Running to Reach Out

After getting an amazing response from a social media post I made highlighting how important depression awareness is, I was inspired to help people in my community who related to it.

I will be running the Queenstown half Marathon on November 18th and am aiming to do it in under two hours. I wanted to use this opportunity to raise money for members of the community who are affected by depression. As part of this I would like people to reach out to me on behalf of themselves or others, tell me your story and I will listen. I will then use the money raised to help as many people as I can; this could be paying for counselor sessions, for child care to give someone some time to themselves, a cleaner to take the pressure off, a flight to get away, whatever suits the situation. If you know of someone who could benefit from someone reaching out then let me know, and if you have any suggestions on what would help then include that too.

The more money I raise the more people I can help.

This is the post that I made:

"So, I went for a run today, and those of you who know me well know that it’s not something I generally enjoy doing! But I had to do something, and I couldn’t bare to think of the alternatives. While on my run I reflected on the last few months and felt like there was a lot worth sharing. Again, people who know me well know that I don’t generally post personal insights on social media, but I feel like this message is an important one and one that everyone should consider.

There are so many people out there who find themselves in dark places and think that they are alone. Mental illness, depression, and suicide are subjects that people avoid talking about for many reasons, but nothing is going to change unless we change the way that we approach the issue. Let’s stop ignoring it, and instead, let’s talk about it to break the taboo. Not only is it hard for the person, feeling like there’s no light left in the world, but it’s hard for the people who care about them to see them sad or in pain too. If the subject was spoken about more openly then we can help people understand what to do, and make a real difference to peoples lives, in some cases save them. This is the message I want to put out there:

- Be aware: If someone you know has gone quiet, or is behaving differently, then reach out to them as they may not have the strength to reach out to you.

- Reaching out takes a tremendous amount of strength, it is NOT a sign of weakness. If someone reaches out to you, don’t ignore it.

- People don’t need to be ‘fixed’, they just need to be heard and understood.

- If someone you care about is depressed, the way to help them may not be to ‘cheer them up’. Accept and acknowledge their sadness and let them know that they are not alone. Sometimes all it takes is being there, watching a movie with them, holding them in silence and waiting until they are ready to talk, or cry. If you can’t be there physically then let them know that you see them, you support them, and that they aren’t alone.

I am so blessed to have the support of amazing friends and family, I couldn’t have made it this far without them. If you are reading this and are feeling concerned about me then please don’t be, I’m OK. Instead, look out for the people who are quiet, who don’t have the strength to say all of this, they are the ones who need you.

If you are reading this and want to talk, then I’m here to listen."

I will distribute the money according to nominations from the community. I will be providing support for people struggling with the effects of depression or suicide. This will be through paying for counselling, travel to see family, babysitters or cleaners to give people space and time. I am planning to use the money however is best effective for each case. If I end up with anything left over I will donate it to YouthLine. Depending on how this goes and how much support I get I will consider starting a community organisation to do ongoing work.