Thoughts for Sydney

Hard to say @Gwynn because support can look different for everyone. Sometimes we have no idea what we can do - but we can still just say 'Hey, I don't know what I can say or do that will make you feel any better, but please know I am here for you.' That can, in itself mean the world to someone.

Hey @Gwynn Just be there for this person, let them know you care and be led by them. If they want to talk then you are there to listen, if they want to cry then hold their hand (if that is okay with them). There are certainly no hard and fast rules when dealing with grief - and add trauma into the mix, that makes it a bit harder. Just being yourself will no doubt be enough.

Hello, Ive just signed up to the forum because I needed a safe place to bring up how I'm feeling about the terrible attacks on people at Bondi.

My son has a schizophrenia diagnosis and has had seriously challenging behaviour in the past but is now thankfully on medication and in care.

When he had psychotic episodes it was plain for me to see that he was hallucinating and delusional which was quite frightening, but what scared me more was other people and their reaction s to my son's behaviour.

I was frightened that he would be attacked in retaliation or fear or shot by police. This anxiety I have rationalised over the years and pretty much dealt with but the news of those attacks brought those fears to the surface.

When I'm with my son I cant help but feel that we need to isolate from the community to be safe. To keep my son safe when his behaviour is different.

Hi, I have just read your post, sending lots of support. You should never feel that way with your son, and I'm sorry you do.

Hey @mouse1 - just letting you know I've moved your post over to this thread, where our community have been discussing the incident.

I'm so sorry that your son continues to face such stigma - many in our community have been deeply impacted by this incident. I think it's okay to isolate for a time so that you can both feel safe - though I wish you didn't have to of course. It's very undertandable that it has brought your fears back to the surface.

Do you have much in the way of mental health support for yourself? You could always give our support line a buzz if you wanted to chat to a counsellor about how you've been feeling. They're a very warm and supportive bunch - call 1800 187 263 (Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm).

Your son is lucky to have you looking out for him 💜

Hey @George_23 just a lil tip, if you want other members to be notified that you've responded, you can tag them - use the @ symbol and a drop down will appear, and you can choose their name. If their name isn't there, you can type it out and it should then appear for you to select, and it will show up in blue, like this: @mouse1

Hey @mouse1 It is a sad indictment on society and how much stigma and misunderstanding there is around MH and especially schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. It is even more difficult to get the help needed. We, here, are sitting with you and hoping by reaching out here you are able to get some peer support in what you are going through. No judgement whatsoever from this community - just compassion and care for both you and your son ❤️

[Edited by moderator] My mental illness was a direct result of the conditions of society. We are not going to accept from society the message that we need to just put up and shut up about major injustices which are occurring continuously in society, which leads to mental health problems.

yes, you are right. My son had interaction with police years ago and I was told then by police that my son was either mad or bad and will inevitably be on the revolving door of going in and out of goal. At the time I replied that it was not going to happen because he was neither, just unwell and that he needed a diagnosis and support. Fortunately by sheer force of will we made it through the nightmare that it was and he now lives in care with medical support.

Community expectations remain the same however, of what normal behavior looks like and can often determine the outcomes in community interactions.

Its like rolling the dice with your life.