Introducing...the community champions

[Chris_B]

Hi everyone,

Some of you may have noticed that a few of our members are labelled ‘Community champion’ and have a beyondblue National Roadshow bus badge, like this:

 

This thread explains who these members are and what they do.

Community champions are volunteers within the forums who:

• Have the time, skills and empathy to support other members
• Make an effort to welcome new members
• Are regularly and actively engaged members  that help set the tone of our community as a place of hope and recovery. 

Click here to find out more about how you can become a Community Champion!  As this is a peer support community that includes members under the age of 18, it is important that we ensure our peer support community leaders have a current 'working with children' check as part of due diligence.  In an online environment with anonymous posters, it also provides Beyond Blue (and the community) with some security as to the identity of who is posting as a community champion.

We ask our community champions to spend at least 2-3 hours a week posting and responding in the forums, but in reality they go far above and beyond this. 

Like me, they’re not psychologists or counsellors, just regular folk like yourselves who have experience with anxiety and depression. I’ll leave it to our champion volunteers to reply below and let you know a bit about themselves.

PS. If this is your first time on the forums and you'd like to introduce yourself, please start a new thread rather than replying in here.

[Petal22]

Hi everyone! 😊

Thank you so much for having me as one of your Community Champions I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity…

Im a happily married wife and mum from WA 😊

I have a real passion for helping people with their mental health, this passion has stemmed from my own mental health journey with OCD.. Which I am very grateful to say I have now recovered from thanks to the help of health professionals….

I believe I have come out the other side of the tunnel to help others with their mental health and to give them HOPE.

I also like to share my positivity with others, having a positive mindset is a very powerful tool to have.

Sometimes you need to remind yourself that your a warrior

and warriors don’t give up ❤️💪

Im here to chat and support you …. Please ask me any questions and drop me a line any time 😊

[jaz28]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for having me as a Community Champion!

My name is Jasmine, AKA. Jaz or Jas! I am a psychology student, currently in my third year, and I just love to help people. I want to see people be the best they can be. This is why I became a community champion.

I am looking to study for my Honours next year and then Master's within the next few years, hopefully in Health Psychology. I have experience with illness so I am wanting to help others through that. I also have experienced GAD, so I can understand what it feels like to have anxiety as well.

I love to practice mindfulness and have a keen interest in spirituality/tarot as well as music. I also love to exercise and find exciting walks/hikes to go on. I am living in South Australia, which has some beautiful walking trails.

I am excited to learn more about mental health whilst also helping others on the forums. I believe we all have a story and there are tough times along the way. I want to be able to help others through those tough times.

Look forward to engaging with everyone!

Jaz.

[Sophia16]

Hi guys,

I'm Sophia, and I am so grateful for being here and having me as a Community Champion.

I am currently in my second year studying a bachelor of psychology. I am hoping to become a forensic psychologist in a few years time.

One thing about me is that I love listening and talking to people. Though I give people admirable advice sometimes, I’m not sure I’m capable of taking them.

Things I do in my spare time include working out, playing the piano and spending money on my cat.

Everyone goes through tough times and I know how hard it can be. I know you will get through the obstacles and come back from them to become your best self.

I hope everyone has an amazing day and am hoping to support most of you,

Sophia

[Positive_vibes89]

Greetings all,

I am honoured to be apart of an online community that empowers and supports individual in their mental health journeys. I am very big on mental health. I joined beyond blue champions to be involved with mental health and get some volunteer experience because I want to become a mental health nurse when I finish my degree. Im doing some self development, I attended a mental health conference this year. I learnt alot about how a illness should be treated as a whole. The whole person not just the illness needs to be considered especially when we are supporting them. I want to work in child abd adolescent mental health when I graduate.

I have been though struggles too in my life depression, anxiety and ptsd. Having these experiences, I feel empathetic towards those who are experiencing mental illness and struggles. If I can help empower others, save a life or make a positive impact on somebody my life has value.

Thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome. Im proud to be a champion.

[sbella02]

Hi all!

My name is Steph, and it's a pleasure to be joining the Beyond Blue community! Thank you all for the warm welcom.

Just a bit of background on me and my interests, I'm a very creative person, and enjoy writing, singing, painting, drawing etc. I'm a second-year psychology student and plan to become a clinical psychologist, pursuing research and possibly lecturing on the side. In addition to my course, taking part in volunteering is recommended to enhance our understanding of human behaviour, help make a valuable contribution to the lives of others, and prepare us for interacting with community members from all walks of life. I've heard of Beyond Blue before and upon further research, I fell in love with their mission of helping Australians achieve their best possible mental health.

Throughout high school and in recent years, I've struggled with my mental health, particularly as I come to terms with my own sexuality. I currently openly identify as a cisgender bisexual woman (pronouns: she/her), and would love to empower other young queer individuals to accept and appreciate their identities as well. I feel as if I can begin to achieve this goal through these online forums, as they offer a personal, anonymous, and interactive format for community interaction and sharing of experiences/advice.

I've always loved the English language, and seeing it used as a tool to empower or support people is amazing to me. My hope as a Community Champion is that my lived experiences and advice can help people on this forum through their own struggles.

SB

[Banksy92]

Hi Champs,

New to the gang, so here to introduce myself.

I live with my partner of 5 years and our spotty pup. For my day job, I work full time as a digital marketer in the education sector. Then earlier this year I realised I wanted to expand into more ethical and fulfilling work, so I've started volunteering here and in the Blue Voices committee to start my journey towards a role in NFP one day. I love the work Beyond Blue do so much and I'm really grateful to be involved in some way 🙂

In my spare time I like to do yoga, sew, cook and play piano. I also love reading.

My own mental health journey is still a work in progress, but I've come a long way through therapy. I live with anxiety, PTSD and at times depression. I also manage some physical health conditions as a result of my high-stress levels.

I am very passionate mental health, wellness and accessibility to all Australians to quality care. This community is a brilliant asset and I've been really touched by the threads I've read and the support being given.

Thanks for letting me play a small part in all this.

[Mark Z.]

Hi all,

I joined BB forum recently as a new champ. I have replied several posts, and read some of yours. You guys are so empathetic, patient, supportive, knowledgeable and experienced. I'm so proud to join this community. And I'm ready to contribute.

I have asian background, have worked in many European countries for around 10 years, and moved to Australia in 2018. I'm a human resource professional and have been working in this area all my life. My current role is head of HR of a logistics company in Melbourne. I also have passion in mental health and have completed Certificate IV courses in mental health last year. I'm here with hope to contribute, especially to support people from multicultural background, or with stress at work.

I believe all of you, no matter the great champs, or people seeking help are inspiring. Each of us has our own challenges, but we all have hope for a better life. I feel lucky to be part of the community.

Warmly,

Mark Z.

[Maddeline]

Hello everyone!

It is nice to meet you all - I feel as though I know you all just by reading your introductions. I am grateful and honoured to be apart of this forum.

My name is 'Maddeline' on the forums, I am 19 years old, Palestinian, currently starting my third year in Bachelors of Psychology (Honours), and am a disability support worker. My hobbies lay predominantly in music, as I am trained in classical, but I also love reading and travelling.

The reason why I joined the Beyond Blue forums, is due to its welcoming nature. I find that the forums are an open space to talk freely and to be heard. With my own experiences of anxiety, I know that just a small conversation can assist someone greatly. Through the anonymity, it creates a less daunting environment to share your feelings, and I wish I knew of this forum when I was going through my anxiety. I can not wait to share the forum to more people, spread awareness and support others.

I am excited to be more involved in the forums and to connect with you all x

[Beeee]

Hi everyone,

I’m ‘Beeee’ on the forums, I’ve just joined as a Community Champion! I’m grateful to have this opportunity to share my experience and hopefully make a positive impact on the experiences of others.

I’m a fourth-year psychology student, hoping to become a clinical psychologist. I love reading; Stephen King and Holly Black being some of my favourite authors. One way I like de-stressing is by painting. I’ve really been enjoying watercolours recently. I have a three-year-old nephew who is probably my best friend.

I was born with a hole in my heart and had open heart surgery on my first birthday. This lifelong experience has definitely shaped me. I think it in part contributed to my development of anxiety and OCD. I’ve recently begun my journey in therapy to work on this. In the past I had been afraid to seek help, not wanting to feel vulnerable or judged. I’ve since learned that seeking help is actually very empowering and it feels like a relief to be able to share my thoughts with someone else. I hope everyone on these forums can feel the same way as they seek help themselves.

Looking forward to connecting with you all.

Beeee 🙂

[livi_mivi]

Hey everybody,

It's so lovely to meet you all and hear all of your stories. I am so grateful and excited to be apart of this supportive and open community!

I am 21 years old and I am currently in my honours year for the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours). My hope after graduation is to be in a role which empowers people to achieve their best sense of self. Specifically, making sure that individuals feel heard, supported and understood is my main goal.

In my spare time, I love hanging out with those closest to me, especially my gorgeous little niece and indulging in a good book or movie. I have great pride in my cultural background and love learning skills including baking and sewing, from both of my nonnas (grandmothers).

I had always suffered with degrees of anxiety and depression through out my childhood and adolescent years but it really became quite prominent and debilitating once I started university. With a lot of time and effort and with the support of my psychologist, family, partner and friends, I was able to manage it much better and see the other side of it all. I am forever grateful to those that were there for me when I needed it most and I wish to be a beacon of hope to others who are suffering with it too.

I look forward to engaging with you all!