Why I facilitate support groups - Peta Rolfe
In 2016 when I was diagnosed with schizophrenia after watching my life decline for the best part of 20 years and having regular psychotic episodes for 9 years. I felt so much isolation, had a lot of self-stigma, did not know anything about schizophrenia except what the media portrays, and I did not know anyone else who had similar experiences. I remember clearly being encouraged to stop working and accept the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and I had reached my limit of working jobs that I never wanted to do and finding it harder to keep jobs and perform in my roles. I felt like my life was over and from what I knew about my diagnosis I thought if I have schizophrenia I will go on the DSP.
This was a turning point in my life though I did not recognise it at the time, and I could not have fully understood the impact of my decision to fully engage with my treating team. I did not want to accept that my life may be spent not working and with what I felt were limited prospects for the rest of my time. I did not meet another person with schizophrenia until I was offered a role as a volunteer co-facilitator by my case manager at the community mental health clinic I attended. And looking back it was perhaps the most impactful moment in my recovery journey. Meeting other people and working with them gave me so much insight into what I was going through and it inspired me to go on to study at TAFE for 8 years so I could support people who had similar experiences to me.
I facilitate support groups for people because it provides an opportunity for the people who attend to potentially meet someone who has similar experiences to them for the first time. Groups are a safe space to share experiences without judgement and to be validated and feel heard and understood. They are a space where you can feel connection with other people and belonging to a community. And when you experience sharing something that helps another person in their own journey it can be a very empowering moment. By facilitating support groups, I provide a space for people to experience all this, and I know from my own journey how impactful and powerful it is to feel heard and understood by your peers in the community and how you can be inspired in your own recovery journey. I hope to support people to feel less like I did when I received my diagnosis and live a meaningful and purposeful life with or without symptoms.
At the Mental Health Foundation Australia, Peta facilitates ‘Hearing Voices Support Group’, where they garner the support of others to welcome a safe and non-judgement space for those navigating Schizophrenia. Their passion about mental health recovery and living a fulfilling life regardless of your circumstances is what makes this support group such a welcoming and respectful environment.
To find out more about the support group Peta facilitates visit https://supportgroup.mhfa.org.au/hearing-voices-support-group
