Trigger Warning: This column discusses the intricacies of mental health and substance abuse, which are subjects that may be uncomfortable for some.
Yet, addressing these topics openly can pave the way for more understanding, compassion, and destigmatization.
By sharing these thoughts, I hope to help just one person out there, reminding them that they are not alone in their role as a carer or supporter.
Please remember, I am no expert, but I share this with genuine hope.
Substance abuse and its impacts are insidious and can even begin before birth, as babies can be born with foetal alcohol syndrome.
Crime, too, is magnified in the shadow of substance misuse, leaving entire communities in its wake.
Service providers valiantly try to intervene, but their effectiveness can be hindered by a myriad of challenges ranging from inadequate funding to the skills, qualifications and availability of their employees, and this can be more challenging in a regional setting.
Recently, in Rockhampton, some of us witnessed an awareness walk specifically aimed at shedding light on foetal alcohol syndrome.
This initiative stands as a beacon of hope, symbolizing the communities increasing recognition of such pressing issues.
While commendable progress has been made in de-stigmatizing mental health challenges, our collective journey to address the bias surrounding substance abuse continues.
A personal journey led me to stand up at a writers event recently to share a poem on caring for someone with substance abuse challenges.
I wrote it in 2021; this moment was the first time I’d ever shared any of my amateur poems.
Supported by the encouragement of a kind friend, I unveiled my words.
This prompted another person to write a poem and share at this open mic about the pain of seeing her daughter morph into a stranger due to the drug, Ice.
It was a heartbreaking moment but a testament to the unspoken unity of our struggles.
By sharing and talking to each other, we find understanding and encouragement to keep going forward.
Having penned my thoughts on such matters before, I reflect on a blog I wrote where I envision mental health challenges like walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
It appears to be a journey of intense fear, panic, and anxiety, filled with heart-wrenching moments of sadness and despair.
However, I think that when accompanied by someone who genuinely cares, the weight becomes slightly more bearable.
When supporting someone battling substance abuse, a carer treads a delicate balance.
On one hand, they strive to provide unwavering support, understanding, and love, aiming to be a beacon of hope in their loved one’s life.
On the other, they grapple with the challenge of not inadvertently enabling the very behaviour they wish to help overcome.
It’s a tightrope walk, where the distinction between aiding recovery and perpetuating dependency is razor-thin, often blurring the lines of intention and outcome. The carer’s role requires profound introspection, continuous learning, and boundless empathy.
In the face of manic mental health and substance abuse, two contrasting worlds collide.
One is covered in despair and pain, while the other embodies love and light.
Picture walking down a path where one world is gloomy and the other is radiant.
This paints the picture of visiting the inferno as a carer when the mind of the one you love is experiencing a mental health crisis, whether it be self-inflicted or not.
Supporting someone in this tumultuous journey is like a visit to this daunting world.
Their experiences, feelings, and pain are all too real, while they may seem fleeting or transient to us.
The people we care for often feel misunderstood, and their minds keep reiterating this.
Their emotional and mental imbalance is challenging to address, requiring time, medical intervention, and unwavering support.
There’s a saying that you cannot help someone who refuses to help themselves.
However, that doesn’t deter one from being a consistent presence, a beacon of hope in their lives.
Love, genuine and selfless, is a formidable weapon against the shadow of ignorance and misunderstanding.
It costs nothing and can mean everything to someone in their darkest hour.
In shedding light on this delicate subject, I sincerely hope to touch a life and resonate with someone out there.
You are not alone in this struggle.
Let’s confront these issues head-on, reducing the stigma and increasing support.
Because in understanding and compassion, we find hope and healing.
