JANELLE Reeves, founder of Wyndham’s mental health support group AMILE (Advocating Mental Illness and Life Experience), is over the moon.
She received the council’s Disability Access Award last week for her extraordinary efforts in promoting awareness and understanding of mental illnesses in Wyndham.
“It’s awesome. I’ve had a smile on my face since I found out. It’s nice to know the community is recognising mental illness, that awareness and understanding is getting out there,” Mrs Reeves said.
“It was an extremely pleasant surprise on a very bad day. It was like the flip of a coin, it was wonderful,” she said.
Mrs Reeves was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2002.
She likens it to the “wildest, wildest roller coaster ride you could ever have”, swinging between extreme highs and lows – episodes of mania and depression, with periods of normal mood in between.
“You go to bed and pray that it’s going to be a good day or that you’ll be at least stable. Some days you wake up and it just feels like the whole world is caving in,” Mrs Reeves said.
“When I was first diagnosed, I was adamant that the doctor was wrong. I went into denial for a long time.
“It was only when we moved to Wyndham and I had a severe breakdown that I realised it was something serious,” she said.
“I started … trying to get support out here in Wyndham.
“There was support for carers but there wasn’t a lot of support for consumers. And there was nothing for consumers and carers to go to together,” she said.
“My husband and Ian and I weren’t married at that stage, so we started planning our wedding and organisation at the same time,” Mrs Reeve said.
“We did a lot of research. I did a certificate IV in small business management … and we became incorporated as a non-profit organisation in May 2007.
“We started with one support group on Saturdays. Now we also have a men’s group and a ladies’ group,” she said.
Since then, Mrs Reeves has also held numerous talks.
“It all started really with doing talks at Werribee Secondary College with students about mental health. And since the first talk, I’ve spoken to over 500 people,” she said.
A lot of it is “talking to people and helping them understand you don’t grow two heads and a tail when you get diagnosed,” Mrs Reeves said.
“You can live with it. It’s a journey that can be lived, as frustrating as it gets at times. And it’s also about letting people know about ways of keeping themselves mentally healthy,” she said.
“But I really don’t think AMILE would have anywhere near the success that it has if I had done this anywhere else,” Mrs Reeves was quick to add.
“My move to Wyndham Vale was my 42nd move in 17 years, so I know at least 41 other places where I wouldn’t have had the support.
“The local councillors, members of Parliament both state and federal, they are so fantastic in their support of not only AMILE but all community groups.
“That’s so important … it’s great to know that we have the support,” she said.
