Pet dog stopped depressed woman’s near-suicide
By Diet Simon
When Queensland woman Beck Schmelz was diagnosed with depression and anxiety ten years ago, she could find no information anywhere on how to help herself, or how others could help her.
That experience prompted her to write four pamphlets in plain language to do just that: help sufferers and people close to them to help them.
After being launched at a recent national mental health summit at Sunshine Coast University, the leaflets are now being distributed to health professionals and public places like libraries.
Some of the leading lights in Australian mental health treatment and research gathered for the summit at Sippy Downs on the 24th and 25th of June, including the 2010 Australian of the Year, Patrick McGorry, a campaigner for better treatment for mentally ill young people.
Beck Schmelz presented to a master class of people working through their own illnesses. A talk with me on Noosa Community Radio included a lump-in-throat recollection of how her former pet dog stopped her attempt to kill herself.
The organisation Beck is associated with has the phone number 07 5443 42 100. At the end of the conversation Beck also offers an email address for getting the leaflets or communicating with her personally.
The interview runs for 12 minutes. Hear it at http://www.4shared.com/audio/suNUDkLI/20100625-pamphlet-total.html.