Turning Tide

I came home from Brazil wrecked: dengue, concussion, visa uncertainty, and too much coffee and cacao. I called police on myself—and ended in a cell.

Control and stress boiled over; a four-day mental-health ward stay followed, with my crisis misread as Bipolar I Disorder. Released, I reached for marijuana and stimulation again.

Then an invitation changed everything: friends swam near Cape Byron daily. I trained up, found a Depression and Anxiety Recovery Program at church, and leaned into lifestyle medicine—exercise, omega-3s, and cold-water therapy.

Ocean swims brought steadier moods, clearer thinking, and a renewed heart for community service.

Tristan, Mullumbimby, Australia

Tiny Health Stories - a project of the Global Positive Health Institute