Vicky’s Story

Vicky’s story talks about how it is for her as a mental health carer

“Somedays it’s a grind, somedays it easy.   But he has sleep apnea, heart problems, diabetes, blood pressure. There is a list of things that you have to combat everyday. I think people just don’t understand what’s involved with being a carer.  I think a lot of people just think you do your job during the day and then you close off but a lot of carers don’t close off, they can’t close off because it is 24/7.

Some people don’t understand, “Oh you’re just a carer, must be easy.”  It’s not as easy as people think it is. I think if I didn’t have Candice or the other carers in town to talk to then I would go gaga. We all know we can come here anytime we want to and have a coffee and sit out the back and just forget about the world for 10 mins. To have someone that just sits there and listens to you ramble on, is worth its weight in gold. You can say anything to Candice, she looks after us carers.

She takes us out, we went out on a fishing charter – Yeah, that was excellent! We have had pamper weekends.

You can’t do it by yourself doesn’t matter how many family or close friends you have, you still need an independent person that has the training and has the knowledge to talk to you because they put it in to a whole different perspective and a lot of people don’t realise that there are places like this around.

I come here some days and I’m pent up, I can feel myself but I come out the back here and have a cup of coffee and a talk to Candice and I leave here and I am so much lighter.”