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Nat Couts_We Don't Talk About

I want to talk about post-natal depression

Posted 06/06/201603/10/2018 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2016, Breakdown, Depression, Family, Medication, Post-natal, Stigma, Stories

Nat CoutsMelbourne, VictoriaNat experienced post-natal depression after the birth of her first child, Eric. Despite the experience, Nat and her husband Cameron went on to have a second child, Nathan. Nat […]

We Don't Talk About_Sammy Moynihan

Thriving with Primary Progressive MS

Posted 23/05/201622/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2016, Chronic disease, Depression, Disability, Family, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Stories

Sammy Moynihan, CanberraAustralian Capital TerritorySammy is 27 years old. He was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS) in early 2013, but has felt the effects of MS since his […]

Social Anxiety by Niicole Sarah_http://niicolesarah.deviantart.com/art/Social-Anxiety-335085680

Surviving anxiety and panic disorder, sexual abuse and rape

Posted 10/05/201622/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2016, Anxiety, Breakdown, Chronic disease, Depression, Employment, Family, Finances, Medication, Panic, Rape, Stigma

Madison Prahan, VictoriaMadison left home at 16, running from the death of her mother, sexual abuse and a disengaged father. She lives with anxiety and panic disorder, and has had […]

This is what I want you to know (and didn’t say on TV)

Posted 02/05/201622/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2016, Archive, Chronic disease, Disability, Discrimination, Family, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurological disease, Stories

This We Don’t Talk About story was originally published in shortened form as ‘I Feel Sorry For The Person Who Left Me This Note. They Clearly Don’t Understand Disability’ by The Huffington […]

I Feel Sorry For The Person Who Left Me This Note. They Clearly Don’t Understand Disability

Posted 02/05/201622/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2016, Archive, Chronic disease, Disability, Discrimination, Family, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurological disease, Stories

This We Don’t Talk About story was originally published by The Huffington Post on 2 May 2016. You can read it here. A longer, more complete version of Justine’s story is published […]

Evelyn Wise, negotiating life post-cancer

Navigating life post-cancer

Posted 01/04/201622/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2016, Archive, Cancer, Employment, Family, Friends, Medication, Medication side effects, Post-treatment, Stories

 Evelyn WiseRhodes, New South WalesTen years ago, Evelyn (now 62) was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She survived the cancer, but lives with the effects of […]

Juggling MS, family and work: Priorities and possibilities

Posted 01/02/201622/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2016, Archive, Chronic disease, Employment, Family, Finances, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurological disease, Stories

 Mike WelshWest Footscray, VictoriaMike is a digital banking guru at ANZ Bank. English-born, he migrated to Australia with his partner, Kate, twelve years ago. They married in 2009 and have two […]

Bek Paroz for We Don't Talk About

Working through the pain: A life with Rheumatoid arthritis

Posted 21/01/201622/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2016, Archive, Chronic disease, Depression, Disability, Discrimination, Employment, Family, Lupus, Medication, Medication side effects, Rheumatoid arthritis, Stories, Suicide

Becky ParozRedland City, QueenslandBecky is 41. She grew up in a dysfunctional family environment, exposed to alcohol-fuelled violence from an early age. At 18, when she was already living away […]

Getting on with it: A mother and business woman living with MS

Posted 07/01/201622/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2016, Archive, Chronic disease, Employment, Family, Finances, Medication, Medication side effects, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Stories

Rachael HendryToongabbie, New South WalesRachael was diagnosed with MS in July 2014 at the age of 33. She works full time, and also runs her own side business. She is […]

Neale Daniher: Fighting to fund the cure

Posted 07/12/201522/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2015, ALS, Archive, Celebrity, Disability, Dying, End-of-life, Medication, MND, Motor Neuron Disease, Stories, Terminal disease

Neale DaniherCanterbury, Victoria Living with MNDNeale Daniher, AFL great now fighting Motor Neurone Disease (MND), is ready to open up further about the disease and disability. MND is a swift and merciless disease, […]

Surviving anorexia, depression and someone else’s suicide

Posted 27/11/201522/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2015, Anorexia, Anxiety, Archive, Chronic disease, Depression, Dying, Medication, Stories, Suicide

 Ashleigh Hill-BuxtonCollingwood, VictoriaAshleigh is 25 years old. Petite, pretty and obviously a determined perfectionist, she is already an old soul. She overcame anorexia and completed one year of a degree in […]

Living and training with ulcerative colitis

Posted 26/11/201522/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2015, Archive, Cancer, Chronic disease, Crohn's disease, Dying, Medication, Stories, Ulcerative colitis

Kane PickenElderslie, New South WalesKane is 35 years old. He is a husband, father, son and athlete. At 31, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Even though he looks healthy, […]

We Don’t Talk About featured on Channel Ten News in Sydney

Posted 25/11/201522/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2015, ALS, Archive, Chronic disease, Disability, Discrimination, Interviewer, MND, Motor Neuron Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurological disease, Parkinson's disease, Stories

Channel Ten News in Sydney featured the We Don’t Talk About project on Saturday 22 November 2015. Thanks go to Frank Lyons, who previously shared his story living with Motor […]

Living with MND on the other side of the world

Posted 19/11/201522/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2015, ALS, Archive, Depression, Dying, Employment, Medication, MND, Motor Neuron Disease, Neurological disease, Stories, Terminal disease

 Frank LyonsRozelle, New South WalesFrank is almost 63. He was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (MND, or known outside of Australia as ALS) a year ago. Born in Scotland, he […]

Coming to terms with Parkinson’s disease

Posted 15/11/201522/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2015, Archive, Chronic disease, Employment, Medication, Neurological disease, Parkinson's disease, Stories

 Rob MillerBurwood, New South WalesRob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2010, when he was 49. He is now 54 and adapting to life with the disease. He has been […]

Life after pancreatic cancer

Posted 11/10/201522/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2015, Archive, Cancer, Chronic disease, Diabetes, Dying, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Terminal disease

 Barbara RiddellKiama, New South WalesBarbara is 63 years old. I know her as a family friend – her daughter and my sister are school friends – but not intimately. She […]

The ravages of early onset Alzheimer’s disease

Posted 09/10/201522/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2015, Alzheimer's disease, Archive, Chronic disease, Depression, Disability, Finances, Medication, Neurological disease

 Jurg KunzleWollstonecraft, New South WalesJurg is 65 years old. Born in Switzerland, he still has a Swiss accent and European mannerisms. He was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease in […]

The point of We Don’t Talk About

Posted 07/10/201522/04/2017 WeDontTalkAboutPosted in 2015, Archive, Chronic disease, Interviewer, Stories

This project would not have been possible without the support of The Wheeler Centre, who awarded me a Hot Desk Fellowship in 2015.For the record, this post contains my original […]

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