A global field guide to design, (life)style and secret finds est. 2007
For Robin
I made this poster this weekend as a tribute to the marvellous Robin Williams and his rainbow-suspenders-wearing character, Mork. I thought some of you might like it, too. Just click the image above and save to your computer to download and print on to A4 paper. You might like to use a heavier stock if you want to hang it on the wall.
You may have noticed that when I recently relaunched Wee Birdy, I chose two 'charities' to link to in my sidebar. One of them is actually a not-for-profit Australian organisation, The Black Dog Institute, which is a world leader in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.
The Black Dog Institute aims to improve the quality of life for those living with mood disorders, and they are doing some important and vital research into depression and suicide prevention.
Acccording to The Black Dog Institute, "Suicide is the most common cause of death in Australians aged 15-44 years. Australian young people are more likely to take their own life than die from motor vehicle accidents or skin cancer. Every year 400,000 Australians experience suicidal thoughts, 65,000 make suicide attempts, 35,000 are admitted to hospital for suicide-related injuries and 2,500 die. Suicide is recognised as a public health crisis both in Australia and around the world."
Next time you vote, you might like to find out where your MP or political party stands on mental health issues, and exactly what plans and strategies they have in place for improving public access to better mental health facilities. Personally, I think we need to put money into providing better support for people having an emergency mental health crisis. Simply relying on family, friends, or our over-burdened public emergency departments isn't good enough. We need better emergency mental health facilities, and we need them now.
The permanent link in my right-hand sidebar links to Team Black Dog, which allows you to donate money or fundraise for The Black Dog Institute. Their clinical and research services are mainly funded by the government, however, their education programs rely heavily on the support of individuals, community and corporate supporters. Please check it out and think about donating to the The Black Dog Institute.
I know this is fairly off-topic for Wee Birdy, but I can't ignore this issue when I have this opportunity to spread the word about incredibly important organisations like The Black Dog Institute. They believe that people deserve peace of mind.
Like so many of you, I'm devastated that Robin didn't have peace of mind. I'm upset that like so many other people with depression and anxiety, he felt desperate after enduring what must have been unimaginable pain and mental torture. Rest in peace, Robin.
p.s. Need help? The Black Dog Institute also has some excellent advice and information for people who need help with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
I made this poster this weekend as a tribute to the marvellous Robin Williams and his rainbow-suspenders-wearing character, Mork. I thought some of you might like it, too. Just click the image above and save to your computer to download and print on to A4 paper. You might like to use a heavier stock if you want to hang it on the wall.
You may have noticed that when I recently relaunched Wee Birdy, I chose two 'charities' to link to in my sidebar. One of them is actually a not-for-profit Australian organisation, The Black Dog Institute, which is a world leader in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.
The Black Dog Institute aims to improve the quality of life for those living with mood disorders, and they are doing some important and vital research into depression and suicide prevention.
Acccording to The Black Dog Institute, "Suicide is the most common cause of death in Australians aged 15-44 years. Australian young people are more likely to take their own life than die from motor vehicle accidents or skin cancer. Every year 400,000 Australians experience suicidal thoughts, 65,000 make suicide attempts, 35,000 are admitted to hospital for suicide-related injuries and 2,500 die. Suicide is recognised as a public health crisis both in Australia and around the world."
Next time you vote, you might like to find out where your MP or political party stands on mental health issues, and exactly what plans and strategies they have in place for improving public access to better mental health facilities. Personally, I think we need to put money into providing better support for people having an emergency mental health crisis. Simply relying on family, friends, or our over-burdened public emergency departments isn't good enough. We need better emergency mental health facilities, and we need them now.
The permanent link in my right-hand sidebar links to Team Black Dog, which allows you to donate money or fundraise for The Black Dog Institute. Their clinical and research services are mainly funded by the government, however, their education programs rely heavily on the support of individuals, community and corporate supporters. Please check it out and think about donating to the The Black Dog Institute.
I know this is fairly off-topic for Wee Birdy, but I can't ignore this issue when I have this opportunity to spread the word about incredibly important organisations like The Black Dog Institute. They believe that people deserve peace of mind.
Like so many of you, I'm devastated that Robin didn't have peace of mind. I'm upset that like so many other people with depression and anxiety, he felt desperate after enduring what must have been unimaginable pain and mental torture. Rest in peace, Robin.
p.s. Need help? The Black Dog Institute also has some excellent advice and information for people who need help with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
