15/04/2024
This is a serious post. TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS! My friend is advocating for CHANGE in the system. This is a tough gig and needs more awareness and support.
Like everyone else, my heart breaks for the 6 innocent shoppers that were murdered this weekend. It is impossible for me not to be triggered, as my mum, dad and brother Mark were stabbed in their sleep by my brother David who also suffered with Schizophrenia. My comments are raw as I can empathize with the murder’s family and the family of the people that were stabbed.
Only this week myself and a small group I am apart of meet with the Attorney General for our second time, wanting to bring awareness to not only how failed our mental health system is but also the lack of support for victims. Truth is this problem isn’t sexy, it doesn’t win votes and there isn’t an easy fix. It seems it is so easy to sweep this issue under the rug. Our group, Wonderful Woman, is made of 6 woman and we keep asking for appointments with different politicians and public servants, we keep hitting brick walls, it is draining and more. It takes away time from work, time from our families and this week time away while I am holidays but we will absolutely not stop. For we want these senseless murders to be prevented where possible. We want change to at least attempt to reduce the amount of murders at the hands of people who are known to have serious mental health issues.
Are you shocked at these murders this weekend? Do you think this shouldn’t happen and it would never happen to your family or friends? Fact is 3 people are murdered A WEEK in NSW, so I ask you again, are you shocked that these murders happened? If the answer is yes, why?
23 years ago my brothers mental illness came to a head, after years and years of my family trying to get David help he was denied or token attempts were made but never a change in his mental illness. I would expect that every mentally ill person that murders, their family would not be surprised. But we find ourselves living in a system that mentally ill people cannot be supported until they prove to be a danger. Read that again!
Read more in the comments please....
