Thursday, September 13, 2012

R U OK?


Are you okay?
Have you asked anyone today if they are ok?
We deal in all that surface shit and very rarely get to the real stuff.
We acknowledge as Mums that our job is hard.
We talk about the day to day crap without asking if we are coping with it.
I know last year when I was struggling I told very few people what was going on.
I was pregnant with my last baby and trying to enjoy that feeling.
In the meantime I was vomiting water, food and anything that could come up.
I had very little in the way of support or help.
I relied mainly on my husband to be there for me.
Then the day came when it all crashed down around me.
I was not ok- I needed help.

About R U OK?Day (From their website)

R U OK?Day is a national day of action dedicated to inspiring all Australians to ask family, friends and colleagues, ‘Are you ok?’ By regularly reaching out to one another and having open and honest conversations, we can all help build a more connected community and reduce our country’s high suicide rate.

R U OK?Day is on the second Thursday of September (13 September 2012).

More than 2,200 Australians suicide each year and men are around 3 times more likely to die by suicide than females (ABS 2012). For each person that takes their life, another 30 people attempt to end their own life (SANE Australia).

Most people don't openly share their feelings, particularly if they're struggling. The best thing we can all do is regularly talk to the people we care about - regardless of whether they are at risk - because connection is good for us all.

In the time it takes to have your coffee, you can start a conversation that could change a life.

Who will you ask?

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I very strongly believe that if I did not have such a supportive husband I wouldn't have managed as well as I did.
I reached out for help and found it in the services of a psychiatrist.
My family belittled for me doing it.
I kept it a secret for a long time.
I didn't even want to take medication as it made it more real.

I look back more than a year on and think how my perspective has changed.
I share my story all the time in the hope that others feel less alone.
So Mums know that even as strong as we are we need to ask for help too.
That what you see on the outside doesn't even scratch the surface.
Just because I'm smiling ad my kids are fed and clothed doesn't mean I'm holding it together.

Today is one day that reminds us to ask deeper.
Keep this reminder with you everyday.
Don't just ask- mean it. Feel it. Listen to their answer and act on it!

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