Empower Yourself, Empower Others - OCD and Anxiety Living Library Event

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/BuNWp1bL0nc 

Come join us at the Pearl Cove library to observe OCD and Anxiety Disorders Month with our Human Living Library event! 

Have you experienced any OCD or Anxiety disorders? Do you know of a loved one who needs help with these particular issues? Or are you just curious to learn more about mental health? Well this event might just be for you! 

The Pearl Cove Library is honoured to be hosting a living library event to start a conversation about mental health issues which are silently affecting many of us and our loved ones. One in five (20%) of Australians aged 16-85  experience mental illness in any given year, with Indigenous and immigrant communites being much more at risk. OCD and Anxiety sufferers form a major part of these statistics and we hope to create a safe space at the library to have an open conversation about these issues.

What is a Human Living Library? 

A living library is where a person takes the form of a 'book' and another person 'borrows' them to listen to their story. Unlike a regular book though, a human book is more interactive and you may ask questions to learn more about them! It is becoming a very popular way to learn about others from diverse backgrounds and connecting people from all walks of life.

Who are our books for this event?

A 38 year old Indigenous representative from the Black Dog institute's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Network who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A 19 year old who experiences social anxiety disorder

A 45 year old refugee who experiences Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from war-torn Syria

A 67 year old woman who has lived with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

A 28 year old from the Chinese-speaking community who deals with OCD and GAD

Key Event Details:

Date - 20th August

Time - 1pm to 4pm

Location - Pearl Cove Library, Main Floor

Booking - please book at Eventbrite

Contact Info - Please call 9999 9999 or email us at pearlcovelibevents@librarymail.com.au

A $4 library cafe voucher is provided with your ticket!

Further Information:

Please visit https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/resources-support/anxiety/ for more information on OCD and Anxiety.

We hope to see you there!

James Pozzar

You're Not Alone!

 

Retrieved from: https://tinyurl.com/wshd8w2m

If you have a mental health condition or someone who has it then fear not! For you are not alone! 

Mental Health issues are more prevalent in our social today than in any other point in human history and according to Beyond Blue, it is estimated that 45% of Australians will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. 

In this Human library event you'll hear extraordinary stories from our books and how they've dealt with mental health problems or their experiences working with people with those issues. The purpose of these stories is to make you aware, educated, open-minded and rethink stereotypes in regard to mental health.

What is a Human Library?

It's like a normal library but the books are human volunteers that specialize in a subject like mental health just like in this event and library guests can borrow them then listen to their story, ask them questions and engage in open conversations that you wouldn't normally have. The goal of a human library is to educate, encourage open-mindedness, encourage diversity, and crush stereotypes.

Details

When:  Sunday October 10^th, 12pm-2:20PM

Where: Pearl Cove Library

Bookings

You can book here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/

For further information

please contact: 5555 555 555 or email us at Library@pearlcove.nsw.gov.au 

Beyond Blue:  https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts

John Bingle (student number: 880601390)

Mental Health Matters Event

                                                                                                             

MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS 

Photo retrieved from: https://www.sydneytimes.net.au/councils-focus-on-mental-health-during-covid-19-outbreak/ 

This October is Mental Health Month. In order to increase awareness and spread important knowledge Pearl Cove Library is holding a Human Living Library. Mental Health is an increasingly frequent issue experienced by many Australian teenagers. According to Beyond Blue “Half of all mental health conditions we experience at some point in our lives have started by age 14”. 

Human Living Library:

A Human Living Library is an event where instead of borrowing book you borrow people! At this event the book are people. You will be having discussions with the books in order to gain a better understanding of mental health. The purpose of these events is to challenge the preconceived ideas you have surrounding mental illnesses and those who suffer from them. 

Details:

Date: Friday the 29th of October 2021 

Time: 5:30-7:30pm 

Location: Peal Cove Library (The Pearl Room)

Booking:

Tickets cost $1o per person. 

If you are interested please book online here

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us. 

Email: pearcovelibraryenquiries@gmail.com or

Phone: 02 5633 4049

Links:

Beyond Blue statistics: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/media/statistics 

Human Living Library: https://humanlibrary.org/

 

Olivia McCarthy 

Rehumanising Mental Health

 Rehumanising Mental Health

A Human Library event at Pearl Cove Library

 

 Mental Health and Human Libraries

The National Health Survey (2017-18) indicated that roughly one in five Australians suffers from a mental or behavioural condition. Despite how common mental health issues are, many people suffering from these issues feel too embarrassed to talk openly about their problems, or fear stigmatisation should they do so. This denies them one of the most important assets in combating mental health issues - the ability to openly express and be themselves without fear of censure.

The Human Library Organisation is a movement designed to combat stereotypes and preconceived judgements by facilitating conversations between people who believes in those stereotypes and the people who are implicated by them in a safe environment designed to promote open and candid discussion.

In recognition of the ongoing National Mental Health Month, Pearl Cove Library is proud to announce a Human Library event focusing on mental health matters.

 

At our event you will have the opportunity to engage in frank and meaningful conversation with four "human books", who either themselves experience or have experienced mental health issues or have worked extensively with people who experience mental health issues.

If you feel that you don't totally understand the amazing complexity of mental health, or want an opportunity to talk about your own experiences with someone who will understand, this is the event for you!

 

Event Details

Date and Time - Saturday the 16th of October, 11 am - 1 pm 

Venue - The Pearl Cove Library cafe

Admission - FREE! 

Booking

Please book through Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/pearl-cove-library-rehumanising-mental-health

For any further assistance, please contact our event co-ordinator, Lilly Leal, at 04XXXXXXXX or at lillyl2@pcl.nsw.gov.au

We are only accepting 25 attendees for this event. Book fast to ensure you'll be able to attend!

 

Further Information

Mental Health Month - https://www.mhfa.org.au/cms/national-mental-health-month-2021

Human Libraries - https://humanlibrary.org/   

Australian Mental Health Statistics - https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/mental-health

 

 

Max Sibrits, Student number: 808418631 

“A small step for personal growth, one giant leap for mental health!”

World Mental Health Day

https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-eutbz/download

The event

Pearl Cove Library is hosting a Human Library event in conjunction with World Mental Health Day. The purpose of this is to see mental health and its related concerns through another person's eyes by speaking with four guest 'Books' to discover a variety of opinions and stories related to the purpose of the event.  

The "Human Library" event will allow you to express ideas and opinions without fear of judgement. Explore the importance of diversity and encourage the acceptance of others, regardless of their personal histories. Engage in discussion to challenge stigmas about people with mental health and promote the importance of positive mental health. 

All discussions are private between the "Books" and individuals guests. The views and opinions of the "Books" may not reflect your own but we encourage guests to keep an open mind as well as be kind and respectful to all of those in attendance.  

Books 

The term "book" refers to a person that will be speaking at the event and they will have one-on-one discussions with guests regarding the theme of the event. 

The first "Book" at the event is Eva Thompson. She is an elderly woman aged 75, who lives by herself, and her children and grandchildren do not visit often. She also doesn't get to see friends and acquaintances often, and becomes quite lonely because of it. 

The second "Book" is a single father of two young children, Miles Walker. The mental health of a parent, can sometimes be overlooked and not spoken enough of, especially in a situation where they are the sole carer of young children. Parents need to be supported so that they are able to help their child become the best versions of themselves. 

The third "Book" is 20 year-old student Casey Hayes that identifies themselves with the pronouns they/them. This person holds significance to the event because there are some people that do not agree with the significance of the morals that the LGBTQI+ community spreads, and they occasionally may find a negative factor to invalidate a persons beliefs and undermine their happiness. 

The fourth and final book that will be featured in the event is, Professor Patricia Dudgeon. Professor Dudgeon is a part of the Bardi people of the Kimberly area in Western Australia. She is known for her research that includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention. She is also the co-chair of the Ministerial Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Advisory Group.

Event bookings

Day and time: Saturday October 9, 2021 at 10:00 am to 03:00 pm. 

Location: Pearl Cove Library courtyard and Group study room.

Cost: $2 - Cost covers a donation for a gift for each "Book".

Bookings: Bookings are completed through the Eventbrite website. 

Each individual booking will allocate a session for a total of 20 minutes. 

1 booking per person.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/pearl-cove-library-world-mental-health-day-47065/

Further information

The following links will take you to further information about the purpose of the Human Library cause and mental health support agencies in Australia which may provide resources that can be used in personal situations. 

• https://www.humanlibraryaus.org/about 
• https://mhaustralia.org/about-us
• https://www.onedoor.org.au/advocacy
• https://www.gayaadhuwi.org.au/about-us/
• https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

Sophia EL MOHAMAD