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Post BB Housemate Antics - Part 3

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timdormer
2 hours ago
Thinking of my mate @benfrombrisbane and hoping to hear from him soon. Sending ❤️ and light.

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Tully Smyth @tee_smyth · 50m 50 minutes ago
Sending all the love in the world and then some to my beautiful @BenFromBrisbane. Please remember everybody is fighting their own battles.
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From a Daily Mail article:

He was also the recipient of support from his friends and family, including Big Brother winner Tim Dormer, Ben’s close friend and fellow Big Brother housemate, told Daily Mail Australia that he hasn't spoken to Ben yet but offers him his support during this difficult time.

‘I’m really shocked and saddened,’ the 30-year-old told DMA.

‘I know Ben has been suffering with depression and anxiety for a long time and I’ve shared that journey with him for the last year since Big Brother.’

‘It’s really sad when people who are suffering with depression feel that there’s no one else out there because there’s a lot of people,’ he continued.

‘I’ve known Ben has a lot of people that care about him,’ he said of his good friend, revealing he communicated with Ben just hours before he was admitted to hospital.

He said spoke with Ben on Friday and he 'seemed fine.'

Hoping to speak to Ben again when it is possible, Tim said simply checking in with his mate and reassuring him is his biggest intention.

When asked what he will tell Ben, the 2013 Big Brother winner said he’d ask Ben ‘How is he going’ before telling him ‘I’m always here for him when he needs me’.

After hearing the news of his overdose, he posted an image of the pair together on his Instagram feed.

'Thinking of my mate and hoping to hear from him soon,' Tim wrote.

'Sending love and light'.

Big Brother host, Sonia Kruger has been in contact with Ben and sent him her love, telling DMA: 'Ben is part of the Big Brother family and always will be. We have been in contact with Ben and he is recovering at home and has requested his privacy. We are here to support Ben on his road to recovery.'

Last month, the lovable TV personality spoke to Daily Mail Australia about his struggles with depression and coming to terms with his sexuality and mental illness.

'I don’t know whether I’m happy with my life,' he admitted at the time.

'But it’s fuller and I don’t feel so alone. That’s the great thing about owning something, it allows other people to come forward.'

He said going on Big Brother helped him to vocalise his depression, which made him feel like isolated.
'I struggled in the Big Brother house - Australia saw that.

'It did help though, because acceptance and love is not something I've been showered with in life, and that’s no reflection on my family... who was gay, anxious and a vegetarian in the 90s?

'I grew up just thinking that I was a criminal because you could go to jail for being gay until I was in year 12.'

The former housemate has spoken about his battles with mental illness extensively in the past year, revealing that his diagnosis lead to discrimination in the workplace: 'I used to just make a joke and fob the question away, as I was too embarrassed to admit, anxiety and depression got the better of me in the workplace.'

He was referring to a Facebook post in which he said Virgin Australia had dismissed him from his post because of his condition.

He said: 'The main reason I broke my silence (some of you already knew) on how I left Virgin, was that many lovely folks stop me in the street and kindly ask me if I'll ever consider returning to flying, sometime in the future.

'I used to just make a joke and fob the question away, as I was too embarrassed to admit, anxiety and depression got the better of me in my workplace.

'I then felt like I was lying to myself and lying to all of you by not telling you the full story. I pride myself on being genuine & honest and Mum has always said, 'The truth shall set you free'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...g-overdose-saw-rushed-hospital-treatment.html
 
http://anafternoonofpossibilities.c...it-of-summers-what-the-whole-years-all-about/

Sandra's Latest Blog entry

Cause a little bit of summer’s what the whole year’s all about
Posted on November 17, 2014


I love summer. I love everything about it. I love the heat and the happiness and the hope it brings. I love sleeping with your legs poking out from underneath the sheet, the whirr of the ceiling fan and waking up to the smell of freshly cut grass.

In the same way I love summer, I HATE winter. Cold weather is the devils work. I hate going for a run when it hurts to breathe and your nose feels like it’s going to fall off. I hate waking up and knowing you have to run to the bathroom, stand naked and shivering, waiting for the shower to warm up. I hate any celsius degree under 20 *shakes fist*.

But I sometimes wonder, would I love summer as much if I didn’t hate winter? If I was indifferent towards winter, instead of absolutely despising it like I do, would I then not feel as passionately about summer?

One of my favourite quotes is by John Steinbeck — ‘What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.’

I like to think that I’m fairly transparent in every day life and a lot of people know that I’m very open and honest with the things I’ve been through. In the outside world, like most people, I definitely do not wake up every day and think only happy thoughts. I have a history of ED, depression and anxiety, so some days for me have been, and still are, the exact opposite of waking up as positivity barbie. My hair, for that matter, always looks pretty sad in the mornings.

During my time in the house, I found it extremely tough that there were people looking down on me for not being 100% positive the entire time. That Big Brother environment, brought a lot of things to the surface that I thought I had dealt with. I learnt old habits die hard when it comes to coping with stressful, pressure filled situations. My insecurities were rampant in that house and when I first came out into the big bad world, my natural instinct was to be ashamed and embarrassed that these parts of me were broadcast to the viewing public.

Now that I’ve had time to reflect, I don’t know whether I am ashamed or embarrassed. Do I necessarily think that having shitty days or not coping is a bad thing? No not really. My winter days are maybe what makes my summer days a million times sweeter.

I like to think my down days, both in the house and outside, are really a blessing in disguise. Without these, there is no way I would cherish the good times;

the clutching your stomach, can’t breathe, laugh till it hurts moment. The close your eyes, feel the sun soaking into your skin, drinking in the endless possibilities of a Saturday morning moment. The warmth of a body pressing against you, as you clutch someone you love and feel like you’ve finally come home moment.

I was on the phone to Sam this morning laughing so much about this one stupid moment in the house, and in an instant I was right back in the sweetness of that time. I remember being doubled over with laughter and thinking that nothing could feel better than that exact snapshot of life; being surrounded by people that knew me and understood me and sharing in something that would forever be imprinted on my memory. I have had so many beautiful occasions exactly like this, prior to and post BB experience and I sincerely hope my years ahead will bring many more. I cherish them so much more because I have something to compare them to.

Today is a definite winter day for me (hence the non funny blog post). I’d be lying to you if I said every day in and out of the house is full of rainbows and unicorns. I know a lot of other housemates have also had their struggles in readjusting to the outside world. Hell, I know a lot of non housemates that also have struggles being in this outside world! In the end, this world is full of people just trying to get through each day, in the best way they know how. Writing for me has always been cathartic and I guess I take comfort in the fact that everyone else is fighting their own battles.

I’m also a big believer in owning your bad moments; wearing your tragedies as armour and not shackles. Telling the world when you’re not ok, and knowing that doing so doesn’t make you weak. I figure, you won’t always be strong, but if you’re brave, then you’re more than halfway there.

So yes, today is total pants, but that’s the beautiful thing about winter; it’s always most certainly followed by spring. I hope yours is too.

Big Love

xxx
 
So sad to hear about Benny :(

Has there been any conformation that it was an intentional overdose?

If so it goes to show how much of a hidden illness depression can be. While we've heard before that Ben has battled depression you'd never know it from the view we've seen. He's always seemed on the surface to be so bright and happy. He was just in the house a few weeks ago and you never would have known he was a couple of weeks off an OD.

I wish him all the best for his recovery xo
 
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Insomniac said:
It is disgusting how little resources are allocated. I have a mountain of personal stories I could tell - my brother is a paranoid schizophrenic and not only the lack of understanding amongst those allocating funding for care but the hoops they make him jump through just to get disability and to get adequate care and follow-up to see how he's doing and proper medication care is absolutely appalling. With him, as I imagine quite a few, he's just lucky he has a group of friends who are in similar situations so they form their own support group.
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if they are making him jump through any hoops at all i am surprised he even bothers.
my uncle was paranoid schizophrenic, and it was a huge effort to even get him to shower or take his medication. the few times he was left to his own devices he was homeless, hitch-hiking to no place in particular for years at a time. his motivation to deal with the system or jump through hoops was less than zero.
it didnt end well for him :(
 
benfrombrisbane
20 hours ago · Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital A&E
As Mark Twain once said - "Reports of my dearth have been greatly exaggerated". Thank you to all the staff at Royal Brisbane☺️ #depression #anxiety #overdose

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    Benjamin Norris ‏@BenjaminJNorris 2h2 hours ago
    BREAKING NEWS! @CatAKAKate deletes her Twitter account as things heat up on social media! http://bit.ly/1zsDY9y #Clawson @BBAU9


    Gemma ‏@gemma6foot6 1h1 hour ago
    @BenjaminJNorris @BBAU9 really... That 2 ex HMs now... I think they need to be tougher



    Benjamin Norris ‏@BenjaminJNorris 1h1 hour ago
    @gemma6foot6 @BBAU9 who else has deleted their account? I am in shock! But each to their own... It's your story not mine! #stickybeak





    Gemma ‏@gemma6foot6 1h1 hour ago
    @BenjaminJNorris @BBAU9 Dion and cat also Tom and Richard never had one
 
Veronica2005 said:
  1. 2wNbRn-M_bigger.jpeg


    Benjamin Norris ‏@BenjaminJNorris 2h2 hours ago
    BREAKING NEWS! @CatAKAKate deletes her Twitter account as things heat up on social media! http://bit.ly/1zsDY9y #Clawson @BBAU9


    Gemma ‏@gemma6foot6 1h1 hour ago
    @BenjaminJNorris @BBAU9 really... That 2 ex HMs now... I think they need to be tougher



    Benjamin Norris ‏@BenjaminJNorris 1h1 hour ago
    @gemma6foot6 @BBAU9 who else has deleted their account? I am in shock! But each to their own... It's your story not mine! #stickybeak





    Gemma ‏@gemma6foot6 1h1 hour ago
    @BenjaminJNorris @BBAU9 Dion and cat also Tom and Richard never had one
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@reepbot will be devastated.
 
marsha brady said:
if they are making him jump through any hoops at all i am surprised he even bothers.
my uncle was paranoid schizophrenic, and it was a huge effort to even get him to shower or take his medication. the few times he was left to his own devices he was homeless, hitch-hiking to no place in particular for years at a time. his motivation to deal with the system or jump through hoops was less than zero.
it didnt end well for him :(
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It hasn't been easy. But if he's on his medication then he's able to maintain his own unit and go about his own life. He can't have a job however as this is way too stressful and induces voices etc. Over the years every time he's foisted onto a new psychiatrist through the clinic they mess with his medication which has disastrous results. He's definitely had his moments through the years and has to put up with a lack of knowledge/understanding about what he's actually going through but for the most part he's relatively stable, and he has the public trustee manage his finances so that he's given what he needs (rather than blowing everything during an off time). He and his friends look out for each other and he's come to recognise warning signs of when things are going bad. It's so difficult when they're expected just to deal with things themselves though and think clearly when obviously if they could they wouldn't be in that position. Sorry to hear about your uncle :(
 
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