May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. Mental health is still misunderstood; therefore, I am adopting the United States initiative here in Aotearoa. Mental health includes depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, dementia and autism. Mental health has many faces, it does not discriminate, and you are not less than for experiencing mental health.
This morning I attended ‘Fluro X Freezing Friday’, hosted by Silverline Otago. In 2013, OneWave Founder Grant Trebilco started Fluro Friday. After silently battling mental illness for years, he was hospitalised and diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2012. The ocean, surfing and good people were Grant’s saviours during tough times. (I can relate.. the ocean, animals and good people are my saviours). One Friday, he got dressed up in a shirt and tie and went surfing at Bondi to try and spark conversations about mental health. Since then, Fluro Friday’s have taken place at over 200 beaches worldwide. So, let stigma and unhealthy masculine norms wash over you like a wave, and confide in your loved ones when you are struggling.
Image: Gemma Correll.