GP Anaesthetist Seamus Barrett sees the effects of mental health on the community every day, and he's decided to do something about it.
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The Dubbo resident, who has been wearing his hair long for the past 10 years, is preparing to shave it all off for the Black Dog Institute.
Happily, Mr Barrett has already exceeded his fundraising target of $10,000, which means he will also shave off his prized moustache.
He said though there were "a couple" of nerves, he was looking forward to the chop. His hair is so long, reaching halfway down his back, that it gets stuck in car doors and seat-belt holders.
The more funding for mental health services and access for rural communities, the better.
- Seamus Barrett, GP Anaesthetist
"I'm pretty ready to see it go. It got to a point where it was due for a trim six months ago and now it's getting completely out of hand," he said.
Mr Barrett chose to support the Black Dog Institute after seeing the deep and widespread impact of mental health on our rural communities and the staff that care for them.
After moving to Dubbo in 2015, and spending a year in Forbes, Mr Barrett has experienced first-hand the pressure many front-line medical workers experience day-to-day, as well as the wider community.
"I've seen the effect of mental health on our communities as well as my colleagues, particularly the pressure of the pandemic and before that, the drought," he said.
"Watching the town be under so much pressure for so long, and seeing how universal it is, and who it impacts, it made me realise how widespread it is.
"The more funding for mental health services and access for rural communities, the better."
The Black Dog Institute engages in research, supplies free online resources for people suffering with mental health conditions and helps to train our health professionals to better manage this range of illnesses.
According to the Black Dog Institute, one in five Australians experience a mental illness in their lifetime - most commonly depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorder.
Donate to the Mr Barrett's fundraiser at teamblackdog.org.au/fundraisers/un-lockthedoc