Mental health is a buzzword these days. 1 in 5 Australians experience mental illness at some point in their lives. According to the latest census, if you share an office with 12 people, 1 person will have long term mental health issues. 

Yet at the same time, it can be overwhelming. Like having a big sign on my forehead: “I am depressed, anxious and manic/bipolar”. It feels like my mental illness dictates and limits my capacity of what I can and can’t do. It determines how my brain and body functions, as well as my mood and energy levels. My mental illness forms a large part of who I am, how I see myself, and my very identity.

Yet I’m reminded that having mental illness is not my ultimate identity. A helpful government website offers this advice: “Remember that the person is more than their mental illness. Reminding the person about who they are and what they enjoy can help them (and you) separate their identity from their illness”.