Mental health issues can affect anyone - even those we perceive to be the strongest.
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Most people in the community know proud Gunditjmara Keerraay Woorroong DjabWurrung woman Sissy Austin as a strong woman with a powerful Aboriginal voice.
Sissy has taken on many responsibilities in the past few years and coupled with a combination of recent personal challenges, she has come to experience severe burn-out leading to a serious mental breakdown.
Speaking to The Courier, her younger brother Will Austin explained that anybody could struggle with their mental health and stressed the importance of supporting loved ones to seek help.
Currently in her second inpatient stay at a mental health ward after attempting to take her life twice in the last 10-weeks, Sissy recently opened up about her mental health issues on social media.
She said she did not want sympathy but instead wanted people to understand the effect burn-out could have on an individual.
"I want you to understand that burn-out happens, burn-out is real and it can kill. I am so broken - I have never felt so broken in my life."
I want you to understand that burn-out happens, burn-out is real and it can kill. I am so broken - I have never felt so broken in my life
- Sissy Austin
Mr Austin said his sister invested so much of her time into looking after others: through her work as a paralegal support worker, as a kinship carer for their younger cousin as well as through her "endless advocacy" pushing for grassroots community change.
But as a result, she had not prioritised her own health.
Sissy's heartfelt post continued by saying that the pain she was suffering was deep and "really hurt" but it was now time for her to put her own needs first.
"My heart is hurting. Because I never prioritised me, the ones closest to me are suffering," she wrote.
"Mental health is real. It isn't some shiny campaign or a sticker on your laptop - it is blood, sweat and tears. It is deep vulnerability and when it breaks down it is a pain like no other."
When she came home after her first admission, she was stressed about returning to work so she could pay her bills, making her very unsettled. This time around, her brother wants it to be different.
While the family is still working out how they can best support Sissy in her recovery, a few days ago Mr Austin created a Go Fund Me fundraiser in an effort to ease some of his sister's financial pressures.
By raising the funds, he hopes to renovate an old caravan to be Sissy's home for the foreseeable future as well as pay off some of her bills: a lease break fee (she can no longer afford rent), outstanding utility bills, ambulance costs and to cover some temporary loan repayments that she is currently unable to pay.
"As a family, we want to eliminate some of those burdens so she can just focus on herself and getting herself better," he said.
While the fundraiser was only posted at the weekend, more than $14,000 has already been raised.
Mr Austin said he and his family were "overwhelmed" by this and that the community's support was deeply appreciated.
Believing the outpouring of support to be representative of the network of people that his sister has positively influenced throughout her life, he said a wide range of people had donated and sent him kind messages - from school friends who had expressed how much they admire Sissy and her leadership to others she has worked with.
"I think it's representative of a lot of the connections that she's got within the community and those people really want to rally behind her," he said.
Mr Austin said Sissy was still in a dark place so hadn't responded to many people, but was reading all of the comments and was very grateful for the support.
He said his sister, who is only aged in her mid-20s, had a long road of healing ahead of her and any additional funds would go towards her journey of self-care and healing.
Mr Austin said he had not understood the impact that mental illness or attempted suicide could have until he almost lost his sister and described it as a "shattering" feeling.
In her post, Sissy encouraged her followers to reach out to their loves ones and Mr Austin reiterated this message.
Adding that Sissy was perceived as a "strong warrior" who everyone leaned on for support and who seemed strong enough to cope with so much on her plate, he said that even the strongest people could reach their breaking point.
"Things can kind of go from really perfect one day to the story being a lot different the next day. Mental illness can affect anyone.
I'd just say to people to hold your loved ones close and to check-in on them - watch out for any indicators they might be struggling, where you might be able to intervene and provide support early.
- Will Austin
"So I'd just say to people to hold your loved ones close and to check-in on them - watch out for any indicators they might be struggling, where you might be able to intervene and provide support early."
Chief Executive of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc (VACCHO), Jill Gallagher AO, said this year had been one of the hardest years many of us had ever experienced.
She said VACCHO's 32 members and other Aboriginal statewide services had been on the front foot dealing with mental health issues throughout COVID-19.
Earlier this year, a Coroners Court of Victoria report revealed that Indigenous Victorians had died by suicide at twice the rate of the state's non-Indigenous population in the past decade. Almost 60 per cent of these deaths occurred in regional areas, with 65 per cent of female suicides women aged between 18 and 34.
Related coverage: Digging deep in Ballarat to help Indigenous suicide rate
Based on data trends, the Coroners Court of Victoria's Koori Unit is forecasting that the Victorian Aboriginal suicide rate will increase by 10-15 per cent this year from the 2019 figure.
Ms Gallagher encouraged anyone in need of support to reach out for it, addng that there was increasing funding for Aboriginal mental health support.
Donate to the Go Fund Me here: www.gofundme.com/f/sissy-austin-recovery
- If you or someone you know is in need of crisis support, phone Lifeline 13 11 14. Help is also available via Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au , Suicide Callback Service: 1300 659 467, Headspace Ballarat (for 12-25s and parent support): 5304 4777 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
- Aboriginal crisis support: is available through Yarning SafeNStrong on 1800 959 563 (hours are now 24/7). Dardi Munwurro, also offers 24-hour culturally capable support for Aboriginal men on 1800 435 799