Sisters break barriers
NOT so long ago, Depression Support Network president Kylie Nicholson ran an information stall at a popular community event.
“People when they saw our banner (that read Depression Support Network), there was just this look on their face or they’d turn around and look away as if people with mental illnesses were going to just jump out and attack them or that it’s contagious,” she said.
“I couldn’t believe the reaction some people were giving in this day and age and that really affected me.”
Removing the stigmas surrounding mental health is a life mission for Ms Nicholson and her sister Jenny.
As secretary, Jenny Nicholson said the network was the only mental health drop-in centre in Toowoomba.
“We focus on the term mental health more than mental illness; it’s a holistic approach,” she said.
“Mental health in Toowoomba seems to be diagnosis-focused; people are clients first and people second.
“The main motto here is ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’. If you have a mental illness you can walk through this door, we don’t need to know what it is. The fact you’ve walked in to talk is enough and we believe you.”
The Depression Support Network is located on Bell St. They looking for more volunteers so it can open five days a week and not just three. To get in contact phone 4659 9021.