Hi guys, my name is Michael. I'm 24, from Perth. I spent a long time in a mentally and emotionally debilitating depression, the long-term effects of which I'm still battling to overcome. In June I was made redundant from my job, and decided to choose a new path, a satisfying one where I can do some good for people. Next year I start a degree in counseling, but in the meantime I want to learn more. Not only about others, but myself. I want to connect with people, both supporters and sufferers, and learn whatever I can to be a better friend and counselor. 

 Please feel free to hit me up if you want to chat, or ask questions or whatever. You'll see me around the forums. 

dear Mike, what you have said is something you should be congratulated for doing, because it's a great cause that you want to achieve, but it's never easy to do, however to have gone through this terrible experience yourself means so much in being able to talk to those who are suffering.

To choose this new path or direction is such an advantage for you, because you yourself has had to go through all what depression throws at us, and if you had not had depression then how could you ever be able to counsel someone, sure a text book can tell you what depression is all about, but it doesn't give you how you actually feel, that's impossible, you have to have had this illness to experience how devastating it is, and then the person you are counselling you know exactly what they are struggling with.

You deserve praise, but can I say that we never understand what the traumas depression will throw at us, but also, you are two or three steps are ahead of those that have never encountered this horrible illness.

Well done and the more you can read posts and reply to people the more you will learn. Geoff.

Hi Mike

welcome to the BB forums.

it is great to hear that chose a path to go down that bring you fulfilment in life. I truly hope everything goes well for you when you start your studies. But in the mean time please look after yourself, remember studing can be a very stressful time in once life but can can be a very enjoyable time as well. You just need to make sure you are looking after yourself while you are studying...

good luck with everything and take care...

sparkles 

I whole-heartedly agree with you; a counselor is most effective, I would expect, when they can draw on their own experiences. But not everyone experiences things the same way, and mental illness is no exception to this. Hopefully in the time I spend here I'll be able to learn more, and particularly, how people cope with or overcome their issues. A good friend of mine suffers from Bipolar Disorder, but because of the therapy she's undergone in the past, she's able to tolerate the depression and ride the mania for all it's worth, to her advantage.