Riva Iris

What made me decide to do this?

I'm completing 3,214 push-ups/excercises in 23 days to raise awareness and funds for mental health in Australia. My own personal goal is to complete 10 consistent full body weight push ups  by the end of the 23 days.

When i made the choice to move out of home when i was 16 due to fear of family domestic violence repeating itself+ My mental health was deteriorating already from present factors at the time and i couldn't find any other way out.

I turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms which did not help my problems. I was in a relationship that i dearly cared about and forever grateful for those who lent space in their houses for me. 🙏
However, the relationship eventually started growing with multiple issues from both parties. This caused me to be at risk of homelessness. Therefore causing me to move into my best friends house with her father. Which was one of the most memorable places i had stayed and felt safe. However my mental health continued to worsen until i hit rock bottom.

I was placed in inpaitent care due to a presentation at the E.D. After a few days i asked to go home however i was denied to go back there as, i was a threat to myself. Later i was discharged into my fathers care in Sydney and i stayed there for a bit. However i did not have any of my stuff.

I eventually got accepted for a shared apartment and stayed there for a bit. However it didnt last long and i went back to my previous relationship... This time it ended worse, My mental health was lets just say quite bad.😵‍💫

I went through house surfing for a while and eventually entered another relationship where it drove me to the point where he had me convinced i was going insane and also cause me to have silent attempts which he fimed whilst i was unconscious. Instead of taking me to the E.D.

I eventually ended back at my dads, where he had only 2 bedrooms for himself and his son. No kitchen sink, no laundry apart from a tiny mini hand spun washing machine... Thankfully he provided hygiene products.

After a bit me and my brother fled to our mothers house whom she lived with her so called partner whom she had a current AVO against. Me and my brother eventually had to flee back to my fathers house. My father went into what looked like an alcohol induced psychosis. Both of my parents were decleared by DCJ unfit to care for my brother. As i was the only adult that was able to care for my brother i then became his legal guardian. from 2023 onwards. 

Now i can look back and say that the amount of support just for youth that is available is okay but i do personally believe it needs to improve.

However i am still forever grateful of the support i have received from anoyone in the past🙏 No matter how big or small.

I am doing this challenge to put my foot down and have some discipline in myself and to actively show others its okay to struggle. consistency + time is a powerful tool.

And because i believe we need to share our struggles as individuals to be able to deepen our connections and really build relationships within the root and outwards. 

Every dollar helps #pushforbetter mental health outcomes in Australia by funding much-needed mental health services and initiatives.