Let's think about mental health

August 15, 2024

It's hardly a secret that there's a crisis in mental health management and treatment, particularly away from the major cities and centres of population. Resources are limited and tend to be focused at the extreme end by addressing suicide, with little help for those with non-suicidal depression or anxiety.

There are some people and organisations dealing with this, but they can be hard to find when needed. One approach is to simply get people talking about their problems with other people who might be in the same situation on the old "a problem shared is a problem halved" principle.

One organisation addressing the problem out in the bush is The Outback Mind Foundation, which concentrates on helping men with mental health problems. Figures suggest that men are more susceptible than women to mental health issues, but there is also the traditional reticence of men to talk about their problems. Evidence suggests, however, that letting men know that they are not alone can be very helpful.

On August 11, JJ Saleh from Outback Mind came to Oberon to talk about what the organisation does. Apart from just getting men to talk to each other, the audience were treated to a powerful documentary which included men talking about their mental health problems, how bad things got and and the actions they took to overcome them.

Trailer.

For good reasons, only the trailer is available online. It's a teaching tool and watching the whole thing can only be useful in an environment where explanation and support is at hand. Even the trailer can be triggering, so watch it with care.

There are already a few regular activities in Oberon designed to help with mental health. One of these is the Men's Shed which meets every Tuesday in their building at the Oberon Showground. Anyone can just drop in to find out what it's all about, and although the major function is socialising, just getting together to chat about life in general can be a good thing. There are also activities for idle hands to make work of and the group has occasional trips to places of interest in the region.

A new arrival in town is the monthly Mr Perfect barbeque at the Oberon Common. There's no agenda, just an opportunity for men to get together, eat a few sausage sandwiches and talk about anything that takes their fancy.

One regular event that has been going on for some time is the Walk'n'Talk for Life, specifically addressing suicide. Both men and women are welcome and sometimes there is a guest speaker from either the medical community or just someone telling their story.

The dates and times for upcoming Mr Perfect and Walk'n'Talk events can be found on the What's On page here.

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If you or someone you know might be at risk from suicide these links could be useful.

• Lifeline Australia
• Kids Helpline
• MensLine Australia
• Suicide Call Back Service
• Beyond Blue
• Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling
• Qlife - anonymous and free LGBTI peer support  - (3PM-Midnight every day)
• The National Indigenous Postvention Service - After Suicide Support 24/7
• Brother to brother 24-hour crisis line

In an emergency, Dial 000

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