My name's Catherine. I live in Darwin and I'm here at my place which is a space for
people with mental health issues. This is something that I have been dealing
with since I was a young person although I wasn't actually diagnosed until I was
in my 30s. I've been a homeless person you know and all that entails you know
that trying to find somewhere to have a shower and stuff like that and you know
being judged for for my appearance having you know the mental illness that
I that I do I'm here because it's a safe space to be and safety to me is about
acceptance for people for who they are and what they are and being free to be
yourself in a space so whatever it is that is that expression of themselves
you know we all accept everyone for who they are here and all that's expected of
us here is that we respect each person you know client and staff my place itself
it's beautiful but undefunded give us something real you know something that
really does help us fit into society a lot of the problems in society that
don't stem from us that are marginalised and at the bottom of the society
people with mental illness are far more likely to get killed or to commit
suicide than to harm another person we know from experiencing harm from others
you know unless they're doing something bad to you don't don't hassle them don't
be cruel to them you know don't make yourself feel big but by picking on the
black person or the disabled person or the person that's sitting on the bus
talking to their invisible friend what I would like people to take from this is
you know acceptance accept people for who they are and for what they are and
remember we're all equal we're all good people keep going
