Topic Tuesday // Stigma// Tues 14 May, 7pm AEST

[Fracturedlight]

@BlueBay @Teej I'm slowly learning too that not everyone has a right to know your story. We can pick and choose who are lucky enough to hear it. We are all unique individuals with amazing stories and our strength and courage should be celebrated with those we feel would benefit from hearing about what goes on in our lives. I am still learning and have learnt the had way that not everyone values your story.

[BlueBay]

@Former-Member  I understand what you’re saying. I feel ashamed and embarrassed with my diagnosis 

[Fracturedlight]

@Owlunar yes....first time on here tonight. So glad to have had the pleasure of all your company. I feel understood and very welcomed. So thank you everyone

[Teej]

So true @Fracturedlight . Not everyone does need to know our story 😊. 

[Zoe7]

Alongside that @Fracturedlight is that not everyone needs to know our stories - we should be accepted for who we are and not devalued for having a MI

[Former-Member]

I am so sorry those feelings get triggered by stigma @Former-Member - good that you take this to therapy to check in on 

Thanks also to everyone else - your ideas and insights on self care are so important. We like to prompt sharing these in most Topic Tuesdays so that we can all possibly learn from each other as our own self care has to come first!

[Fracturedlight]

@Zoe7 yes totally agree!!! Hopefully one day soon.

[Zoe7]

It has been a real pleasure having your input here tonight @Fracturedlight and I hope we see you more around the forum - I think you have a lot to offer here 

[Former-Member]

Thanks @Former-Member @Former-Member for the discussion tonight and to everyone who participated. I feel less alone tonight x

[Former-Member]

Can't believe it is 9pm already! 

It’s time to finish tonights event – thank you so much to everyone that came along and shared. I wanted to just say the vulnerability in this discussion has been so meaningful and valuable, thank you for that. This topic is a challenging one in that we can’t fix it overnight, but having conversations like we have had tonight let’s us know that it is a shared challenge and one we will all continue to work on. It was wonderful to learn about the StigmaWatch program too – make sure you check out the video to learn more here.

Along with Stigma Watch SANE Australia has a few other iniatives around Stigma that are definietley worth checking out below along with the stigma fact sheet. While this conversation for the event will close here – please do feel free to start up a thread or continue this topic of thoughts and insights in the other forum areas!

• Stigma Report Card and also the Media release around this initiative here 
• Stigma Pledge Campaign 
• Stigma fact sheet