Thanarru Members

Today is R U Ok? Day, a day for checking in with your family, friends and work mates to help us all look after our mental health.

It’s a very simple but powerful concept. All we have to do is ask someone we care about: “Are you ok?” – and see where the conversation goes.

There are two reasons we are getting right behind this. Firstly, it’s good for everyone to have open conversations about mental health. We all have our days where we are feeling a bit down about things. For some of us, those feelings last longer than a few days and can be very serious.

The second reason is that our people generally have much poorer mental health than other people in Australia, which can lead to devastating outcomes for individuals and families.

It doesn’t matter what the situation is though – if someone asks if we are ok, we’ll feel better because we know someone cares about us, and if we answer the question honestly it might also lead to us take steps to getting some help, if we need it.

These conversations can be tricky, however there are some great resources around to help guide these conversations and what to do if someone you know needs help.

Stronger Together I R U OK? Provides resources like videos, posters, a conversation guide and more to encourage people to engage and offer support to their family, friends and colleagues who may be struggling.

https://www.13yarn.org.au/ Thirteen YARN is a national crisis support line for Aboriginal people who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping. They offer a confidential one-on-one yarning opportunity with a Lifeline-trained Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter who can provide crisis support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Of course mental health and wellbeing issues are important to address every day of the year. As a reminder you can access mental health support via IBN’s health community programs however support is also available via your local GP or Aboriginal Medical Centre

Remember a conversation can save a life. Let’s look out for each other and check in today. Ok?