Grad Dip Psych & Counselling, M Mus, BME.
There is much debate about the good and bad sides of social media and the internet in general. A current article (SMH Oct 21st, p11) considers the impact of social media on 'the absence of empathy' and asks what long term impact this might have on actual relationships. The fact that many people believe that they can make negative comments about others online that they wouldn't make face to face is an abovious example of this trend. From the perspective of someone who works with people in helping them develop greater confidence in their relationships, it is certainly something that is becoming more evident, particularly with children.
To read more about relationships go to Areas of Practice - relationships
To read more about children go to Areas of Practice - adolescent/child
Firstly, the important thing to note is that Anger is an emotional reaction to either a person or event that seems overwhelming and for which you do not have an immediate solution. It gives you a surge of power and energy that enables you to cope with something that appears to be out of your control.There are different stages of anger as well as different intensities of anger. If you would like to get the flyer on Anger go to the Contact Page and leave your email details
A recent report A Climate of Suffering (SMH Aug. 29th 2011) states that as many as one in five people reported emotional injury, stress and despair after experiencing the affects of recent extreme weather events. Even primary aged children are affected, quoting the figures collected after cyclone Larry in 2006 in which one in 10 children reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and more than one in ten reported symptoms more than three months after the event. The affects of these weather events and their impact on mental health and social cohesion is yet to be fully realised.
Not really, but recent research is indicating that it might be possible to reduce the intensity of the memory associated with a negative event. This is a promising development because the function of the brain is not interfered with, instead, the negative emotional response is approached through adjusting cortisol levels in the brain. It may help people in coping with strong negative memories without trying to eradicate the memory completely. If you want to read more about this study look at the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.
This time it is about the effects of synthetic marijuana in the workplace particularly in the more dangerous trades. ‘Kronic’ and ‘Northern Lights’ are two such synthetic drugs that have been mentioned in the press, they are available easily and can be smoked or taken in pill form. The potency of the drug not only creates an increased risk of fatal accidents but from a mental health perspective an even greater risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychosis. There are articles in the press about this issue that are worth reading if you want to be informed about this development.
The perennial discussion about stress and if it good for us or not is being discussed again. In this instance it is about studying for exams. When you react to stress there are two hormones that are released into the bloodstream - cortisol and adrenalin. These hormones can raise the heart rate and affect the amount of sugar in the bloodstream, this helps with metabolism and suppresses the immune system. The suggestion is that stress can help assist with memory which is why intensifying study prior to the exam can help with memory. The challenge is to find the balance between enough stress and too much. What happens if there is too much stress is that the brain is not able to pick up new information. So obviously last minute cramming is still a bad idea but you don't have to get too uptight if you are behind in your exam preparation, it seems that this might be quite the ideal time to get started.
Both, according to Oliver James, author of a book on the subject. He describes the pressure adolescents often experience with examinations and assessments and looks at the positive and negative roles of perfectionism in this process. According to James, the positives of perfectionism are around the satisfaction and pleasure that students get from working at their highest standard and achieving a result of which they are proud, in other words they have set and achieved their goals. The negative side of perfectionism is seen in behaviour that is insatiable and compulsive, the 'it's not good enough' statement, therefore 'I'm not good enough'. These adolescents are more likely to be driven by parental expectations and criticism often from an authoritarian and controlling parent. The question here is how realistic are these goals? Are they achievable for the student? Do these expectations allow for balance between work and relaxation? Few parents would want to see their child burnout before finishing their schooling or even during their university studies. The level of anxiety for these students is often intense and without adjustments in family expectations this level of anxiety will continue to escalate until there is a mental health problem.
Dorothy Rowe: Depression: The way out of your prison. 2003, Routledge and Kegan Paul. This book is well worth a look as it is passionate and clear writing, so quite readable for anyone interested in this topic. Rowe, (a psychologist) explains that depression is like being in a prison from which you are not able to escape. She describes the difference between being unhappy and being depressed. When you are unhappy you are still able to seek comfort from someone to help ease the pain and still able to connect with others and accept their sympathy. With depression you can see and hear other people's sympathy but it cannot penetrate the wall or barrier that disconnects you to others.
Welcome to the New Year and remember the importance of good mental health habits!
Australian studies indicate that one in 4 people are too busy to see a health professional. A lot of this is related to studies showing that the hours worked were an impediment to healthy living and contributed to obesity and mental health issues. One person interviewed stated that they “didn’t have time for either prevention or cure” (Josh Fear SMH Oct. 17th)
Chronic overwork is now an accepted practice in many workplaces and is having a detrimental affect on health. Unpaid overtime is the main culprit. Employees have sick leave provisions in order to maintain good health, so, for this very reason they should be encouraged to access this to maintain optimum health. Continuing low grade illness can also contribute to anxiety and depression. Remember, you are much more value to your family and work colleagues when you are well.
Having trouble with work/life balance? go to Areas of Practice and read more. Make a booking with Patricia or call the clinic on 02 9957 5858 to make an appointment.
This does not just apply to physical safety but also to mental and emotional safety and is often overlooked in setting up good workplace practice. This is reflected by the increase in claims to Fair Work Australia – 153% increase! There is an answer – good workplace practice begins with consultation, then development of policies that cover physical, emotional and mental best practice. Is your workplace a safe and secure environment?
If you have concerns about your workplace as either the employer or employee then go to Areas of Practice and read more. Make a booking with Patricia or call the clinic on 02 9957 5858 to make an appointment.
In all the media frenzy around Kristy Fraser–Kirk, it is timely to consider what it all means in terms of the workplace, especially in small business. How can this type of action be prevented? It is likely that claims for punitive damages and compensation will become more common and it will no longer be enough to just have policies to cover bullying and harassment, the question also needs to be asked – how does your business implement these policies and how does the executive deal with claims? The action taken needs to be immediate and effective whilst still maintaining dignity and respect for all.
This is a challenging task!
If you would like to review your current policies and look at effective implementation, contact Patricia by either making a booking with Patricia or calling the clinic on 02 9957 5858 to make a booking.
A recent study into workplace illness and injury has found that the earlier the employee returns to work the more successful is the recovery. Loss of identity and social status when there is a prolonged period away from work has a negative impact on recovery. Conditions such as moderate musculo-skeletal problems e.g. back pain could be accommodated in a flexible work environment. Michael Baigent (from Beyond Blue) says that their organisation often finds that rates of mental illness, as well as drug and alcohol addiction were higher among the unemployed. So, if you are an employer with a worker(s) in this position it might be better for all concerned if you were able to encourage a return to work, even in a part-time capacity as a way of encouraging a speedier recovery.
go to Areas of Practice - The Work Place to read more, then contact Patricia Smith
This topic has been under the spotlight during 2010 and there is remarkable agreement about this issue. The most recent research results from the Brain and Mind Research Institute in Sydney suggest that the number of hours of sleep and the time of that sleep could be early indicators of risks of developing symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder and psychosis.Disruptions to circadian rhythms are a normal part of the life of an adolescent, the challenge is to decide when these disruptions might indicate early signs of mood disorders. The other aspect of sleep deprivation for adolescents is that those children who regularly get only 4 - 5 hours of sleep per night are more at risk of being overweight and developing other dietary problems. Parents should look out for more information on this topic in the next few weeks after the Australasian sleep conference is completed.(SMH 23.10.10)
go to Areas of Practice - Adolescent/Child to read more, then contact Patricia Smith
From time to time you read about well known people admitting that they currently or have suffered from depression. In almost all cases they talk about the relief of being able to talk about it and encourage anyone experiencing anxiety or depression to seek help. One such case involves Actress Anne Hathaway who has recently described her experience of depression, she says that the anxious, depressed girl she was has now gone .."she is no longer part of me". Other people talk about the experience as valuable as it gives them the opportunity to get to know their inner self. Gordon Parker (Black Dog Institute) states that suffering from depression is not "all bad" He says that he tells his patients "to try to find the positives...they're getting a signal from their brain and their body that not all is right". Another interesting fact is that women between the ages of 25 - 40 are almost twice as likely to suffer from depression, but their is little evidence to suggest that this is related to hormonal changes it is more likely to be caused by social factors e.g. trying to be the perfect mother, wife and employee! If you want to read more, go to(Sunday Life August 22nd (Sun Herald.)
An interesting report on the possible misdiagnosis of ADHD is worth following up for parents of children who have had an ADHD diagnosis. The American study suggests that age is a factor in the misdiagnosis. The report says that children who are the youngest in their class are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with this condition than the oldest children in the same class. With the negative side effects from the drugs used to treat this condition including headaches, dizziness, high blood pressure etc. parents might be interested to read more on this. The study is scheduled for publication in The Journal of Health Economics.
Current research is showing that the well-being of parents of adult children is linked directly to the successes and failures of those children. Parents often fall into the trap of trying to solve their children's problems and continue to protect them long into their adult life. The trick is to be empathic but not to continue to take on responsibility for their children's decisions and actions, especially in the cases where the adult children are still living at home.
More information has been published about the sleep needs of adolescents. During June an American study was released which demonstrated that during puberty the biological clock affecting the circadian rhythms alters and this has the effect of delaying sleep for about one hour. This supports the view that adolescents can and probably should go to bed later, but the important point is that they need nine hours sleep. For the supporters of later school starting times, this information would be useful.
June was a big month for the mental health debate. The astonishing figue of 1200 people per day being turned away by the hospital system because of lack of spaces in specialised units was hotly debated by mental health workers and government agencies. The stigma associated with mental illness encourages communities to 'hide' the problem. The generally accepted view is that public education is vital if awareness of the issues around mental health are going to be more fully understood. Another challenge is to convince communities that improved mental health is possible, but that early intervention is the key to success.
The outcome of the investigation into the death of Alex Wildman was realised this month. The coroner made 9 recommendations to improve the anti bullying policies of the Department of Education and Training. These recommendations ranged from employing more counsellors, to trialling a dedicated email address for the purpose of reporting cases of bullying. The issue of cyber bullying is still being hotly debated. Should new laws be introduced to protect children from this form of harassment and bullying or are the current laws adequate?
More research findings on anxiety and depression continue to be released and all are saying much the same thing; that the impact on the community of untreated mental health disorders is increasing. The Wesley report Keeping Minds Well: Mental Health is Everyboody's Business has been released, it talks about the fact that 77% of Australians will know someone who is experiencing a mental health problem during their lifetime. Their new poster which is displayed at railway stations and other public places is a highly effective snapshot of the impact of mental health issues on a cross section of the average community - look out for it.
Following up on the theme of 'anxiety' was an article in the Sun Herald (May 17th) stating that one in five Australians had experienced a mental disorder during the previous twelve months and the stigma around admitting this forces people to suffer in silence. Professor Gordon Parker was quoted as he explained the difference between anxiety and depression. He says that people suffering from depression are likely to experience a "drop in self esteem and to be highly critical" and those experiencing anxiety are likely to experience insecurity "which can range from mild feelings of panic to utter fear and a preoccupation with going mad".
Social networking sites have been in the spotlight a lot during May for different reasons. Whilst there has been a lot of debate about protection for the community particularly younger and older people and the responsibilities of government and facebook itself to do more to protect its users there has also been some interesting material about the number of 'friends' that an average human being can cope with. The Dunbar theory of friendship suggests that the core number of intimate relationships that people have is between five and seven (SMH May 26th 2010 p8). Dunbar goes on to suggest that 150 friendships is about the limit because the human brain can't cope with the complexity of more!
This recent mental health training program for police is of great interest because it allows the police to experience what it is like to be in the mind of someone having a psychotic episode. The reason for the experiment was to give police greater understanding of the person in this state with a view to altering the way in which police manage the person. The machine simulates voices and images as well as auditory and visual hallucinations, all of this happens whilst trying to perform any normal task. The hope is with this type of training police will be more informed and confident in handling people with mental illness.
Earlier on this year I mentioned a report into child and adolescent sleep patterns and the conclusion that adolescents often need more sleep than children. Any sleep deprivation over a period of time can exacerbate tendencies towards anxiety and depression. A report last month has added to this information. This research is around a program in Scotland that teaches adolescents about healthy sleep patterns. A charity called Sleep Scotland provides free classes to students in need. The estimates suggest that conditions such as obesity, depression and poor academic performance are directly affected by sleep deprivation. To read more on this check SMH 17.3.10.
Recently the Federal Government announced the results of their work/life balance initiatives which covered work and family balance and pay equity. The winners came from a diverse group of businesses, including government, community and businesses from all over Australia. It makes for interesting reading, it might also be an interesting proposition for you workplace to nominate for next year. To find out more visit www.deewr.gov.au/worklife.
A recent article in the Financial Review (24.3.10) continues with the theme of bullying in the workplace. Statistics such as 2.5 million Australians experience some form of bullying over the course of their working lives as well as the annual cost to employers in lost time and sickness benefits is estimated to be 10 billion dollars are interesting reading, but not really surprising. This information is contained in a recent Productivity Commission report. I urge both employers and employees to make sure that their workplace has a grievance and complaints procedure that all workers know about and that there is someone that they can talk to in confidence. Employee Assistance Packages are a worthwhile investment especially for small businesses as they cost the company only when accessed by an employee.
During February and into March there have been a few reports about the effects of drugs (both positive and negative) on certain conditions. Ritalin hit the headlines for different reasons. One was the result of a West Australian study showing negative affects on blood pressure. The children who were tested were also ten times more likely to be rated as underperforming by their teachers than ADHD students who were not medicated. If you want to read more about this study check out the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Western Australia. Still with Ritalin, there has also been an article in the SMH (Feb 27th) on the use of Ritalin as a party drug and as a drug to assist with studying. Check out this article if you want to know more about this.
Still with ADHD (but not about Ritalin), researchers have been developing a computer test to help diagnose ADHD in children and adolescents that they believe is 96% accurate. Current thinking is that ADHD is a brain disorder and that a way of testing for this more objectively is needed rather than relying entirely on interviews of the patient by doctors. This is an interesting development. If you want to read more, check out the SMH article on February 18th.
A nasal spray containing the hormone oxytocin is showing promising results for those suffering from Autism. People suffering from autism have enormous difficulty understanding emotions and social cues. They also experience great difficulty interacting with others. Early results using oxytocin indicate that users have a more able to identify emotion in voices as well as recognising facial expressions more easily. If you would like to find out more about this study, it is published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Paul Amminger from the University of Melbourne's Orygen research centre claims that doctor's should strongly consider fish oil as an alternative to more risky medication when children/adolescents show early signs of mental illness. Added to this, he also believes that fish oil's omega - 3 fatty acids may help prevent depression and drug abuse. Amminger further claims that strong medication for psychosis can cause metabolic changes, sexual dysfunction and weight gain which are often not acceptable for children and adolescents,so they stop taking medication . If you are interested in reading more, the full study is published in the Archives of General Psychiatry journal 41. To read more about child/adolescent issues go to the Areas of Practice page on this site and follow the prompts.
How much sleep do Adolescents need?
Parents have always encouraged their teenage children to get adequate sleep, well now there is proof that adequate sleep is essential in the prevention of depression. How many hours represents 'adequate' sleep? The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that adolescents get at least nine hours sleep every night. They suggest that adolescents may need even more sleep than pre-adolescents. So, all of those parents and teachers who encourage adolescents to get a good night's sleep are supporting good mental health practice.
Concerned about your child's sleep patterns?
Make a booking with Patricia or call the clinic on 02 9957 5858 to make an appointment.
Recently Lifeline expressed concern that not enough Australians realise that suicide can be prevented and that it is not simply the case that if people want to commit suicide they will. Read more about this recent submission to the Senate enquiry on prevention of suicide. (SMH 4.1.10). Lifeline's number is: 131 114.
According to the Wesley report, being bullied at school has left 7 out of 10 adults suffering from both low self-esteem and lack of assertiveness. These figures are much greater than previously thought. The other concerning statistic is that adults who have experienced bullying as children suffer long term effects in work and personal relationships and are much more reluctant to trust others. Bullying is never OK, so it is important that as parents or carers we remain vigilant. If you have any concerns about your child being bullied or your child as a bully, go to the Adolescent/child page and read about the help that is available.
A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald highlighted female bullying in the workplace. This form of bullying was more insidious because it was generally directed at other women and these female victimes are often more afraid to bring up the problem so it tends to go underground. The cost of workplace bullying in Australia is estimated to be between 17 - 36 billion dollars each year. If you are experiencing bullying in your workplace then there are skills that can be learned to help you overcome this problem. If you are an employer who has concerns about the impact of bullying on your employees then there are ways to help solve the problem.
For more information and help to overcome workplace bullying contact Patricia Smith.
Government agencies and Mental Health groups have been highlighting the impact of anxiety and depression on people's lives and in particular stressing the importance of seeking help. Anxiety and Depression affect all age groups in our society. An article by Professor Victor Storm in the SMH October 5th talks about the importance of offering ongoing help to depressed people. Untreated depression often leads to suicide. The loss of any life needlessly is a tragedy and Professor Storm talks about the importance of seeking help from support services in the hope that this intervention will help people in their recovery.
For more information on Anxiety and Depression contact Patricia Smith
Parents and communities will be relieved to learn that the Senate has decided to conduct its own enquiry into current suicide rates in Australia. The disturbing figure for parents of adolescents and young adults is that suicide is the number one cause of death in the 15 - 34 age group. If you suspect that your child is suffering from Anxiety and/or Depression and maybe suicidal then early intervention is important in helping to relieve symptoms.
For more information on Adolescent/Young Adult Anxiety and Depression contact Patricia Smith.
Carers and families of Dementia sufferers will take some hope from recent discoveries of three genes that increase the risk of people developing this debilitating disease. Scientists believe the recent discovery is a leap forward in understanding how this disease might be prevented. Whilst this is welcome news, it will take some time before a cure can be found. In the meantime families can be struggling to come to terms with the impact of caring for and dealing with the dementia sufferer. It is a form of loss, because the person they new and loved has become a stranger. At times like this you might find working with a trained professional helpful in coming to terms with such a big life change.
For more information on how to deal with Loss and significant Life Changes contact Patricia Smith.
This article in the Sydney Morning Herald describes one couples experience in dealing with miscarriage and stillbirth. In the article the mother, Rachel Stanfield-Porter says it has taken her fifteen years to feel she can talk about the experience in detail. She has now launched a book called Small Miracles - coping with infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth. With any loss it is important that the person can talk about it in a supportive environment and in many cases this involves seeking professional help. For more information about Loss and bereavement go to 'Articles of Interest' on this web page.
For more information on how to deal with Loss contact Patricia Smith.