60 minutes

Last night I watched a story on 60 minutes about Perth newsreader Charmaine Dragun.  Battling mental illness for more than a decade she was unable to fight any more and took her life at the notorious Sydney suicide spot, The Gap.

There were a couple of things that really stood out to me in this story and what stood out most was how easy it is to look at the face people put on to show the world.  From any outsider looking in this girl from Perth had it all.  She was in love, had a wonderful loving family, a glamorous job and yet she still had so much hurt and anguish and pain she just wanted it to end and she did it the only way she knew how.  Watching her, she appears so confident and beautiful ,with the world at her feet.  I think of the lyrics from one of my favourite Smokey Robinson songs, "Now there's some sad things known to man.  But ain't too much sadder than the tears of a clown, when there's no one around"

Charmaine's mother made mention that Charmaine blamed herself for being sick and asked "Why?  Why did she blame herself?"  The analogy was made that a person with heart disease doesn't feel the need to blame themselves (unless I guess they've been on a cheeseburger diet!  another story...  ;) ) and yet a person with a depressive illness is likely to blame themselves for being that way.

Both these things come done to one thing I think.  Stigma.
The stigma that if you have depression you are weak.
The stigma that if you are bipolar you are 'looney'.
The stigma that if you've lost a loved one to suicide you can not share your grief freely.
Stigma.

This MUST change.  It HAS to.

If you need to speak to someone remember Lifeline is only a phonecall away - 13 11 14