ONE EIGHTY

I really enjoy being a facilitator. It’s always humbling to share the space with other people who bring their unique life experiences with them. It's also great to see participants so intent on listening, supporting and empathising with one another.

As a paramedic, we quickly learn that mental health emergencies do not discriminate. It can affect people of all ages and from all walks of life. In past years, there has been a dramatic increase in mental health awareness and positive changes to the way in which we approach it in the public, removing stigma’s and starting conversations.

You don’t have to tell someone everything straight away. You can just simply say, “I don’t want to talk about it right now, but I am really struggling at the moment.” This allows those close to you to know what is happening and starts to open the door.

And yet, this was only a fleeting moment of success, once the euphoria of the presentation had passed, I was once again filled with a void. I began questioning my purpose, what the hell was I doing in the South of France?

“And also stop trying to please others. In the end we only get this one life, so why waste it apologising for being who we are.”

“I would say, just wait for what's ahead because you'll find yourself surrounded by love and acceptance, being a lesbian is f*cking liberating, and I love you”

“it was so instilled to me, implicitly – it wasn’t explicitly – but it was this idea that ‘you can’t be gay, being gay is bad.”

Curated by One Eighty ambassadors Ocean Alley, ADFTB raised money and awareness for One Eighty and Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

The Indigo Project designs toolkits help people dealing with Anxiety, Depression, Relationships and Stress.

If you’ve got a dream and you’re chasing that shit, those are the kind of people I surround myself with. Be the kid who decided to go for it.