Please recommend a Course or Group that helped you! (improve your mental health)

[ecomama]

Hi BBers!

Our journey towards mental HEALTH does not have to be travelled alone. We are SO fortunate to have the BB forums!

An analogy I use to describe my own mental wellness journey is like finding many pieces to a puzzle.
This puzzle is uniquely our OWN.
Sure some things are really common and helpful for ALL like self-care.
We all have the human need for "connectedness".

A few pieces to my own puzzle included Courses and Groups.

If you've completed a Course and would highly recommend it to others, please post to let others know about it.
Let us know if the Course was online or is offered face to face in your state.
Any and all details could help others access same or similar.

eg Name of Course.
Topic covered.
Duration.
Cost.
You can put a ⭐ - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating of you like.

Same if you have attended a really helpful Group!
Naming your State or Territory, if you're comfortable to do so, may help others to access the group or the information / support.

Group: "Way Ahead"
Tonight I found out about this Group running at a local Neighbourhood Centre for people with anxiety.
- Offered throughout NSW.
- FREE
- 2 Facilitators
- Group goes for 1 hour.
- Held monthly here.
I should be getting some feedback on this one soon, stay tuned!

Course name: "Breaking Free"
I attended this brilliant Course for women in (or leaving or who've left) domestic violence relationships.
This Course was sensitively facilitated through Women's Health Centres in NSW, please holler if it's available in YOUR state too!
Details:
- FREE
- 8-10 week Course.
- Facilitated by 2 Counsellors / Social Workers.
- Attendance at weekly group. NB: Can be completed in a 1:1 setting upon application or requirements.
- 2 intake sessions; 1st via phone, 2nd face to face.
- Certificate is presented upon successful completion. (Goes a LONG way in Family Law Court).

I thought I knew what domestic violence was. This Course was so comprehensive, I simply had little idea about it before then (2016).
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Let's share what works and get well together.

Love EM

[Sophie_M]

Hi ecomama, 

What a wonderful idea! we hope this thread can be a valuable resource for members to utilise. 

We'd like to remind members not to post details that may reveal their location.

Please try to suggest courses that are nation or city-wide.

Thanks all!

[geoff]

Hello EM, a very innovative idea and well done for suggesting it, can you please give me some time to think about what you've asked, but hope you have many ideas from people who have suffered from this illness.

If I can say the feeling once you have been able to conquer this journey is that not for a long time have you been able to see yourself as being good, able to slowly gather up the confidence that you've been deprived of for such a long time.

It does make you feel apprehensive, dubious of the outcome but able to express yourself in a way that has forbidden you from doing so for a period of time you can't even recollect because you have now gained a sense of purpose, and does it matter whether it changes your lifestyle, friends, relationships with other people, well yes, because what was happening before was keeping you in a depressive state of mind, now you are able to move forward, possibly in another direction and that's exactly what you needed to do.

Life is not being like a jig-saw puzzle, where can I start and where or when does it end, you have clarity in your life and begin to learn of other ways on how to cope with a problem or at least avoid it.

Take care.

Geoff.

[ecomama]

Hey Geoff!

Thanks for posting!

Sure, take as long as you need my friend lol.

The Focus of this thread is:
1. Courses, and
2. Groups.

I apologise for the lack of clarity. 😀
It wasn't "life" I was describing as a jigsaw puzzle.

It was looking at the elements that gave me mental HEALTH that I aligned to being a jigsaw puzzle.
Each part is a "piece" that contributes to the WHOLE mental health journey.
I'm emphasising Mental Health as opposed to mental health issues.

These pieces are unique for each of us.
Although some pieces are common eg self-care, eating well etc.

I began this thread with the knowledge and experience that many people pin ALL their hopes on a "magic cure all" via a MH professional.
Or that medication will simply "fix everything".

Looking at the BIGGER picture we can see this is not the case.

Other elements often overlooked, but lamented upon, include "connectedness" (or lack of).
Hence the forums help so many people by connecting them to others going through similar or who have been through similar.

Listing Courses or Groups either online or IRL people have found helpful ie contributing to their mental health and wellbeing is the purpose.

Thanks Geoff!

EMxxxx

[Guest_1643]

hello!

wellways has a life in Community program where you get paired with a volunteer to hang out with

i think it's a great experience for ppl with MH struggles to either volunteer or get a volunteer - i've signed up for one myself

you meet up with the volunteer, hang out together and do cheap activities, go for coffee, a walk etc.

It's a nice way to beat social isolation 🙂

[ecomama]

Hey Sleepy that sounds like a really nice program and a thoughtful initiative. 💙

I'm really glad you signed up for it!

So do you contact "Wellways"?
Or is there another way to contact them?

Thankyou! That's sounds like a really promising program.

Love EM

[Guest_1643]

hi EM

yep you contact Wellways 🙂 they're a lovely organisation with some good stuff going on. I believe they have a phoneline also which is staffed by ppl with lived experience with mental health, and can also sign ppl up for advocacy as well as various programs. 🙂

[Guest_1643]

The Program is called "Life in Community" Or Linc

There is a form on their website to express interest in becoming a volunteer

and also a line to contact Wellways for general enquiries.

The volunteers support participants, their carers etc to help them get to activities and connect to their community.
It's also great experience for ppl wnating to work in mental health, to be a volunteer, and i think is pretty low-commitment of like a few hours a week.. 🙂

[ecomama]

Thanks Sleepy! That info is awesome.

Love EM