Tales from a Bruised Mind

This is the story of how I found my true calling, as well as a new and exciting passion.

At the beginning of 2022, I had started my new life in Sydney, but things weren’t going so well. I felt that I was slipping back into a really tough time and wasn’t sure what to do about it or how to escape those terrible feelings of negativity.

I was pretty much alone in Sydney: I didn’t have any close family support networks or a huge bunch of friends to look out for me.

I felt very alone.

Around June 2022, I had to do the tough thing and take myself to hospital. It’s so hard to put yourself out there, be vulnerable and say “I’m actually not okay”.

I vividly recall that hospital stay, with the nurses really looking out for me. For a moment, I felt nurtured in Sydney. When I was discharged and went home, I felt like I needed to reach out further and do more.

Was there a way I could support others going through similar things?

I racked the inside of my brain for ideas and then I suddenly had a bit of a ‘lightbulb moment’.

I got in contact with a great charity that I had known about for some time and had been following on social media.

It was called Drive Against Depression.

One day during my recovery, I found myself on a really nice walk at Coogee beach and I took a deep breath and decided to call the lovely Sarah Davis, who is co-founder of Drive Against Depression.

I remember it was gorgeous weather with perfect blue skies and the best breeze ever and I sat there on a park bench and talked to Sarah for the very first time.

She didn’t know me from a bar of soap, but I could tell she trusted me and was there for me. We had such a beautiful conversation and I really put myself out there by expressing my passion for mental health, my mental experiences, my love for all things cars and for just wanting to raise awareness in our community.

And then Sarah did something amazing (even if she didn’t know it at the time). She made me feel like a regular, normal dude.

It was a conversation that changed my life. It was a conversation of support, of guidance, and of hope.

It was magic.

Starting my journey as a mental health spokesperson

On that day, after all was said, Sarah encouraged me to get involved with DAD and become what was at the time known as a Local Legend. I’ve never thought of myself as such, but that was the term they had.

Sarah and the team wanted to expand into other areas of Australia. They had held successful and deeply-moving events in Melbourne, but now they wanted to get pretty serious.

Flash forward quite some time from that awesome phone call and we entered talks to run the first ever Sydney drive day. A lovely lady and fellow car nut, Helen, helped to organise it all, along with the brilliant David James.

I was nervous to see how we would go, but it turned out to be an awesome day spent driving up to the Hunter Valley – a favourite spot of mine.

…

Late in 2023, I was lucky enough to be brought on by Drive Against Depression as an official ambassador.

We have plenty more drives planned, including in my home town of Brisbane, and aim to spread the great messaging of mental health drives to the wider community.

I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Check out the link below to learn all about the great DAD initiative.

See you on a drive and, as I now like to say, stay calm and motor on!

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Love,

Zak