Robert Tichelaar IACP, IICT

​Licensed M.E.M Specialist Practitioner

It is a privilege to be here with you to tell you a little bit about the Mace Energy Method and how it has helped me, feel safe in my own environment and protect my personal identity.

I was in the construction industry for over 30 years. I started as a landscape Labourer developing my career from contract Carpenter, Builder, Site foreman, Site manager, Project manager to Construction manager. Working in all areas of the industry from housing developments, Commercial and high-rise residential, Multimillion dollar defence programs to one of my favourites being part of the build team for Metricon stadium.

Being in the construction industry, Stress has always played a big part in every position I have been in. When things get tough, you just get told or you tell others to take a teaspoon of cement and harden the ???? up. This was all part of the norm, and you just get on with things. Stress was not just a part of my work life, it also was a part of my home life. In my case, I had to work away from home a lot because that's where the industry took me, This also affected my quality family time with kids growing up.

It wasn’t until early 2017, I found myself in a conflict of ethics and company integrity, feeling trapped in a situation which spiraled over time, I was not sleeping and often found myself on the lounge trying not to disturb my wife. I was always tired due to the lack of sleep, then all of a sudden, one morning I experienced my first panic attack, a feeling I had never felt before and at that point I thought I was dying.

I decided to see my doctor who diagnosed me with Stress, Anxiety and Depression. The Dr. prescribed me with drugs so I could deal with what was happening to me, and how I was going to right the wrongs I felt were being done to me.

I paid a visit to Master Builders Qld, who represent the construction industry to see if they could help me with what my options were in working out these issues. Master Builders were very helpful with what I was looking for, but more credit goes to Master Builders, for their ability in identifying that something was wrong. They saw through the facade I was putting up in disguising my depression. They called Mates in Construction who eventually put me on high risk alert, which in other words means - suicide watch due to my erratic behaviour.

During this period, away from my work life, but now in my home life, A friend took advantage of the situation I was in, and made a pass at my wife by telling her that things would be better with him. I was now dealing with two trauma’s in my life, thinking that everyone in my work, and social life were out to get me. That's when I threw up my defenses as I had an identity that thought this was the way to get through this traumatic time in my life.

I put in place a facade showing all that everything was ok and in control, when deep down it wasn’t. I constantly took that teaspoon of cement and continued to work for another three months before I had a major emotional breakdown. I now trusted nobody and distanced myself from all my friends even writing to some of them of how I thought they where plotting against me after reading stupid articles on social media. This was now the world I believed, and was living in.

Constantly talking about my traumas seemed to help me for a couple of days, but the depression kept coming back, and to make matters worse I was not trusting anyone I was talking to. Being placed on drugs that I had no understanding of, I was now having feelings of Anger, and the depression just got worse and worse to the point that I was feeling suicidal thoughts.

“I count myself as being very Fortunate, not all of us are” There are 3 people in the Construction Industry alone who commit suicide every week due to emotional stress, and an average of 8.3 people in general populous suicide every Day.

That day came for me, The day I had decided to commit suicide. I say I was fortunate, because as fate has it, I had pre arranged to meet up with some friends for a catch up, who are a part of the Mace Energy Method. They immediately saw my hidden facial indicators and “gave me a session that day”  I can honestly say, Mace Method saved my life.

The session was like taking a breath of fresh air again. I felt safe in that environment, I didn't have to talk anymore about my traumas and trying to protect my personal identity. I knew the unwanted feelings I was having on that day was also controlling my decisions. After that MEM session, and the shame of wanting to commit suicide, the feeling of instant relief from the overwhelming feelings and negative thoughts that had become a part of my daily life had now gone. I felt I had more energy, and back in charge of my life. It was at that point my life had changed, and I decided to become a full time MEM Practitioner to help others.

MEM handles negative thoughts and feelings in minutes not months, 1 - 3 sessions to handle your uncertainties so nobody needs to go through life feeling all those life threatening unwanted feelings.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing… I also got to see that if I  had gone and had a M.E.M. session when each of my stressful times were happening, a lot of the unwanted feelings would have been avoided giving me the ability to work through my problems by being able to fix all of the situations as they happen with a clear head. Your greatest gift in life is your ability to adapt and find solutions.