Living Library Videos
Introduction
The South Western Sydney Local Health District – Mental Wellbeing Team has worked with partner organisations to deliver digital Living Library videos to tackle stigma around mental illnesses and normalise help-seeking behaviours.
There is a selection of English-speaking videos from Aboriginal and multicultural community members, and in Arabic, Spanish and Vietnamese languages. These stories are from people experiencing mental health challenges, carers and service providers within mental health support services.
Merv shares his mental health journey as an Aboriginal Men’s group facilitator in south west Sydney. He shares the importance of safe spaces for Aboriginal men to support each other and how to manage self-care to maintain wellbeing.
May Lyn talks about her mental health recovery and self-care strategies as a Cambodian woman of a refugee background.
Aunty Dolly is a carer. She speaks about how her carer group and creative outlets supports her and her daughter. Aunty Dolly advocates for more open spaces to be able to have mental health conversations.
Sunil is a mental health professional with lived experience. He shares how he recovered and wanted to help others in their mental health journey. He stays physically active and meditates to manage his mental wellbeing.
Antonia speaks about being a carer of adult children and how she overcame stigma about reaching out for support services.
Fatimah shares her lived experience as an Uyghur woman and how mental health supports have helped her in her recovery.
Dallas is a mental health worker. As a clinician, she shares what she does to maintain mental wellbeing and what people can do about their own mental health.
Lily is a mental health peer support worker. She shares her lived experience as a migrant woman and recovery journey.
Victoria arrived from Chile as a refugee. She shares her story of escaping domestic violence and how her mental health recovery was supported by accessing mental health services. She shares her self-care practices in her plants and paintings.
Tareq describes his mental health journey as an Arabic speaking man. He shares his thoughts on managing his spirituality and mental health experiences with mental health services.
Cheryl is a carer and teacher. She describes her experiences with finding the supports for her family and herself.
Uncle Harry shares his personal mental health journey and insights gained through his work as a Mental Health Promotion Aboriginal Worker on Gundungurra Country. He reflects on the importance of staying connected to culture, Country, and community, and offers practical strategies he uses to support his own wellbeing. Uncle Harry’s story is a powerful reminder of the strength found in cultural identity and lived experience.
Disaster Recovery
Val is the founder of Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard in Camden, NSW which is an organisation that supports community members in various ways, including in times of natural disaster. Listen as Val and her husband Brian talk about their roles supporting the community and what they do to maintain their own wellbeing while helping others.
Judith and Paul’s property was destroyed by the 2019/2020 Bushfires which greatly impacted on their self sufficient lifestyle. They discuss their recovery journey involving the rebuilding their physical environment and what resilience meant for them along the way.
Gail’s home was repeatedly impacted by floods in the Greater Sydney region. She discusses the significant impact on her mental health and how she was able to utilise supports to find her way to a life she and her dog Randal can both enjoy.