Blogs

Today, 31 March is Trans Day of Visibility, an annual international celebration of trans pride and awareness, recognising transgender, gender diverse and non-binary experiences and achievements. Transgender people face a significantly higher risk of mental health challenges, with studies showing they are up to 10-13 times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and suicidality compared to the general population. We asked BEING’s Operations Director, Shannon who volunteers with the Trans Justice Project, and BEING member and creative writer Ezra, a member of the Trans community, for their contributions marking the day. Ezra “You’re so brave” ...

Thank you Joy, for sharing your story! Changing the Narrative Each year on 10 September, we mark World Suicide Prevention Day. It is a time to reflect and take action. Conversations with multicultural community members across Australia who have lived experience revealed deeper insights into this year's theme 'Changing the narrative'. These insights show both the strengths and challenges of culture and community. They also point to practical steps we can take, both personally and within systems, to better support diverse communities and future generations. Hear from Joy a proud Kenyn-born woman living in NSW who shares her reflections ...

In our fast-paced world, where external achievements often define our self-worth, the practice of self-compassion offers a sanctuary for the soul. It's a gentle reminder that healing begins within, and embracing ourselves with kindness is not a sign of weakness but a profound act of strength. 🌿 What Is Self-Compassion? Self-compassion involves treating ourselves with the same kindness, care, and understanding that we would offer to a dear friend during times of failure, suffering, or inadequacy. Rather than succumbing to self-criticism, it encourages us to acknowledge our imperfections with empathy and warmth. 💖 Why Self-Compassion Matters for the ...

“Anything I can’t control is teaching me how to let go.” ~ Unknown In many cultures, folktales serve not just as entertainment but as vessels of wisdom. One such story tells of a lion tricked into holding up a rock ledge, convinced by a jackal that it was about to collapse. The lion strains for hours, using all his strength to prevent a disaster that never arrives—only to discover, once exhausted, that the rock was stable all along. His effort, though intense, was never needed. This story illustrates a powerful truth: much of what we attempt to control in life was never ours to manage in the first place. Whether it’s the emotions of others, the outcome ...

Have You Say - Mad Monday Memo The Mad Monday Memo newsletter is one of BEING's prized assets and we're so glad people value and enjoy it. From time to time, it's worth exploring whether the content and execution is meeting the changing demands of our members and supporters. We have some ideas about how we’d like to evolve the newsletter, and we want to hear what you think so we can maintain or improve the service we provide through the Mad Monday Memo. Click here to access the form and thanks in advance for taking the time to provide your valuable feedback. Feedback will be open until Tuesday 22nd April.

Would you like to represent mental health consumers in NSW on a national advisory body? The National Mental Health Consumer Alliance has asked BEING to establish an advisory panel to this effect. If you would like to be considered as a member of the panel, please click the link below to complete our online form. https://lnkd.in/g8eQSjC3 Applications close on February 7th 2025.

Have your say on Safe Havens and Safe Spaces If you are passionate about health, wellbeing and suicide prevention in Australia then please complete this survey. The Co-Creating Safe Spaces project is being run by the Australian National University and funded by Suicide Prevention Australia. The survey is open to anyone over the age of 16 whether you have used one of these services yourself or supported someone who has. This anonymous, online survey should only take between 10 and 30 minutes to complete. Click here to complete the survey. For more information, contact Dr Scott Fitzpatrick at safespaces@anu.edu.au ...

BEING is delighted to announce the appointment of Giancarlo de Vera (he/they) to the position of CEO. Giancarlo is moving from People With a Disability Australia (PWDA) where he held the position of Senior Manager Policy and replaces Priscilla Brice who left BEING to take up the CEO position of the newly formed National Mental Health Consumer Alliance last month. Giancarlo said of his appointment, "I am deeply honoured and excited to join BEING as its new CEO. With living experience of psychosocial disability, I am very passionate about elevating the voices of mental health consumers. With so much change happening right now, I'm firmly committed to continuing ...

What is Gig Buddies? There are three main parts to the Gig Buddies project. 1. Buddying Building a one-on-one friendship between a participant and volunteer . 2. Events/S ocials Group social events run by the Gig Buddies team. 3. Volunteering Catching up with a Gig Buddies participant once a month About the Gig Buddies Project Gig Buddies Sydney is an initiative of ACL Disability Services which is a registered Not for Profit organisation committed to promoting the rights of people with learning disabilities to live the lifestyle of their choosing. Going ...

Your heart races. Your body temperature rises. Your hands may shake. Your stomach may churn. Your thoughts start spiraling to the worst could that happen, and suddenly you feel so unequipped—like everything’s going to fall apart, and you won’t be able to handle it. It can feel so powerless when anxiety takes over, almost like your brain and body are being hijacked, and there’s little you can do to feel safe or in control. Except that’s not actually true. Though anxiety can have both physical and mental symptoms, and we can’t just will it away, there are things we can do to calm ourselves. I know because, like most of us, I’ve been there many times before, ...

“There are days I drop words of comfort on myself like falling leaves and remember that it is enough to be taken care of by myself.” ~Brian Andreas Do you ever forget to take care of yourself? I know. You’re busy, and finding the time to take proper care of yourself can be hard. But if you don’t, it won’t be long before you’re battered from exhaustion and operating in a mental fog where it’s hard to care about anything or anyone. I should know. A few years ago, I had a corporate job in London, working a regular sixty-hour week. I enjoyed working with my clients and colleagues, and I wanted to do well. But I had no life. I rarely took care ...

“ It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary .” ~Mandy Hale I have to start off with how I define the different levels of self-care. There is what I call surface-level self-care. This would be things like getting your nails done and taking a bubble bath. Very important stuff but not the type of self-care that’s going to help you make the changes on the inside that create change in your outside world. Then we have deep-level self-care. I define this as working on things like setting and maintaining boundaries, learning how to reframe your mindset, and reconnecting with your ...

A large press pack was in attendance at NSW Parliament House today as Greens MP Dr Amanda Cohn presented the final report following the Inquiry into the “Equity, accessibility and appropriate delivery of outpatient and community mental health care in New South Wales.” Click here to read the report in full. Dr Cohn was joined by members of the NSW Mental Health Alliance including BEING’s CEO, Priscilla Brice and Judy Deacon, mother of Jesse who was shot dead by police less than a year ago. The report, including 39 recommendations, will make optimistic reading for many, drawing as it does on a wide range of inputs and pulling no punches about ...

On May 8th 2024, BEING released a landmark report covering the findings from a new survey capturing the experience of mental health consumers in NSW during 2023 and how the experience of living with a psychosocial disability as impacted on people’s human rights. Entitled the “BEING Social Justice Report 2023 – Human Rights of Mental Health Consumers in NSW” , the report shows that the media, employers, and governments are failing in their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) infringing on the human rights of people with psychosocial disabilities, resulting in poorer economic outcomes and directly ...