THE mother of a Wagga man who took his own life after a battle with bipolar has implored the community to help break down prejudices surrounding mental illness.
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It comes after Wagga businesswoman Samantha Brunskill this week went public about her ongoing wrestle with bipolar.
Yvonne Berkhout, whose son Justin committed suicide at Wagga hospital in 2007, praised Ms Brunskill for her “courage and leadership”.
“It’s so important for high-profile people in the community to speak out,” Mrs Berkhout said.
“It makes it not such a taboo … it normalises it.
“And that will encourage people fighting their own battle with mental illness to come out and seek treatment.”
She said while the wall of stigma was slowly crumbling, more community leaders had to speak out and more resources had to be ploughed into mental health services.
“Since Justin committed suicide, it (mental illness) has become more out in the open,” Mrs Berkhout said.
“But there’s still a long way to go.”
Wagga boxer Joe Williams, who last year revealed he was living with depression, said starting a community conversation around mental illness was critical.
“Samantha (Brunskill) is very courageous in stepping out of the dark shadows,” Mr Williams said.
“We need to let people know that mental illness can affect anyone, it doesn’t discriminate.”
He said he was “blown away” by the positive reaction he had received since sharing his story.
“People have really embraced it because there’s a lot of others hiding in the shadows too,” Mr Williams said.
“I’ve had so many messages from people asking for assistance and I think that’s because I’m showing them it’s ok to admit you’re struggling.”
He said each person living with a mental illness had their own journey of self-discovery to take.
“The more I know my body and mind, the more I manage my mental illness, rather than battle it,” Mr Williams said. “The biggest thing is acceptance within yourself. You need to understand that you’re not abnormal. There are days when I feel bad but you have to accept the day and ride it out."
Ms Brunskill shared her story last week, saying she had been forced to confront her bipolar and the prejudice that accompanied it.
“There’s definitely fear of the unknown for some people,” Ms Brunskill said.
She was recently appointed as the national ambassador for the Ian Parker Bipolar Fund, an organisation aimed at raising funds and awareness for the condition.
If you or someone you know needs help you can call beyondblue on 1300 224 636, Lifeline on 13 11 14; Kids Help Line on 1800 551 800; Sunflower House on 6931 8770; GSAHS Carer Assist on 6925 9399; Community mental health access line on 1800 800 944 or Riverina Headspace on 6923 3170.
