VICDOC Summer 2023 - Magazine - Page 58
GEOFF IS ALSO AN AMBASSADOR FOR
LEADING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
SERVICE, BEYOND BLUE.
-
“I set up Crazy Socks 4 Docs because I was
getting annoyed about the way people with
mental health issues who work in hospitals
are treated, particularly doctors. I'd had
bright coloured odd socks on, and people
were talking about my mental health
behind my back. I thought, this is just
rubbish. So, I posted about my crazy socks
online, and it just went viral,” says Geoff.
“It was so well received, I decided I
needed to keep doing this. Over time it’s
become an annual day, it has a global reach,
and I’ve set up a foundation. Initially it
was about tackling the stigma around
mental health and seeking help in doctors,
but now it's about being aware that it’s
okay to not be okay, and it’s okay to ask
for help, creating advocacy and pushing
for tangible actions.”
Geoff acknowledges that he himself
took too long to seek help with his
mental health. Looking back, he can see
that he’s probably lived with anxiety and
depression all his life, but he didn’t seek
professional help until he was in his late
twenties. Medication helped in the short
term, but in the long term, he has utilised
a combination of psychological techniques
such as CBT (cognitive behavioural
therapy) and EMDR (eye movement
desensitisation and reprocessing).
“I don't read as much about it all as I
did in early days; I think I've embedded
those techniques in my behaviour, I’ve
really worked at it. I still book occasional
follow-ups with my psychiatrist and
psychologist to talk about where I’m at,
that’s an important part of staying well.
It’s something I’ll always have to manage,
and I’m okay with that.”
58
AMA VI C TO RIA
DR
GEOFFREY
TOOGOOD
-
CARDIOLOGIST,
MENTAL HEALTH
AWARENESS ADVOCATE
+ CRAZY SOCKS 4 DOCS
FOUNDER
