RUOK, Mate?

I feel like the whole world is falling down on me and that I am trapped in a small room. I wake up is sweats and can’t go back to sleep.

I’m 31 and in these short years I’ve achieved so much, failed as much as I achieved and of course went to jail.

There are a few paths I could have taken.

1. Listened to my parents and continued on to become the golden child of the family;
2. Stayed with my group of friends and ended up like Sam Ibrahim;
3. Woken up one morning to a 9mm against my temple.

What path would you have decided to take?

So who is to blame for the path I took? Noone except myself.  People will continue to blame others when they get stuck or into trouble.

In the past three years, I’ve gone back to see where it all went wrong and I’m not ashamed to say it but I needed help to find out the root cause of my issues.

When you are making up to $30,000 a week cash and women would be on hand at times you forget how you got there.

I’ve spoken to a medical professional and we both came to a conclusion that it is simply a medical issue. A mental issue that needs to be treated.

There will always be trolls and haters who will continue to give me a hard time but they have to remember that time does make a person grow and allows that person to change.

There are many of my friends both inside the jail system and outside the jail system who need to talk to someone.

So what can we do to help one another?

I want to introduce you to the suicide prevention group R U OK? a group that has helped so many of my friends and family.

R U OK?’s vision is a world where we’re all connected and are protected from suicide.

Our mission is to inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with people around them and support anyone struggling with life.

In 1995, much-loved Barry Larkin was far from ok. His suicide left family and friends in deep grief and with endless questions. In 2009, his son Gavin Larkin chose to champion just one question to honour his father and to try and protect other families from the pain his endured.

“Are you ok?”

While collaborating with Janina Nearn on a documentary to raise awareness, the team quickly realised the documentary alone wouldn’t be enough.

To genuinely change behaviour Australia-wide, a national campaign was needed. And from this realisation, and with Gavin and Janina’s expertise and passion, R U OK? was born.

Gavin remained a passionate champion of the fact a conversation could change a life, even as cancer ended his in 2011.

His and Janina’s legacy is ensuring all Australians realise a little question can make a big difference to those people struggling with life.

Our goals are to:

1. Boost our confidence to meaningfully connect and ask about life’s ups and downs

2. Nurture our sense of responsibility to regularly connect and support others

3. Strengthen our sense of belonging because we know people are there for us

4. Be relevant, strong and dynamic

Got a niggling feeling that someone you know or care about it isn’t behaving as they normally would? Perhaps they seem out of sorts? More agitated or withdrawn? Or they’re just not themselves. Trust that gut instinct and act on it.

By starting a conversation and commenting on the changes you’ve noticed, you could help that family member, friend or workmate open up. If they say they are not ok, you can follow our conversation steps to show them they’re supported and help them find strategies to better manage the load. If they are ok, that person will know you’re someone who cares enough to ask.

I hope my readers understand why it is important to help others.

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