Jornal de Comportamentos Aditivos, Terapia e Reabilitação

What would you do With Your Second Chance at Life?

Matthew Caruana

With a voice to share with the world, from Schools, Universities, Corporates and Conferences such as “International Mental Health Conference, “QLD Leading Reform Summit” etc. Something prevalent in these groups is that there’s an uncomfortable feeling when the word(s) Mental Health or Suicide is spoken. As someone who struggled heavily at 12, Matthew Caruana felt cornered, that he couldn’t talk about his feelings. He turned to drugs. Ultimately at 16, Matthew attempted suicide and was left a paraplegic. With a dark past behind him and being unable to see hope, he was very fortunate with numerous turning points in his that led him to a place of fulfilment! As a model for what recovery looks like, it is now his mission and purpose to: Instruct, Inspire, Influence and Impact people’s frame of mind for them to change their lives. With Mental Health and Suicide having a nasty stigma, Matthew firmly believes “where we place our attention is where we place our energy, where we place our energy is what will manifest”. His vision is to be amongst a population that’s comfortable expressing themselves in a society that addresses issues with the focus on recovery and empowerment! Matthew wishes to use his voice to fulfill his vision onstage. By sharing his unique journey and experiences, he tackles significant issues while putting the majority of his attention and energy on recovery; He’s confident that ideas for solutions will be created around the issues in Mental Health and Suicide!