I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.

I’m walking in solidarity this October for all Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone!! x

Mental health is a very important topic for me, I have watched many friends and family struggle with their mental health throughout their lives and I myself have lived with mental illness since a young age. Today I share a part of my story with you, a story I have been embarrassed to share in the past but it’s time to normalise talking about your struggles with mental health. In recent months I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD for short) and while I had heard of the disorder, I never truly understood what it entailed until I was diagnosed. For those who aren’t aware of what this disorder truly is let me share a bit with you. A part of the frontal cortex in your brain called the anterior cingulate assists in regulating emotions, for someone with BPD this part of the brain is severely underactive meaning they have less control and can’t “pump the breaks” on their emotions. Your brain and personality is developed by your upbringing and experiences during childhood and when you are exposed to trauma, abuse and neglect more than a child should be this impacts the development of your brain. Prior to being diagnosed I let my emotions control me, I had intense mood swings and anger was my first response to everything as that is all I knew. BPD makes an individual feel their emotions so intensely it sometimes mimics the feeling of losing a loved one when a situation isn’t that serious, it can be felt as physical pain and they often lash out at those closest to them. A common term you may have heard with BPD is ‘splitting’, this is a coping strategy for someone with BPD to help them deal with stressful situations. They do this by identifying a person, place, or thing as either all good or all bad no in between and their emotions automatically adjust to a ‘trigger’. When I tell people about my diagnoses the main response I get is “oh I didn’t know you had that” or “you look normal to me” and I have learnt to mask my mental health struggles because of embarrassment, but there is nothing to be embarrassed about mental illness is very common and I find it a privilege to have been diagnosed due to so many people out there living with the very same disorder I have but not having an explanation as to why their emotions are so impulsive. This October I’m committed to walking 100km for the future of Mental Health, for myself and everyone suffering in silence. I can promise you are not alone, 2 in 5 Australians suffer from a mental illness and nearly 70% of them are undiagnosed. A diagnosis wont cure you or make you automatically understand what is happening within your head but it’s a starting point on a journey to recovery. You are loved.

I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide.

I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone. Let’s do this & help others and know your never alone ❤️❤️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️

I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone. You are always in my thoughts. I wish you never left us. But I know you had to go. You didn’t see the road ahead. Only darkness in front of you. So you had to go. I miss you every day. I hope you are jamming with all the greats up there. Until we meet again.

I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone. Together we can break the stigma of mental health.

I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.