Human Library Event - Speak Your Mind: Conversations on Youth Mental Health

 

This October, join us at Azure Beach Library as we hold our first Human Library Event to celebrate Mental Health Month for Youth!

Image credit: The People Speak!

What is Mental Health Month?
Mental Health Month is celebrated in October every year and provides people with an opportunity to learn more about mental health and encourages them to seek help when they need it.

What is this event about?
In accordance with the rise of mental health cases affecting the youth today, Azure Beach Library has decided to hold a Human Library Event to help spread awareness on various mental health issues in today’s youth.

Partnering up with the Human Library Organisation, Azure Beach Library has invited 6 people (known as “Books” in this event) who have either lived experiences or are mental health experts in the following topics:
•    Anxiety
•    Depression
•    Body dysmorphia
•    Eating disorders
•    Schizophrenia
•    OCD

Young people coming to this event (those living with mental health issues, or friends and family of young people with mental health issues) will have the opportunity to “borrow” these Books and have a conversation with them in a safe, open and inclusive space.

Azure Beach Library hopes this event will challenge people’s views around mental health and erase negative stigma, as well as providing a safe space for the youth to seek help and access resources.

 

 

Date: Saturday 5 October 2024

Time: 10:30am - 1:45pm

Location: Azure Beach Library, in the Azure Room

Cost: Free

Booking information: Bookings are essential.

Please register via the Eventbrite link here, or contact Azure Beach Library here.

Please be advised you must be at least 16 years old to attend this event as this event may contain mature/sensitive content.

• For more information about Mental Health Month, please see: https://mentalhealthmonth.wayahead.org.au/
• For more information about The Human Library Organisation, please see: https://humanlibrary.org/
• For additional information and resources, please see: https://headspace.org.au/

Kassandra Pasqual

Stiff upper lip? Let's talk about mental illness and ageing

Think mental illness is a disease for young people? Think again. 

People of all ages can experience mental illness, and older adults are particularly at risk of developing a mental illness (such as depression or anxiety) due to their experience of grief, social isolation and physical illness. According to mental health advocacy organisation Beyond Blue, the rate of depression among people living in residential aged care is thought to be as high as 35%!

Unfortunately, older adults are less likely to talk about their mental health, and less likely to seek help for these treatable diseases. For Mental Health Month this October, we want to change that. 

Azure Beach Library is hosting a Human Library event to start meaningful conversations about ageing and mental illness. Choose from a range of human 'books' and connect with a stranger as they open up to you about their experience of mental illness in a relaxed conversation.  Their stories are likely to surprise you, and challenge your perceptions of mental illness.

"Well, now that we have seen each other" said the Unicorn, 
"if you believe in me, I'll believe in you." 
~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Through conversation and sharing experiences, we can build understanding and empathy and reduce the stigma attached to mental illness. Register now to be part of our exciting, free event. 

Mental Illness & Ageing: 
a Human Library event
10am, 18 October 2023
Azure Beach Public Library Courtyard
Free entry, tea & coffee provided

Register here: https://humanitix.com.au/ABPL/
or in person at your library.

by Madeleine H.

Image: Mental Health Stock Photo by Kevin Simmons, via Flikr (licence information: Creative Commons)

Your Mental Health and You

 Your Mental Health and You. 

 

 Did you know 1 in 5 Australians suffer from a mental illness?

And many more of us suffer from mental exhaustion and depression. Mental well-being is key to a happy life, and that's why we at the Azure Beach library are hosting ‘Your Mental Health and You', a human library book event that aims to bring to the community together on a still misunderstood part of our society.

4 human “library books” will be speaking at this event, talking about how mental illness has affected their lives and of those around them. Come listen to their stories, and together we can tear down the walls of stigma around a very serious issue, and learn to love and understand each other, for as we say here at Azure Beach... It's okay to not be okay!

What is a human library book event you ask?

A Human Library is where people become the books. Come down to listen to these "books" and their stories about mental health, and what kind of struggles they went through. You can find more information here at humanlibrary.org

Book now at eventbrite.com.au/YourMentalHealthandYou

Days: Saturday 1/10, Sunday 2/10 and Saturday 8/10 

Starts: 6pm

Ends: 8pm

Where: The Azure Library

Call us at 000-000-000 or find us on our many social media platforms! (facebook, instagram, tik tok) @AzureBeachLibrary

 

 More information: www.beyondblue.org, www.blackdoginstitute.org.au

#depression, #itsokaytonotbeokay, #azurebeachlibrary, #mentalhealth, #yourmentalhealthandyou, #beyondblue, #blackdoginstitute,

                                                                                                                

 Event manager: Cameron Ruffio