ARARAT Police deal with many challenges on the job and one of those situations is coping with people who are affected in some way by mental health issues.
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With Mental Health Week coming to a close last week, Station commander of Ararat Police, Senior Sergeant Damian Ferrari continues the conversation about mental health....
Quite often I talk about different topics in the local media, usually around traditional policing type methods, prevention, detection and enforcement. This week I would like to talk about something quite different. It's called mental health.
I went to a fantastic local event a couple of Saturdays ago where this very topic was discussed and money raised was to go to an organisation that deals with and provides support for people in need. The timing of this article is no accident as we have just seen the end of Mental Health Week across Victoria.
As police, we deal with people in the community who are affected by mental health or issues related to this. It can be for a number of reasons, drug or alcohol abuse, family violence or people who have experienced some sort of traumatic time in their life. The contributing factors can be endless. Police make many referrals over the year for people that we have had contact with to get access to some sort of assistance.
The thing that stands out to me and is pleasing is our willingness to discuss such issues as mental health. The community and society has broken down many of those old cultural and personal barriers and dispelled many myths about the issues surrounding mental health resulting in discussions being more prevalent these days. Having said this, I feel we still have a way to go, particularly in the country areas.
It is quite interesting to note the way in which many of us in the rural sector were raised and the cultures that surrounded those upbringings. We were taught to be resilient, don't talk about problems, work hard without rest and just keep to yourself and get the job done. This is nearly in complete contravention to the message we are trying to get to those same people today. I feel I am lucky in some ways. Although I have witnessed many tragic events related in some way to persons suffering from mental health issues, I have had the ability to be educated from these events and come to the realisation of how important it is that we acknowledge and understand mental health and most importantly we do something about it.
I feel it is very important that people such as I talk about these topics and hopefully create further discussions and awareness. I was old school too. I hope these discussions will not only create awareness but also encourage others that have been less willing to involve themselves in such discussions or to talk to someone should they have an issue.
Police work closely with many other professional agencies and I can say that here in Ararat, we have many fantastic and dedicated professional people that can provide assistance, guidance and education if required.
Before closing, there are a few things I urge people to do.
Obtain some information about mental health, have a read and widen your knowledge and awareness around this topic.
Read and be aware what some of the symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and associated conditions are.
If you are experiencing difficulties then please talk to someone about it or visit your medical practitioner and discuss what is occurring. Please don't be silent about these types of issues, the first part of making things better is talking to someone about them. Don't let pride, independence, cultural barriers or misguided stigma stand in your way of a healthy and safe lifestyle.
Make the effort to involve yourself in community meetings or discussions that raise awareness.
Last but not least, if you are one of those old school farmers I ask you to do one thing for me. The next time you are driving around your property and you get out opening a gate, take 10 minutes to think about what I have said. Not only think about what I have said, but reflect about where you are at. Be honest with yourself and at the end of your reflection if you think you could do something better or look after yourself in a better way, then do it, make positive changes that will enhance a healthier and safer lifestyle.
Senior Sergeant Damian Ferrari
Ararat Police