Category: Mental health
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Red Dog, I’m Truly Blue | The Westsider
One of the many shitful things about having a parent who died while I was young is that my kids never knew him. In my case, my dad would never be the ‘Pop’ his father was to me. He’d only ever be a blank, a gap, for them. My father’s suicide when I was 16…
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A new career path
Two years ago I had a complete breakdown. I was physically exhausted and mentally shot. A perfect storm of a marriage ending, total burnout and disillusionment with work meant nearly every aspect of my life needed to change. Over the decade beforehand, I had busted a nut to carved out a very promising career as…
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#YOUCANTALKABOUT suicide | The Westsider
A new suicide prevention education campaign has been launched through a collaboration of leading mental health organisations in Australia. The campaign aims to empower people and increase their confidence when it comes to talking about suicide. It is a collaboration between beyondblue, Black Dog Institute, Everymind, headspace, Lifeline, ReachOut and R U OK?, and in…
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“Life by a thousand cuts’ | The Westsider
As a creative writing student quite some years ago, one of the mantras instilled in me was to “kill your darlings”. Alarming to hear out of context, to be sure. What it means for writers is to focus on the overall purpose or value of your piece of writing, and to be fearless in cutting…
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‘Doona Daze’ | The Westsider
O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close In midst of this thine hymn my willing eyes, Or wait the “Amen,” ere thy poppy throws Around my bed its lulling charities. Then save me, or the passed day will shine Upon my pillow, breeding many woes, Save me from curious Conscience, that still lords…
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‘Once I was a Caterpillar’ | The Westsider
My local community newspaper, The Westsider, invited me to write a monthly column on mental health. I’m so rapt! The first piece has been published and is now online. I hope you get something out of it xx How amazing and under-appreciated are caterpillars… These ground/plant-dwelling crawling things change almost completely into a flying insect…
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Falling down means the opportunity to get back up again
Pretty chuffed to be this month’s featured profile in my local community newspaper. I mention having a breakdown mid-2016. Because I did. And I feel no shame about that. A lot has changed since then. I’m no longer an award-winning senior executive (at present). I’m no longer married. And I’m less certain of what my…
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R U OK?
SANE Australia asked me about some of the fears people may have in asking ‘R U OK?. Have a read of their article – I hope my thoughts might be useful 🙂
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New show premieres at Melbourne Fringe
I’m rapt to announce that my new storytelling comedy show, LOVES ME / LOVES ME NOT, premieres at Melbourne Fringe Festival on 21 September 2017. This show is about losing love but finding yourself (and all the shit in between)… it’s a combination of my own story of my marriage ending, as well as some…
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Sometimes silver linings are actually gold
I love being a dad and having my three kids. I’m a very involved and good father, and the upside of quitting my senior corporate job last year after my marriage ended, is that I’m now far more present and active in my kids’ lives. With three major and parallel challenges in the preceding few…