Topic Tuesday // Your mental health and the recent bushfires // Tues 28 Jan, 7pm AEST

Welcome @Joy139 to the forum and our topic today on bushfires. I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been for you as a new member of the police force having to manage such a devestating crisis. You bring up a good point about feeling the need to put on a 'poker face' as there are people who insensitively feel that because a trauma was a long time ago 'you must be over it'. I'm so glad to hear that you're getting professional support and it's a great reminder that there is no timeline to seeking help for traumatic experiences. Thanks so much for sharing your story 🙂

I've had insomnia some weeks, sleeping a lot other weeks, and retreating into watching tv a lot.

Watching Brooklyn 99, a comedy I really love, has been a good distraction for me.

Thank you @Former-Member.

This has been just a small part of unpacking events that caused me trauma over nearly 15 years service after trauma symptoms emerged late last year but very significant. I am making a huge effort to avoid the what it's and concentrating on now and each step forward...if I could change anything it would be having decent counselling back then. To everyone here tonight, my best wishes to each of you, your families, friends and community members.

As we can tell, from the many different impacts we have been sharing. The long term recovery of this is going to be a journey – what are the strengths that you can draw on to help through that process?

@greenspace you paint an excellent picture but challenging one of how this situation impacts us all in so many different ways. It can hit us on a personal level but also we start thinking about the big picture and can feel disillusioned with politicians etc as you pointed out and the state of our future. How have you managed @greenspace because now you have got sick, it's a real sign hey that the stress is now manifesting with a physical illness. I hope you're getting the support you need.

Bush fire recovery needs time. We don’t have to do everything now, that’s not how recovery works as many of you with a lived experience will understand. Healing and recovery is a slow process and it’s a journey, not a linear process. We will have ups and downs, go forward and then regress and go forward again. Much like the journey with your mental health, if you have been wounded, healing takes time and you may make a full recovery or be left with a scar, a reminder of what’s happened in your life and your mental health becomes part of the tapestry of who you are. If the bushfires have triggered you and impacted your mental health, acknowledge this. Your nervous symptom will have been compromised again and wounds may be re-opened. Awareness of what’s happening is helpful. Honouring your distress, not giving yourself a hard time is important. Go slow.

These situations require us to sit with the situation. It’s a bit like the trees that have been damaged during the fires. They remain standing and slowly we will see regrowth but it takes time. Be kind to yourself. Maybe draw on your own journeys and the strengths you already have.

Thank you @Former-Member. if I take anything away from the experience it would be early intervention, which wasn't really there back in 1983. As well as that, to understand little things like being on alert with the smell of fire in rural areas was a trigger that I didn't recognise for what it was.

Yeah @Joy139 we have definitely come along way in understanding trauma and how to respond to it without retraumatising. It sounds like you're doing a lot of lovely work on yourself...all the best for your recovery

Ooohhhh I really love your metaphor @Former-Member re the trees. It's a great reminder that just like trees, we too come from nature and with the right environment and resources, will also heal and recover

@Joy139 And thank-you for your service and self-sacrifice that you have made in your work. I hope that in your process of counselling and healing you will acknowledge your strengths and in time to come your pain will be a gift to others.