Shave for Batyr

Mental health has been one of the most defining aspects of my life. Growing up with mental ill-health has shaped me into who I am today. But the broad spectrum of mental health was never discussed. My biggest passion is de-stigmatising mental ill-health. For over a year I have been lucky to have the opportunity to be apart of an amazing movement that is being tackled by an incredible non-profit organisation called Batyr. Batyr gives a voice to the elephant in the room by giving young people with lived mental health experiences a platform to share their story and journeys with youths in Australia, while smashing the stigma of mental ill-health. The reason this is so important is because in a group of every 30 young people, 7 will be dealing with a significant mental health issue, 2 will reach out for support, which means 5 are left suffering in silence. This is frightening reality because the leading cause of death in Australia for people between the ages of 15 and 44 is suicide. Batyr engages with youths by educating and empowering them through giving them skills and knowledge that allows them to embrace a more mentally healthy life.

I have lived most of my life with mental ill-health, which made breaking down the barriers that stigma creates is something that is very close to my heart, having experienced and lived with anxiety, depression, disordered eating and a body image disorder.
My body image has played a challenging role in my life since I was in my early teens, and has followed me through life, I’ve been lucky enough to have received help to get me to where I am today. In shaving my head to raise money for Batyr, as well as donating my hair to be made into a wig, I’ll be challenging myself and my perceived body image. I’m lucky enough to have had the help and support to get me to a point where I have a healthy enough relationship with my body image to be able to shave my head.

A photo of my current hair length will be uploaded soon