Episode #22- It's all about V

Welcome to Episode 22, the second one I recorded on my recent trip to Indonesia.In this weeks episode you get to meet my very lovely friend V- AKA Veronika. Like so many of us, she arrived to Gili Trawangan for a short holiday, to do a course and then never left! haha. BE AWARE- if you visit this small little island you may just get stuck. It is the Indo version of Never Never Land lol.In this episode V talks us through how even though she would describe herself as having had an 'Astrid Lindgren type childhood' things were not always rainbows and unicorns. Things took a turn for the worst in her teens which saw her attempt to take her own life. She talks to us about what it was like and how the attitude was at the time in Germany around mental health.V learnt over the years how to somewhat manage her own emotions and would allow herself to feel into negative emotions for a few days and then pull herself out of it. She describes the last 4 years as the happiest yet the hardest of her life. Considering she was dealing with a divorce, moving across the world, experiencing a large earthquake and navigating a pandemic, this comes as no surprise.We talk through the people who were influential in her mental health journey and the things she does now to look after herself. She describes why she has such a love for freediving and how it specifically helps to keep her mental health in check. I feel honoured to have held space for V to tell her story and know that you will get a lot from it.Apologies for nasal voice in this ep and for the background noise as we were recording in a classroom not a kitchen studion haha.You can find Veronika at @veronikafreediver on instagram, alternatively hit up @freedivegili and let them know I sent you.Thank you for taking the time to listen, I am SO glad that you are here with me today!Find ME on instagram at either @hightidelowtideau or @a_girl_and_the_oceanPlease note that in these episodes we will discuss mental health and all that it entails. Some time we will talk about suicide and self harm, if this is triggering for you please take a moment to decide if you should continue to listen.If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, call triple zero (000). You can also call  Lifeline  on 13 11 14 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Other helplines available in Australia includeMens help line (24/7)- 1300 78 99 78BeyondBlue (24/7)- 1300 22 46 36Sane Australia (10am-10pm)- 1800 18 72 63Suicide Call Back Service (24/7)- 1300 659 467