Next Wednesday Wrap is HERE! Join us on the 20th September!

[Ngaio-RO]

It's here!! Wednesday Wrap is on tomorrow - the 20th of September!

We are very lucky to Nicole Thomas from Sane Australia. She is the community manager for the Sane forums, they have one for lived experience and one for carers. Nicole has heaps of experience in supporting adults, including young adults who have been diagnosed with a mental health illness.

What she's going to speak about is how to help young people manage their feelings around being diagnosed and to support them to see their mental health illness or difficulties as something they have rather than who they are.

She's also very keen to talk to parents who may be feeling sad or concerned themselves about what this might mean for their teenager.

It happens here at 8 PM AEST tomorrow. Hope you can all make it!

[taokat]

This will be awesome @Ngaio-RO! Hopefully we'll be back home - we're on limited internet here 

[taokat]

We're back, and made it in time 

[Ngaio-RO]

Amazing @taokat So happy to have you here!

[Ngaio-RO]

Welcome everyone to tonight's Wednesday Wrap! I'm so thrilled to have @Nicole-SANEaus with us tonight. Thanks Nicole!

First off, would you mind explaining a little bit about what you do for Sane and who makes up your community?

[taokat]

Hi @Nicole-SANEaus, it's great to have you here.

[Nicole-SANEaus]

Hi @Ngaio-RO & everyone!

Thanks for having me tonight  I’m Nicole, the Community Manager of SANE Australia’s peer support forums . We have two communities, as Ngaio said, one for people living with a mental illness and one for loved ones and carers. Besides people falling into those two categories, our community is made up of diverse range of ages, genders, states, regions and experiences - mental illness doesn't discriminate.

Mental illness is often surrounded by myths and stigma, or just not talked about at all. So I'm really thankful to be asked to jump on here tonight and talk about it!

[Nicole-SANEaus]

Thanks for the welcome @taokat !

[Ngaio-RO]

That's a great place to start @Nicole-SANEaus - stigma.

Or not great. Well, you know what I mean...

What can parents do to help their teenagers manage that stigma? Should they be telling schools / work etc.? And if they do and it gets out, what then?

@taokat I know this was a big one for you and your daughter when she started working so please feel free to jump in if you want to.

[taokat]

I find this topic particularly relevant. I have a mental illness, and also care for my daughter who has a few as well. It can be very difficult at times!