I remember the day my phone rang. I was on the train on my way home from university. I had received a few messages from my friend Annabel. But there was one message from her that really stood out. The way I see it is everyone is asking me to push through all of this...
Denny Morrison challenges three commonly held but irrational beliefs about behavioral health care: First, that having a mental illness or addiction is a stigma. “To compare ‘having a bad day’ to major depression,” he says, “is a bit like comparing a paper cut to an amputation.” Second, that the body and mind are two different...
For many years Sergeant Kevin Briggs had a dark, unusual, at times strangely rewarding job: He patrolled the southern end of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, a popular site for suicide attempts. In a sobering, deeply personal talk Briggs shares stories from those he’s spoken — and listened — to standing on the edge of...
Aleks is a recent IT graduate from Queensland University of Technology who is now testing the waters in the industry. Throughout his journey in finding the strongest version of himself he has managed to find satisfaction in an array of hobbies from programming to experimenting with music. Although his car modifying and racing prowess has...
Almost 20 years ago, writer Andrew Solomon fell into a deep depression. In this TED talk, he speaks eloquently and openly about his struggle with “the family secret we all share,” but that no one wants to talk about. If you are a human or know a human, you have to watch this talk. “The opposite...
Chris, 50 years old, is a frequent flyer and on her many trips interstate and abroad comes across various people from every corner of the globe, all with their own unique backgrounds, experiences and stories. This is one encounter with a dear old fellow Chris met at the airport: On an interstate trip and with...
This year, THE-LOWDOWN.com Presents: Showcased 2013 coincided closely with World Suicide Prevention Day 2013. The theme for this year was Stigma: A Major Barrier for Suicide Prevention and as a lead up to the day and in an effort to help break the stigma associated with suicide, we created our ‘What Drives You?’ campaign. As...
It’s funny how quickly time passes. I still vividly remember the first car event I ever attended, just over 6 years ago back in 2006 as an excited 13 year old at Sydney Olympic Park. The sights of bright lights and flashy cars from an era that now seems so distant, the sounds of reverberating...
August 6 marks a special day for Hachiroku devotees the world over and for years on end they have come together to celebrate arguably Toyota’s most renowned model. Australia’s fanbase for these iconic cars may not be as large as that in Japan or the US, but that didn’t stop any of our local Hachiroku...
Fuel 4 Charity has shone a new light on charities and the role the automotive community can play in helping those less fortunate. A newly-founded non-profit organisation, Fuel 4 Charity hosts automotive events with a twist – where 100% of the proceeds are donated to charitable foundations. Although only in their infancy, their inaugural event...
“There’s the pretty popular misconception that depression is just being sad when something in your life goes wrong.” – Kevin Breel We know depression needs to be talked about, but we don’t. We don’t because it’s not happy, fun or light. For Kevin Breel, his confession was hard to talk about. It’s hard for everyone...
I have our song playing at the moment, Sarah McLaughlin – Angel. I remember it like yesterday, watching you sleep in bed, next to the window with the very soft Autumn Sun brushing your cheek with the silhouette of my white lace curtains. There’s something terribly haunting about this song, and it seemed only appropriate...
