'Mental Buffet' by Carly Sheil

M ental Buffe t A PSYCHOLOGICAL ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BY CARLY SHEIL 5 December 2014 - 25 January 2015 Perc tucker regional gallery

M ental Buffe t

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ARTIST:

Printed on the occasion of the exhibition

Š Carly Sheil 2014 www.carlysheil.com Karithina Thankyou to the staff of Gallery Services: Shane Fitzgerald Manager Gallery Services Eric Nash Curator Gallery Services Jo Stacey Team Leader Administration Gallery Services Michael Pope Exhibitions and Collections Coordinator (acting) Michael Pope Education and Programs Coordinator

M en tal Buff e t Perc Tucker Regional Gallery

5 December 2014 - 25 January 2015 Publication design, development and illustration by Carly Sheil Typeset in 12pt Helvetica Neue (text) Toyler (title and headings)

Rob Donaldson Digital Media and Exhibition Design Coordinator Sarah Welch Public Art Officer Alex Shapley Exhibitions Officer Holly Grech-Fitzgerald Collections Management Officer Tegan Ollett Education and Programs Officer Carly Sheil Digital Media and Exhibition Design Officer Gillian Ribbins Administration Officer Wendy Bainbridge Administration Officer Danielle Berry Arts Officer Michelle Littman Gallery Assistant Patricia Dunn Gallery Assistant Damian Cumner Gallery Assistant Rurik Henry Gallery Assistant Perc Tucker Regional Gallery

Cnr Flinders and Denham St, Townsville QLD 4810 (07) 4727 9011 ptrg@townsville.qld.gov.au www.bit.ly/ptrgtcc @TCC_PercTucker /PercTuckerTCC Opening Hours Monday - Friday: 10am - 5pm Saturday - Sunday: 10am - 2pm

Carly Sheil would like to acknowledge the generous support and assistance of Gallery Services, Townsville City Council in realising this exhibition.

Also the help and support of her friends and family, including by most definitely not limited to: Mum, Dad, Rachel (sister), Amy Bishop, Aaron Ashley, Machinesbleedtoo, all three Emilys, Neil, Jenna, Caitlin, Mitch Lynn, Jak, Aaminah, Rob and Chan.

M ental Buffe t A PSYCHOLOGICAL ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BY CARLY SHEIL 5 December 2014 - 25 January 2015 Perc tucker regional gallery

TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains mentions of content which may be triggering to some people. This includes but is not limited to self harm, sexual abuse and rape.

Please use caution while reading, as there may be other topics which may cause trigger and have not been mentioned here.

A list of resources are at the end of the book.

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Contents EXHIBITION STATEMENT

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RECIPES Prawns ala Paranoia

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Lamb Shank Dermatophagia with a side of Trichotillomania

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Anxiety-Roasted Chicken

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Dissociative Identity Ramen

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Baked Narcissistic Crab

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Post-Traumatic Gyoza

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Raosted Self Harm Fish

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DINNER CONVERSATIONS Carly

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Cathy

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Rachel

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Aaron

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Ashlee

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Chan

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MachinesBleedToo

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Aaminah

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RESOURCES Helpful Contacts

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Mental buffet: EXHIBITION STATEMENT Everyone at some point in their lifetime is served up a Mental Buffet. Whether this is from birth or added to their order later in life. One must choose whether to devour the whole meal, nibble, or avoid it completely. Whatever choice is made the dish is still going to be there, waiting to be consumed, spiced, danced around, or saved to very last.

Carly Sheil’s art is inspired by the multifaceted way in which she sees the world around her.

There are so many potential perspectives in which to view everyday life that it is almost impossible to see things in any one particular way. In each of her works Sheil creates an “onion skin” of meanings; layered upon layers, to be peeled away or peered through. One must peak through the translucent layers in order to feel each meaning interact with the next.

This exhibition was conceived from the artist’s own choice to start devouring the dishes she was served, rather than seasoning them or conserving them for later. Sheil has been lucky to have had the company of her friends and family on this cerebral culinary journey, while some are less fortunate in only having a table for one. While choosing whether or not to consume the dishes is a choice entirely up to the individual guest, the feeling of comfort from external support greatly increases both appetite and morale of the devourer.

This smorgasbord on display includes appetisers from the artist’s own personal banquet, as well as a few side dishes ordered off the menu of those whom she cares greatly for. Each work has its own personality separate from that of the individual from whom they were inspired. While her dishes appear unusual and often shocking, Sheil loves them dearly, and wants the viewers to see the beauty in them also, because no matter how it may be masked or seasoned, their underlying flavour remains the same.

“It’s only adults who read the top layers most of the time.

I think children read the internal meanings of everything.” ― Maurice Sendak, The Art of Maurice Sendak: 1980 to Present This book contains personal stories collected from those very close to me, as well as myself.

The dishes that they are positioned next to do not directly relate to them unless coincidentally, as I would like to keep the exact inspiration for each one in particular a secret only to them.

Each one is layered with a lot of meaning that I feel I don’t want to give away in whole, only in part, although everyone is free to try to peel the meanings apart if they wish.

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RECIPES

Prawns ALA PARANOIA Ingredients • • • • • • • •

1/2 cup anxiety 4 fear cloves, chopped 1 teaspoon irritability flakes 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet delusion 1.5kg medium shocked prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact 1 1/2 tablespoons phobia 1/3 cup distrust, chopped crusty coincidence, to serve

Directions

1. Combine anxiety, fear, irritability and delusion in a large saucepan. Heat over medium hear for 3 minutes or until anxiety becomes aromatic. Increase heat to high.

2. Add shocked prawns. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until prawns begin to shake.

Add phobia and cook for 1 minute or until prawns are thoroughly confirming their worries.

Remove from heat. Toss through distrust. Spoon mixture into bowl and serve with crusty coincidence.

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LAMB SHANK dermatophagia With a side of TRICHOTILLOMANIA Ingredients • • • • • •

1 lamb shank 1/2 cup of impulse 2 tablespoons of nail polish 1 hand of wolf-bitten fingers 1 tablespoon of anti-bite nail repair 1 cup of hair for side

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Place shank and impulse in a bowl, toss to coat.

Heat nail polish in a dish over high heat, then cook shank, turning for 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate 2. Reduce heat and add fingers, simmer for 1 minute. Add shank. Bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to oven.

3. Bake for 1 hour. Remove lid and base with remaining nail polish, and anti-bite nail repair.

Bake, uncovered for 30-40 minutes and then serve with hair as a side. Garnish with fingers.

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ANXIETY-ROASTED CHICKEN Ingredients • • • •

1.6 kg whole face chicken 1 nervous lemon, halved 2 teaspoons of anxiety misinterpretation

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Lightly grease a roasting pan. Place wire rack into roasting pan and strip the eyelids from the chicken. Season mouth and eyes with misinterpretation.

2. Gently squeeze the nervous lemon over chicken, rubbing the juice into the skin.

3. Brush both sides of the chicken with the remaining lemon and season all over with anxiety.

Place, face-side up, onto rack in roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour or until juices run clear when the face is pierced with a skewer. Serve with a garnish if desired.

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Dissociative identity RAMEN Ingredients • • • • • •

500g disassociated personality states 1 teaspoon memory impairment 6 cups distraction 50g daydreams, sliced 3 cloves of attention, lapsed 1 bunch ego states

Directions

1. Rub memory impairment on personality states and let them sit overnight in the fridge.

2. In a pot, put distraction, daydreams and the lapsed attention, and boil at high heat.

Then cover, reduce to low heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain set aside.

3. Cook the ego states separately and add this to the mix.

4. Boil the lot for 5 minutes. Let it simmer at very low heat until ego states are ready.

5. Serve glistening with a garnish.

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BAKED NARCISSISTIC CRAB Ingredients

• 1 narcissistic crab • 3 tablespoons of grandiosity

Directions

1. Rinse crab with cold water and place it in a wok. Add the grandiosity and cover with a lid.

2. Turn up the heat to high and “bake” the crab for 8 minutes. Turn the crab every 2 minutes and then cover to continue baking. You will know when it is done as the crab will react with disdain and rage, and may withdraw into its shell.

3. Eat immediately as is, while served on a bed of admiration.

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POST TRAUMATIC GYOZA Ingredients • • • • • • • •

2 teaspoons trauma 2 teaspoons persistent re-experience 2 avoidance cloves, finely chopped 55g (3/4 cup) coarsely chopped emotions 2 tablespoons anger 250g insomnia 2 hypervigilance, trimmed, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon distress

Directions

1. Heat trauma in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook re-experience and avoidance, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add emotional numbing and anger. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until the emotions numb. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Stir in insomnia and distress. Season with hypervigilance.

2. Place 1 wrapper on a clean work surface. Place 2 teaspoonfuls of mixture in the centre of the wrapper. Brush edges with water. Fold over to enclose filling. Pinch edges together.

Place on a tray.

3. Heat half the extra trauma in a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook until base is golden. Add half the extra anger. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until cooked and liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a serving platter. Cover to keep warm. Serve with distrust.

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ROASTED SELF HARM FISH Ingredients • • • • •

1 whole fish 2 tablespoons depersonalisation 1 tablespoon dissociation 1 red hunk of depression, seeds removed, cut into thin strips 1/3 cup anxiety

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. 2. Clean and scale the fish. Make several slashes in the thickest part of the fish flesh. Brush a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of depersonalisation and place fish in the pan. Brush the flesh with remaining depersonalisation, and sprinkle with the dissociation. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

3. Place the depression and anxiety in a pan. Cook over low heat until the anxiety has started to soften. Place the fish on a large plate somewhere at the visibility of your choice.

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D I N N E R C O N V E R S AT I O N S

DINNER cONveRSATION: CaRLY Have you been diagnosed with a mental illness and/or personality disorder?

I’m seeing a consellor through a GP for anxiety and reactive depression. I previously caused a range of self harm (although I haven’t for a whole year now!), and currently have a mild impulsive need to chew at my fingers, fingernails and pick at my face.

How far have you come, since you first discovered this, even before you knew it had a name?

I’ve come further than what words can easily describe. I’d started off thinking everyone felt like this, and so never even considered treatment, which meant that I suffered silently for so much of my life because I always thought someone else was suffering more than me. I thought I could and had to help myself.

I first started getting therapy at the start of uni, during the first really dark period in my life that I accepted I was experiencing, around the time I first started self harming really badly, and about a year since I’d started eating healthily again. I didn’t really click with my psychologist though, she was fresh out of uni, and said things that harmed me more than helped, such as unwittingly pushing me into another couple of years of despising food. After she moved towns, I didn’t go back to any other therapy for a long time because I thought it would only make me worse.

It wasn’t until my mind and grip on life got really bad, and I could feel myself falling further than I had ever before that I finally went to a new place to start getting therapy again, and this time with medication as well. This time I synced really well with my new counsellor, and I’ve been going there for over two years now. When I first started I needed to write all my symptoms down, because I couldn’t verbally say them without my mind blanking. I couldn’t cross the street, I thought I was worthless, I was self harming, had no love for myself, spoke in almostwhispers and had no idea who or what I even was as an identity. Now old me wouldn’t even recognise me!

Do you think therapy or medication has helped you?

Both have helped me, without a doubt. I don’t know where I’d be now if I hadn’t started both and had the strength to keep on kicking, but it wouldn’t be here. I’ve been on Lexapro, Effexor and now Prozac, and all the way I’ve been going to my counsellor, without both of which I’m certain I wouldn’t have managed as much as I have. I’ve a select number of people tell me that nobody needs medication, that it’s harmful, and I used to think that too once upon a time, but the truth is, at least for me, that I NEEDED medication, therapy and to keep on taking steps forward, or else I’d have still been in the rut I was. My friends and family helped me immansely, and I am certain that if I hadn’t had the support I did, it would have taken me a lot longer to come as far as I have. I’ve started exercising for the first time in my life, and can make it to multiple social gatherings most weeks, but it’s been a huge amount of struggle, even if I once compared myself to other struggles, everyone’s struggle is their own, and their own choice to fight it too. People complimented me, prodded me and tried to guide me for years, but in the end I had to be the one to decide I was going to do something about it, and continue doing something about it, and I couldn’t do it without them and myself both.

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DINNER cONveRSATION: CaTHY Have you been diagnosed with a mental illness and/or personality disorder?

Not officially, I went to a GP with my problems, they gave me pills and they worked.

They classed it as depression.

How far have you come, since you first discovered this, even before you knew it had a name?

I’ve actually come a long way. I can recognise the signs very well after such a long time, I’ve been on the same medication for 10 years, and I’m down to half a tablet now, but I know if I cut back I start to see the symptoms again. It’s like night and day, I’ve really noticed the difference.

Do you think therapy or medication has helped you?

Medication helped and was best for me, therapy though I went to one psycologist, and we didn’t click. I think you have to find someone that you are on the same page with, otherwise it’s not going to work. I was my own ttherapist really, stepping outside of my comfort zone in little steps really works for me.

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DINNER conversation: Rachel Have you been diagnosed with a mental illness and/or personality disorder?

Yes. Social anxiety disorder (SAD).

How far have you come, since you first discovered this, even before you knew it had a name?

I have come quite far since I realized I had this disorder. Just in these past two years, I’ve taken action to seek professional help and medicate it before it interfered too deeply with my everyday life.

Do you think therapy or medication has helped you?

Thinking back, this disorder has been unknowingly affecting me for a long time and seeking help through both therapy and medication was the best thing I could have done for myself. I have become much more confident and comfortable within social situations now!�

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DINNER cONveRSATION: Aaron Have you been diagnosed with a mental illness and/or personality disorder?

I’ve been diagnosed with depression several times, but recently worked out with the help of a GP that the depressive episodes were mainly caused by a subset of anxiety known as social anxiety.

How far have you come, since you first discovered this, even before you knew it had a name?

Throughout primary school and high school I felt extremely alienated and couldn’t understand why I had deeply emotional and physiological reactions to interacting with people. I loved to learn, but I hating going to school because there were people there, I felt sick at the thought having to interact and my body would actually become sick (the cause of many an emotional and physiological downward spiral).

Despite this, I’ve kept throwing myself into social situations, I worked out that if I had a purpose and something that gave me distance from small talk (something I fret about endlessly) I could get by. Over the years this has evolved to volunteering on bars, working on projects and even (ironically) taking social photos. I integrated social situations with work on subconscious level to manage. Having a label has only been a recent thing, the biggest help it made was in understanding why I’ve always felt the way I have – and importantly, that I’m not crazy.

Do you think therapy or medication has helped you?

Though the therapy for social anxiety has only just started, the previous therapy I’ve had with depression has been extremely helpful. When you’re so low that the first thing you want to do when you wake up is kill yourself, discussing it with someone is literally a life saver. But it’s not just the listening; therapy teaches thinking exercises that are supremely useful with battling the incessant negative chatter upstairs.

I think the hardest part of having a mental disorder is reaching out for help, but making the first step makes everything else easier.

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DINNER conversation: Ashlee Have you been diagnosed with a mental illness and/or personality disorder?

I have never actually been diagnosed as such. I have faced most of my problems inside my own head on my own. I suffer from some intermittent depression, and have some non-maladaptive schizophrenia. I say its adaptive because I don’t have voices berating me or telling me to do awful things, most of the time they’re on my side against the world!

How far have you come, since you first discovered this, even before you knew it had a name?

At the moment I have fallen back into a depressive episode. The difference is this time I can see it for what it is. The best thing about depression is that it will always end. Ive come pretty far in that I no longer attribute everything bad to myself or others, some things are just shit without any interference, that old “wisdom to know the difference” prayer comes to mind.

Do you think therapy or medication has helped you?

I have not used therapy or medication, but I believe in them whole-heartedly. Ive just spent 4 years studying psychology at university and know the pros and cons of each. I think medication is a useful tool, but for most people it should be a last resort, not the first thing that happens.

Theres no point re-balancing someones chemicals if you don’t help them fix their situation.

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DINNER conversation: Chan Have you been diagnosed with a mental illness and/or personality disorder?

As of a few years ago now I have been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. Before this diagnosis I have been labeled with depression, social anxiety, and mild OCD tendencies. The OCD tendencies are a symptom of Aspergers, while the depression and social anxiety can be results of Aspergers.

How far have you come, since you first discovered this, even before you knew it had a name?

Before I knew my mental illness had a name I had known I was different from others of my age, sometimes showing great maturity to showing just as great immaturity. I had seen several psychologists over the course of my three-year university period, none of which suggested Aspergers, and so my problem was not dealt with in a suitable manner.

It was not until my GP asked whether Aspergers Syndrome had been looked into that I heard of it, and then began my own research on the subject. Following this I finally found a psychiatrist that diagnosed me with Aspergers Syndrome, with an analyses that was for the first time not based solely on my appearance. Since that final diagnoses I have not seen any psychologists, as I believe I am in a sort of stand-still; in shock about my mental illness/disability.

Do you think therapy or medication has helped you?

Medication, I believe, has helped me immensely with my depression, where once I was constantly depressed all day every day and near suicidal, I now only feel sad (for no apparent reason) perhaps once in a blue moon. I am not sure as to whether my anxiety levels have been helped however.

I do not believe I have been helped by therapy, as while I have had several psychologists, those sessions ended because I felt I was pushed too far outside my comfort zone (which sometimes caused me great distress, enough to have a breakdown in the car) and thus ended the meetings.

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DINNER conversation: Machinesbleedtoo Have you been diagnosed with a mental illness and/or personality disorder?

I was originally diagnosed with anxiety and depression at around age 16, which was a diagnosis I was frustrated with as I didn’t have much of it. I was later thought to have bi-polar disorder when I was about 21 years of age-although that’s under question at the moment. I had a psych review last year at 24 years of age, and the psychiatrist who administered it thinks I actually may have borderline personality disorder. Or both. I have two sets of mood swings, one bipolar based medications don’t treat.

I’ve also been diagnosed with ADD, OCD, PTSD (the acronym alphabet!), dyslexia and I keep being told to get checked for aspergers by professionals and people who know about the disorder well themselves.

I suspect the multi-diagnosis is mostly because I have a central nervous system condition, fibromyalgia, which took nine years to diagnose- I was sixteen when I first got it. A lot of the symptoms were for the longest time thought to be in my head, or I was just depressed, or I was just lazy. I started to believe it myself but realized I was actually just fatigued and in real agony all of the time. Luckily doctors realized this eventually, though the treatment I received was pretty negligent.

I would have to be entirely re-evaluated to have a conclusive diagnosis. I plan to revisit this eventually to help me improve myself. The only one I *know* I have is PTSD- everything else is up in the air at the moment. Autism spectrum would explain a lot of the multi diagnosis, too.

If you get diagnosed with a load of disorders, they’re missing something...It’s usually a part of the same beast. Or fewer beasts than thought.

How far have you come, since you first discovered this, even before you knew it had a name?

I’ve come very far- I love myself and treat my body and mind well and am much better at considering others’ needs, too. I was put on medications which helped give me a frame of reference as to what is “normal” to feel/think; so when I ceased taking them I could easily deal with any problematic thoughts.

I still have those thoughts, but they don’t rule me anymore. Sometimes I wonder if the habits from my mental illness will ever disappear, or if they’ll just get easier to deal with to the point of being background noise.

I’ve gone backwards in some areas of my life though. Like fear of leaving the house at night alone, because I’ve become very aware of how little help there is for women who are raped/sexually assaulted.

But I don’t let my illness get in the way of friendships - I can distinguish between my thoughts and others’ intentions, and if I can’t, I work things out by talking about it. I used to just snap and hide in a shell and get super passive aggressive over a lot of things.

I went through a lot of sexual abuse and rape, and like most survivors I blamed myself for it for a long time- which in turn made me an awful person to be around. That self-hate and shame reached out past my head and it was visible and toxic.

Do you think therapy or medication has helped you?

Therapy never helped me that much because I know myself exceptionally well; I needed to FEEL what is “normal” in order to realize how unstable my mind was. Being told it just didn’t cut it for me.

Medications are, I believe, helpful. But self assessment and openness to critique are the best medications of all. Therapy is definitely useful, but I spend a lot of time in my head so I was already well acquainted with myself. It never hurts to get a second opinion, though. I wouldn’t have known I knew myself so well until I did (it was useful to me for something at least...)

Don’t be put off by horror stories with mental health professionals either; they’re just people. Work at it until you find one you really get along with. Same goes with medications...Not all of them have horrible side effects, so if you get them, don’t settle. Try different ones.

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DINNER conversation: Aaminah Have you been diagnosed with a mental illness and/or personality disorder?

I have, at various points in my life, been diagnosed with clinical depression, bipolar I, bipolar II, generalised anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder.

The most recent diagnoses are GAD, PTSD and bipolar II. How far have you come, since you first discovered this, even before you knew it had a name?

Wow, this is a tough question! I’ve had depressed or suicidal thoughts since I was a very young child, around five or so years old. I first realised it might have a name when I was about twelve.

My father didn’t really believe mental illness was a serious thing, so I wasn’t actually diagnosed until I was in my very late teens. since then, I’ve attempted suicide once (in 2010) and partially or abortively attempted a few times, most recently in late 2013.

Because I’m bipolar, I go through highs and lows. Sometimes I’m full of energy and want to do nothing but party and work for days on end, and sometimes I can’t even get out of bed.

Once, I didn’t sleep for three days and probably would have stayed awake longer if my mother hadn’t forced me into bed. It’s good having people around me who know when I need to stop, because I don’t always know what my limits are when I’m manic.

Do you think therapy or medication has helped you?

Therapy definitely helped a lot. I had a fantastic doctor whom I saw for a year and a half before I moved to America. He was very non-judgmental and I felt like I could discuss anything at all with him. I made some real progress with the trust and anger issues arising from my PTSD. Medication helped a lot as well. It raised my baseline energy levels to the point where I could hold down a job and do other everyday things without having anxiety attacks or being completely exhausted after a couple of hours.

Now that I’m in America, I’m definitely feeling the effects of no longer having access to medication and therapy. Hopefully I’ll be able to remedy that soon. I’m a little anxious at the prospect of finding a new doctor, though, because it took me more than three years to find one who understood me so well and had the right kind of temperament. I hope I can find someone else who will be able to do the same kind of good with me, because I’d really like to be able to put some of the ugly things from my past behind me and move on with my recovery, both for my sake and for the sake of my marriage and other relationships.

I should add that another way in which therapy helped me was that it taught me coping strategies for when my anxiety became really bad. There were a lot of mornings when I was only able to get out of bed and face the day due to the things I learned in therapy and the knowledge that I would get to see my doctor again soon and talk things out with him.

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RESoURCES

HELPful Contacts headspace Townsville 2 - 14 Sporting Drive Thuringowa Central (07) 4799 1799 Opening hours: 8.30am to 5.00pm Mon-Fri Closed public holidays Email: headspace@tmml.com.au Lifeline 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au Counselling services for anyone at anytime.

Access to crisis support, suicide prevention and mental health support services.

Kids Helpline www.kidshelpline.com.au 1800 551 800 Telephone and online counselling for young people aged 12-25.

SANE helpline 1800 187 263 Information, advice and referral for mental illness. beyondblue www.beyondblue.org.au 1300 224 636 Information and referral for depression and anxiety.

Youthbeyondblue www.youthbeyondblue.com 1300 224 636 Info on depression and anxiety, and how to help a friend for young people aged 12 - 25.

Parentline 1300 301 300 Support, counselling and education for parents.

Gay and Lesbian Welfare Association 1800 184 527 (7 - 10pm) Peer counselling service for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their families and friends.

Harmony Place (07) 3848 1600 Mental health services for culturally and linguistically diverse people and communities.

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Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service 1800 011 046 Counselling and group programs for Australian veterans, peacekeepers and their families.

ARAFMI www.arafmiqld.org 1800 351 881 Support for family, friends and carers of people with mental illness.

Men’s Line www.mensline.org.au 1300 789 978 Telephone and online support, information and referral service to help men with relationship and other problems. mindhealthconnect www.mindhealthconnect.org.au Access to trusted, relevant mental health care services, online programs and resources.

Mental Health Association of Queensland www.mentalhealth.org.au/ 1300 729 686 Access to support, information and referral to mental health-related services in your area, 9am to 7pm Monday to Friday.

13 HEALTH www.health.qld.gov.au/13health 13 43 25 84 24 hour assessment, referral, advice, and hospital and community health centre.

MiNetworks www.minetworks.org.au 1800 985 944 or go online.

Connects you to an experienced mental health worker to find information and support.

The Women’s Centre www.thewomenscentre.org.au (07) 4775 7555 Provide counselling, support, advocacy, information, advice and referral to women aged 15 years and over who have been sexually assaulted during their lives.