Regional new south wales mental health crisis.

Stats;

January 2021 had a spike of 104 suicides alone in comparison to 2020 where January alone 81 people committed suicide, this is a 20%avg increase of ONE month over 12 months.

In 2018 3,046 deaths by suicide were registered in Australia, averaging 8 per day.

In 2019 3,318 deaths by suicide were registered in Australia, 2502 were males and 816 being women.

If you are following this short pattern you’ll notice the numbers are increasing rather than decreasing, I'm yet to look into 2021’s initial data but my findings so far are alarming within itself.

I am a 21 year old woman, I have lost 5 people from ages 18-60, in the scheme of things my lifespan to date is only short, it's barely two decades so how can these numbers be possible? How have i lost 5 people, one being as young as 12 to suicide.

Not only people I've known personally, so many other young people and adults have fallen through the cracks of which they've tragically ended their lives.

What are we lacking so badly that allows someone to feel this is the answer to their battles. Is it a lack of resources? Lack of open conversations from a young age?

I truly believe there needs to be more open communication with children, teens and adults into mental health whether we integrate it into the curriculum, so from day one we are all immune to speaking openly about mental health.

Depression is a silent killer, but why have we allowed it to be silent?

If we can normalise trends on social media why can't we normalise speaking up, listening to your friends emotions and battles, look beyond gossip, look beyond materialism stamina and look into mental health stamina, start a conversation, start a change.

Encourage kindness.

I am truly motivated to start a movement by requesting an inquest into regional new south wales mental health system, do we have enough options? Do we really feel content in how mental health is handled in our health system and beyond? Should there be more funding for our small hospitals so our community can hold their loved ones longer?

Budgets are crucial in public health systems, we are truly lucky to have the access to medical care but is a life worth staying in budget?

I am confident in saying I believe a small town like Tumut and other small communities could benefit from having an acute mental health inpatient unit purely for help during their mental battle, somewhere they can go for professional help, therapy and rehabilitation, a facility based on helping those who are suffering.

Staffing with appropriate education in the needs of potential patients, people who are passionate about making a change and helping those in dire straits.

We’ve lost too many young locals already, how many more will it take before we reevaluate how beneficial our mental health system truly is?

You could call it a safe place for someone who is a risk to themselves.

We cant advocate mental health and make a change without being the change.

I'm willing to take this as far as i can if it means it helps those in need, as a mother especially my biggest fear is my child feeling so vulnerable and battling his demons without feeling he had hope.

There are so many avenues we could explore to advocate for those who have fallen victim to mental health, there are so many ways we can change these rising statistics, the heartache felt by loved ones who have lost their beloved family members to the silent killer we also know as mental health.

Whether it is more resources, more opportunities to have open discussions to normalise talking about mental health.

I'd like to finish with a reminder that it's easy to start a conversation, a simple “are you ok?’ can open the flood gates to someone drowning in their battle.

Finally, hold your loved ones tight.