Mental health is slowly coming out of the shadows but it is not yet a dinner table conversation many of us are having.
One local MP has decided to help hurry up the process a little by hosting a forum on mental health to talk about the challenges and possible solutions.
Last year’s inaugural forum on young people and anxiety hosted by the Member for Macquarie Fields Anoulack Chanthivong was a huge success, with hundreds of locals attending.
The second forum, to be on June 21, will focus on body image and eating disorders.
It will be hosted in partnership with local mental health advocate, Sandra McDonald, of Beautiful Minds and One Door Mental Health and feature speakers from The Butterfly Foundation for Eating Disorders and headspace Campbelltown.
The forum will also include a question and answer session.
Sandra McDonald said she was looking forward to another opportunity to “bring mental health out of the shadows and into the light’’.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Forums such as this are essential to giving mental health the level of attention it deserves, while raising awareness of the support services available in the local community,’’ she said.[/social_quote]
“I’m grateful to Anoulack for highlighting this important issue and for his continued support of mental health.”
More than one million Australians live with an eating disorder, with concerns over body image ranked in the top three concerns for young people.
Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness.
Yet people with eating disorders can make a full recovery, if they get proper treatment.
The upcoming forum is an opportunity to raise awareness of the issue and promote the local services available to assist those living with an eating disorder or concerned about body image.
The event will also be useful for carers, teachers, counsellors or anyone seeking information on eating disorders or body image.
Mr Chanthivong said that there was overwhelming evidence that early intervention and access to support services and treatment saves lives.
“Eating disorders are complex mental health illnesses that require a collaborative approach and a supportive environment to assist recovery,’’ he said.
“I look forward to working with Sandra McDonald and other partners in delivering this important community information evening.
“The message we want to send is that mental health matters.
“The more conversations we have on mental health, the more barriers we can break down and provide much needed support,” Mr Chanthivong said.
The forum will be held at the Greg Percival Community Centre in Ingleburn on Thursday, June 21, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm (doors open from 6pm for refreshments and information stalls).
The event is free, however, bookings are essential. Register your interest at macquariefields@parliament.nsw.gov.au or phone 9618 2077.
