BY TRACY NGUYEN

Are you OK?

Extensive research has shown the amazing impact of communication and its positive impacts on people’s mental state. Being genuinely listened to may be all one needs in his/her darkest day, and conversations can really save lives. This year national R U OK Day was on Thursday the 9th of September. I am sure we have all heard of, if not been very familiar with, this day every year, which is dedicated to be a reminder for all of us to have a conversation with someone we are worried about and offer support to people who are struggling with their life’s challenges.

However, to be able to look out for other people, it is very important to make sure that you are OK first. Before asking anyone that question, give a moment every day to check in with yourself:

• Be an understanding, patient and kind listener to your own body and mind as how you would be to someone you care about who is going through hard times
• Give yourself complements for keeping up until now through the tough days; tell yourself that it is fine to be unproductive, upset, frustrated and imperfect today.
• Remember your presence alone is a blessing, and as long as you are still breathing, there will always be hope at the end of the tunnel, and tomorrow will definitely be a better day awaiting ahead.

In this pandemic with all the uncertainties and challenges, especially during multiple periods of lockdown when you may be physically separated from your loved ones or your normal sources of comfort, it is normal to feel lonely, as if there is only you left struggling all by yourselves in this world. But remember that you are not alone.

If no one has asked you R U OK today, let me be the one who asks. “R U OK? What’s been happening?”. Let me remind you that there’s always someone out there who have been thinking about you and want to hear your stories and know how they can help. Let me remind you that sometimes there are conversations that may be too hard for you to share with family and friends, and if you ever feel concerned about your own safety or the safety of other, please contact a professional as soon as you can. And let me remind all of you who are reading this, no matter how tough things may seem now, that I am confident that you WILL BE OK. Take care!

BY SAV MANDAKINI

Hidden in a cave,

Too scared to look out,

Too scared to escape

Heaven seems so far away

Happiness, I can’t attain

It’s a thousand miles each way

Don’t feed the animals

Threatening to break your castle

With iron fists and iron hammers

I gotta find my own way outta here

I don’t know where I am

I don’t know who I am

I don’t know how I am

But I’m too afraid to get on out there

I’m trying to change myself

But how can I when I don’t know myself

The waterfalls are clogging up

But no one, no one is out there

Sitting in my abode,

Flickin’ thru my phone

Doin’ it on the auto

Like a cyborg

Got no place to go

So, I sit here on the low

Waitin’ for someone to find me, oh-oh

Don’t feed the animals

Threatening to make you weaker

Don’t listen to their calls

Telling you to give it up, yeah

I don’t know where I am

I don’t know who I am

I don’t know how I am

But I’m too afraid to get on out there

I’m trying to change myself,

But how can I when I don’t know myself

The waterfalls are clogging up

But no one, no one is out there

When you’re getting down, you gotta find a way up

Getting closer to Heaven’s getting closer to yourself

Let the haters say you can’t daydream, but they won’t help you get to your dreams

Don’t fall into habits that are toxic

Don’t become a phantom of yourself

Find the things that make you tick

The saltpetre that makes you uptick

Then you can turn those feelings into fireworks

And unclog the waterfalls

I don’t know where I am

I don’t know who I am

I don’t know how I am

But I’m following, I’m following the fireworks

Look out for the recorded version of Clogged Waterfalls on Savannah’s Youtube channel, coming soon!

BY VIRGINIA SU

I stared intensely at the two options in front of me – I had a crucial decision to make. In my left hand I held my pair of simple black work socks that I wore to work every day. In my right hand, a pair of bright rainbow tie dye socks with little embroidered corgis. They were crisp and untouched ever since I bought them on a whim last year, but today was why I had kept them all this time. 

Friday 5th June, the first Friday of June. It’s Crazy Socks 4 Docs day! 

It all started when Dr Geoff Toogood wore mismatched coloured socks one day to work because his puppy had eaten all his other pairs. Hushed whispers that his mental health had deteriorated again went on behind closed doors. Yet not a single person asked him if he was ok or offered support despite believing him to be suffering from mental illness. To combat this stigma surrounding mental health in healthcare professionals and normalise support and conversations, he established the foundation “Crazy Socks 4 Docs” as a platform for awareness and discussion.

Friday 5th June, the first Friday of June. It’s Crazy Socks 4 Docs day! 

Doctors have a duty to care for their patients’ health both physically and mentally, but what happens when the doctor needs help and support? So many doctors experience burnout and stress overload from working overtime, compensating for staff shortages, sleep deprivation, imposter syndrome, emotional overflow from patients’ circumstances and the heavy responsibility for people’s lives. And yet, there’s constant pressure from the general public, fellow colleagues and high self-expectations for doctors to be perfect and to set aside their own issues for their job. 1 in 5 doctors in Australia have been diagnosed with depression, according to the 2019 National Mental Health Survey of Doctors and Medical Students. In order for doctors to perform to the best of their capabilities, it is crucial that their health is looked after first, as supported by research showing strong correlation between the mental health of doctors and the effectiveness of health care and patient safety. 

Medical students of course are not exempt from the increased risk of mental illnesses. In 2013, Beyond Blue conducted the first nation-wide survey, reporting that 1 in 5 medical students had suicidal thoughts over the previous year with 40-50% experiencing emotional exhaustion with anxiety and depression symptoms. This is significantly higher than the Australian population, indicating that systemic change within medical training, such as regulations and policies aimed at reducing the risk, must be implemented. 

In this current world state of a pandemic, it is more crucial than ever to take these issues seriously and support the mental health of doctors. Medical professionals are the front-line soldiers in a war for global health and all eyes and even more pressure are on them to treat patients despite limited hospital resources. They are sacrificing sleep and their own health, with issues infiltrating their personal lives as many are forced to separate from high-risk family members as their work puts them at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 themselves.  

In this current world state of a pandemic, it is more crucial than ever to take these issues seriously and support the mental health of doctors.

What can you do to get involved?

Crazy Socks 4 Docs Day is its flagship global awareness day where you are encouraged to wear crazy socks and strike up conversations about mental health in the medical work field. So pick some crazy socks, snap a pic and upload them onto Instagram with the #crazysocks4docs! And if you don’t have a pair of crazy socks, SockMe (https://sock-me.com.au/) is donating $2 to the foundation for every pair of socks purchased for the rest of June. You can also donate straight to the foundation through its website to further support its vision, but most of all, start the conversation the next time you see a colleague or doctor.