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"Anxiety & Depression"

About: Lives Lived Well - Katoomba (Dianella Cottage)

(as a service user),

Mental breakdown lead to clinic admission, later 2 suicide attempts. PECC, followed by 2 clinic admissions with ECT + TMS.

I have a pattern of alcohol abuse directly correlated with my mental health.

After my first mental health clinic admission I went right back to regular heavy drinking as a coping mechanism.

After my second admission I wanted to make a conscious effort to stay sober however it only took a couple of days after being discharged to start drinking again which quickly spiralled to having suicidal ideation. My second suicide attempt was while heavily intoxicated and recognised I was quickly heading down that same path.

After voicing my concerns with my Psychologist she recommended reaching out to Lives Lived Well and after filling out some online information one of their peer support workers called within a couple of hours.

I don't remember the exact series of events however I was quickly attending their Katoomba location's weekly group SMART recovery program plus regular one on one counselling. I still attend both to this day plus any other programs they run if available.

Lives Lived Well Katoomba has been instrumental in not only continued sobriety for over 9 months but my mental health on going recovery as a whole.

The staff have been nothing short of amazing and the services provided are easily accessible as you need them. I cannot recommend Lives Lived Well Katoomba enough.

Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Kris Crane, Advisor, Lived Experience, Clinical Services, Lives Lived Well 3 weeks ago
Kris Crane
Advisor, Lived Experience, Clinical Services,
Lives Lived Well
Submitted on 9/04/2026 at 9:26 AM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 9:40 AM


Hello,

Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time to write this very considered and passionate post. We all benefit when people are vulnerable and share the experiences which have shaped the journey to treatment.

This post will undoubtedly help many who read it.

Congratulations on your commitment over the past nine months, that's an amazing amount of work.

I love hearing about your experiences with the team in Katoomba. We are lucky to have lived experience staff in this team to walk alongside you on your journey.

It is great to hear how you are continuing to attend SMART, it is a really good ongoing group where we can connect and share with our peers.

Thank you again for sharing your story, it is deeply appreciated.

Kris

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