Humans of Lifeline — Service Delivery Lead, Lifeline
Ian Iglesia
“Being able to open up, be more open-minded and share my feelings with family and friends is a big achievement.”
What does Lifeline mean to you?
I've got a Filipino background, growing up, whenever you're in a situation where you may feel unhappy or out of luck, I was taught 'keep your chin up and just deal with it'
For me, depression, or anxiety, all that kind of stuff, didn't really exist in my space. Back home (in the Philippines), people live on the poverty line. It's a third-world country. Having time to be depressed never existed. If you don't go to work or somehow find a way to earn for your family, that's just it, you know, you expected to just deal with it.
When I started at Lifeline, I saw real examples of people and conversations. Seeing how many people out there have struggles, it's a lot. In my head, I think, 'This is real. These people exist'. But again, the way I was brought up, my parents always said, 'If you're upset, don't show it. Tell us, whatever. But put that emotion in a box', and if you've been brought up like that, you do deal with it like that. A lot of my friends are all the same.
I think now, I see that my friends are a lot more open with their feelings because we have these sorts of services like Lifeline. For me, being able to open up, be more open-minded and share my feelings with family and friends is a big achievement. I've discussed it with some of the guys here, and when they discuss Lifeline, they're very passionate about it.
But it's more than that, and that's what Lifeline's really opened for me. Looking at the stats, a lot of our help seekers are 16 and under, a lot of them. I have kids now, so I worry that they will fall into a situation where they seek help. So, I check in with my kids. My son is only five but obviously old enough to speak his mind and show emotion and stuff like that. I get concerned about him. If I hadn't worked here, he might have grown up thinking as I did.
Human Stories
The Humans of Lifeline
These Humans support lifeline in their own unique way, to ensure that no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone.
Read their stories →
Ways to get involved
Thanks to the unwavering support of the Australian people, Lifeline is able to celebrate 60 years of service to people in times of crisis. The generosity that you provide helps us be there for those who need us and equip communities across Australia to be suicide safe. Explore the ways you can participate in our celebrations and help Lifeline continue its important work for another 60 years and beyond.
