyone around me that I was happy, healthy and coping beautifully. The truth was far from it.
There is hope…
Hearing those stories was the first step in realising that recovery was possible. That a person experiencing mental illness could have choice, control and live a meaningful life.
I tentatively spoke with people who had been through similar experiences, gathered information and researched support options. It was a few months later, when my resilience had been completely depleted and I was at my worst, that I finally asked for help and never looked back.
I consider myself privileged to have worked with in the non-government mental health sector for the past 11 and a half years, developing and utilising my unique lived experience skill set.
Learning from lived experience
I often tell people that I never would have chosen mental illness (who would?) but the reality is, as dark and hard as it got, I am a better person for having been through it.
The experience has taught me:
- There is always hope, even when I can’t see it
- Mental illness is one part of my life, not all of it
- I had the strength to get through. These strengths are valuable to myself and others
- To look at others and ask, “What’s happening for you?” rather than “What’s wrong with you?”
- It is vital to look after my overall health and wellbeing
And my greatest lesson:
I can’t change or control situations, events or other people. I can only control the way I respond to them.
Managing my mental health and wellbeing
For me, these two concepts are inextricably linked.
After initial diagnoses of Perinatal Anxiety and Postnatal Depression, exploration with my health professionals resulted in an additional diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder, present since childhood. This is something I manage day-to-day.
‘I’ve learnt to be flexible and adaptable, responding to times when life gets in the way.’
Developing strategies can be overwhelming. It took time to try things, discard or adapt them and experiment with routines until I found things that have a positive impact on my wellbeing. I’ve learnt to be flexible and adaptable, responding to times when life gets in the way.
Strategies that I use to help maintain my wellbeing and build my resilience include:
- Physical: healthy food and portion sizes, occasional treats, lots of cycling – challenging myself physically and mentally with the hills of the beautiful Southern Vales!
- Mental: practising Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, meaningful employment, time out to relax, spending time with my son and exercising my inner child (we love Star Wars and Lego!) Being creative, practising mindfulness when I’m out cycling. And as I live and breathe mental health at work and home, getting away from it for a while is helpful.
- Spiritual: ensuring my beliefs and values are at the forefront of everything I do in life.
- Social and emotional: family, friends, and community. Connecting with others who have similar values gives me a sense of belonging, value, worth, self-esteem, feeling loved and giving love.
The Lived Experience Workforce
In SA, Lived Experience (Peer) Workers work within the government or non-government sector and fulfil a variety of roles. While a lived experience of mental health issues and recovery is the common essential criterion, the actual title, position description, duties and workplace experience varies. For example, Lived Experience Workers may:
- Work in psychosocial rehabilitation (non-clinical) or within clinical mental health services
- Perform a one-to-one support role, helping facilitate recovery in others
- Develop and deliver training, run groups and programs
- Share their story for the purposes of community education
- Work in project or policy development, consultancy, leadership or advocacy roles
“If I had met a Peer Worker in the early days of my diagnosis, ten years of my life would not have been lost.” One of the Introduction to Peer Work course students in 2006 made this statement. There is research and evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of peer work but nothing says it quite as powerfully as the voice of someone who has experienced it. I too can speak from experience; had I not heard those two stories, I may not be here at all.
As I said earlier, I feel so privileged to be in a role that values lived experience as my main essential skill set. To have been able to train peer workers, become one and now be in a leadership role is an incredible honour.
My hope for everyone touched by mental health issues is that you too have the opportunity to meet a Peer Worker. You will never be the same.
By Belinda Brown
Senior Project Officer, Lived Experience Workforce Project
Mental Health Coalition of South Australia
Belinda is the Senior Project Officer for the Mental Health Coalition of SA’s NGO Lived Experience Workforce Project (LEWP). Joining the NGO Mental Health sector in 2006, Belinda’s expertise in Adult and Vocational Education was invaluable in the development of SA’s first Mental Health Peer Work training program and the pilot Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work. Belinda uses her lived experience skillset to train, inspire and support others, providing hope that a life in which mental illness is one part, not the whole, is possible.
SAMHC Special Weekly Bloggers
