We need to talk about mental health and not stop
FOR years, Trei Stewart struggled alone with his mental health. The secret to making it out the other side, he writes, is to talk about it, and not stop.
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PEOPLE living with mental health issues aren’t just another statistic — they just need a chance.
Some of my life experiences have been pretty f**king tough.
As a child, I was removed from my family and separated from my siblings. For nearly three years, I lived day-by-day couch surfing, trying to find a place to stay.
I fell out of school by the time I got to Year 10. I was experimenting with drugs, which had a really negative impact on my mental health. When I left school, that addiction followed me and left me unable to support myself. I never had a job and I just found ways of finding money to support my habit.
I grew up moving from place to place, and didn’t have anyone consistently taking care of me. I didn’t have a stable life — I was always here, there and everywhere.
But having these experiences as a young person has given me a lot of empathy for other people and insight into the lives of others. While it might be easier to leave my past behind, I know I can help others with all the lessons I’ve learnt along my way.
A lot of kids across the country are thinking, “this is it, this is what I’m going to live like for the rest of my life.”
They think they need to suck it up, deal with it and keep their feelings to themselves.
They think that because it is their problem, in their world and they are alone in facing it. I know this because I was one of those kids but I’ve learnt that there is a bigger and greater world out there — and you are not alone.
Sadly, over 3000 Australians die as a result of suicide each year and it is the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged between 15 and 34 years.
What I’ve learned about mental health issues through my own battle is that we need to talk about it — and keep talking about it — beyond the many mental health awareness months and days.
What helped me turn my life around was Weave Youth & Community Services that offers a range of prevention and early intervention services to vulnerable young people, many of whom are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
I hooked up with their Kool Kids Club initiative, and was able to improve my wellbeing, resilience and life with other kids and young people. I learnt basic skills like cooking, cleaning and public speaking. We were able to go away on camps, play sports, indoor activities, learn about the environment, land and our identity.
My life would have been much more difficult without the many positive caseworkers that helped me during these times. Without access to the programs and support through Weave, it’s a real possibility that I could have ended up in the criminal justice system myself. For the last year however, I’ve been enjoying living in my own place, studying, job searching and planning for the future.
Services like these foster protective factors by building on young people’s strengths and enhancing their connections with community and family.
The thing is, people (especially young people) need to know these initiatives exist, and that’s why we need to talk, and keep on talking about mental health.
I share my journey because young Australians need to know the important thing to do is speak up.
Kids see things differently and it’s our job to let them know they have a voice, and they can seek access to services/programs that can give them the tools they need for life.
Trei Stewart is from the Yuin nation on the NSW coast and is a youth advocate and mentor with Weave Youth & Community Services and ambassador for their #WeaveSurvivalTips campaign.