Amazing Documentary covering; brain function ( Mental Health in old language ), psychology,depression and lots more -

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The ABC Australia

Programme aired tonight was called “Stress: Portrait of a Killer”

An extremely powerful documentary.

The research resonated with my personal experience and observations as a long time journalist about stress and how it affects us right down to the end of our little telemeres

So refreshing to see unhyped, in-depth research that’s presented engagingly and totally relevant to all of us TODAY.

For those who missed it, look for it on abc.net.au/iView but I’m not sure it is available outside Australia on that link.

Anyone outside Oz please let me know if you can access the videos on the site.

It should be compulsory viewing for lawmakers and medical professionals, and is compelling viewing for the 50% of us directly affected by brain function irregularities.

There is a growing understanding that brain function goes wonky for everyone at sometime and one day the term “mental health” will be ditched and ideas of behaviour will not be exclusively linked to our spirt or soul. Rather they’ll be recognised as variations with complex causes but, thankfully, means of identification, prevention and recovery.

I was interested to see various sections of serious and rigorous research confirming what all we advocates know – that helping others can change your brain function.

It’s often draining, but it’s such a buzz having walked and crawled a dark and deadly path, to light the way for those who follow.

I’d love to hear what others think, and see what resonated for you.

Meanwhile – please help with resources, media and info

By the way I am still collecting survival tips from those who’ve survived and coped with depression; post-natal, PTSD, bipolar or any other variant, or panic and anxiety.

From this weekend I will  have set up a recorder at the following number in australia +61 8 94679885  or you can Skype Perthtones to record about  5 minutes of help for others trying to cope with their day or minute.

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I am focussing solely on tools or treatments that are totally free or are or provided by NGOs selfhelpers etc -

There will be time for professionals and service providers another time – this is for those of us coping with it by those of us coping with it.

• Part 1 getting through this dark moment – the now
• Part 2 getting through the next few days with all their challenges – medium term
• Part 3  recovery and building resilience – long term

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Help and info for people dealing with depression,panic,schizophrenia and other mental health issues – Consumer Organisation CoMHWA’s Update and good news (please forward to your networks)

West Australians now have an authentic voice on mental health issues, please share the brochure below with your contacts and join/support this vital work.

I will be hosting a mental health forum at the end of March at the Wembley Convention Centre focussed on providing info on free and useful treatment and management approaches for those affected by mental illness.

Parts of the forum will be videod to share with people who are house-bound or living outside the city.

If you have a friend or loved one affected by depression,anxiety, panic or bipolar, come along to find out how much there is that can be done to save lives and improve life quality.

cheers
tony

Information Circular No 2 February 2010 A West Australian Based Mental Health Consumer Organisation CoMHWA Consumers of Mental Health WA (Inc) Mental Illness is a pause…not the end! GREAT NEWS!! Lotterywest Grant Received It is with delight that we advise members and our supporters of CoMHWA that we have been successful in receiving a positive result from our grant application to Lotterywest. We have received funding to the value of $17, 024.00 for: § Computer equipment § Governance training for the management committee § Professional strategic and business planning This is very exciting as it means it is possible for us to demonstrate to potential funding bodies a strong plan for the future so as to secure ongoing funding. The idea of having an independent Strategic Planning specialist work with us to do a Strategic Plan means we can make professional plans for the future that work toward making CoMHWA a comprehensive and vital consumer run organisation. § In doing our Strategic Plan our planning specialist will first read and consider carefully the results of the consultations with consumers undertaken over the last several years. Much of this consultation feedback informed the current CoMHWA objectives. We feel this review is important as part of the process of setting plans for the future. § In doing our Strategic Plan we will meet with members and other consumers in the community so people can have an opportunity to have input into the strategic plan (stay tuned for more details). § In carrying out our Strategic Plan we will demonstrate our ability to be a powerful representative voice for mental health consumers in WA. In the meantime we ask people to keep cheering for us and please remember that if we work together amazing things can happen. Other steps are being planned and we will keep you up to date. CoMHWA currently We remain an unfunded organisation and it has been up to a small group of dedicated people over several years to get this far. We all are unpaid and each volunteers time and knowledge to build a WA based mental health consumer organisation carries out our mission and objectives (for more on CoMHWA’s objectives and values click). We would like to assure our members and supporters that we are working really hard behind the scenes and forging ahead. We are proud of our efforts and excited that they have been fruitful thanks to the support of our members, Richmond Fellowship WA, WAAMH, and Lotterywest who are behind us all the way. If any members want to get involved and help, we welcome your expertise or if anyone in the community would like to join in please feel welcome to become a member (membership forms downloadable from our webpage). Our hope is that with a professional strategic plan and business plan we can then secure additional funding to employ someone who will carry out some of the business of the organisation and look for recurrent funding. We wish you all well. Kind Regards on behalf of the CoMHWA Management Committee More Info on CoMHWA ** Please see our latest newsletters online CoMHWA (Inc) invites new members Contact us today or see our application forms and newsletters online Contact Consumers of Mental Health WA (Inc) C/- PO Box 682, BENTLEY, WA 6982 Ph: 9350 8824 (message) Email: comhwa_inc Webpage link from: www.rfwa.org.au Direct link <click here> ABN: 95581286940

Consumers of Mental Health WA (Inc) CoMHWA

‘mental illness is a pause…not the end’

C/- PO Box 682

BENTLEY WA 6982

(08) 9350 8824 (message)

Webpage Link from: www.rfwa.org.au

Email: comhwa_inc

CoMHWA_Information Circular No 2_Print version.pdf

At last some good news on suicide – Mental Health programs save lives.

There is new hope for people in poor mental health as Australia’s suicide rate falls by almost half in ten years. see abc.net.au/lateline story below.

The good news is tempered by serious problems in dispensing opiates recently revealed in W.A. and the lingering, deadly stigma of being mentally unwell.

But isn’t it great and encouraging that the death toll is finally falling.

And please check this link for a preview of some amazing stories and useful first hand advice from those who are unwell and hear the voices of their children.
http://mentalmedia.wordpress.com/

the very welcome abc item follows…

Reaching out for help as Australian suicides fall

By John Stewart for Lateline

Posted 3 hours 28 minutes ago
Updated 3 hours 15 minutes ago

Despair: But Australian youth suicide rates have tumbled in the past decade (ABC News: Giulio Saggin, file photo)

//

• Related Link: Reach Out website

During the past decade the suicide rate among young Australians has almost halved.

It is an extraordinary public health achievement, but one which has received little publicity.

Experts say a massive public education campaign and improvement in the treatment of depression are the key reasons for the success.

But with bad economic times upon us, psychologists are warning the suicide rate may begin to rise.

Doug Millen, a 20-year-old university student based in Melbourne, is studying hard and his life is back on track.

But during his final years at high school he suffered from depression and did not know who to turn to.

“I did what young people do and I jumped on the internet and Google for some kind of help,” he said.

He found a website called Reach Out, which had been set up to prevent youth suicide and help young people suffering from depression.

“When I was feeling like I wouldn’t achieve in year 12 and trying to figure out my sexuality, Reach Out was great because it was there when I needed it,” he said.

“It’s completely anonymous and I didn’t have to talk to anyone.”

The online advantage

The Reach Out website now gets 130,000 visits per month from young people.

The website’s managers say being online is a big advantage.

“For a young person who suspects things are not OK, they might not know who to turn to or be afraid to talk to someone about it because they are afraid they will be judged,” project manager Anna McKenzie said.

“So to be able to simply go online, Google something and have a look without anyone needing to know, that’s really invaluable and that’s what a lot of young people are doing at Reachout.”

The Reach Out website was set up 10 years ago when Australia had one of the highest rates of youth suicide in the western world.

But that rate has seen a massive decline in the decade since 1997.

Professor Ian Hickie from Sydney University says suicide rates have fallen internationally, but Australia has benefited from one of the best public health campaigns in recent times.

“In general, a period of strong economic growth and a period of increased awareness around mental health problems and a need to focus on suicide reduction has contributed in most developed countries throughout that time,” he said.

“Additionally in Australia there have been extra efforts in the medical world to treat depression, identify problems and respond appropriately, but also, in Australia, a tremendous community response.”

The Howard government‘s tightening of gun laws after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre also contributed to the decline in suicides, especially among young men.

“After the new gun laws were introduced, the rate of gun suicide dropped twice as fast,” Sydney University’s associate professor Philip Alpers said.

“If you reduce the availability of firearms, especially to impulsive young men, then the number of people dying by gunshot reduces.”

But suicide rates in many Aboriginal communities are still high and despite the overall drop in the suicide rate, reports of depression and anxiety are on the rise.

More than 12 million prescriptions for anti-depressants are filled in Australia each year.

“We’ve just had a national survey of mental health in Australia, rates of illness are as high as they ever were,” Professor Hickie said.

“The good thing is that rates of suicide have gone down so we haven’t yet dealt with the underlying problem, but we have got better at dealing with one of the worst outcomes.

“The greater availability of anti-depressants is also believed to have played a role in lowering the suicide rate, but prescribing the drugs to young people is controversial.”

Experts are concerned that if more jobs are lost, the suicide rate may begin to rise.

It is a trend that has already started overseas and workers at Reachout fear that stressful times may be ahead, especially for young Australians trying to find their first job.

For more information, head to the Reach Out website.

Tags: community-and-society, suicide, youth-issues, australia

The “shame” of presenting yourself to Mental Health professionals

An important event in Perth W.A. to discuss ways to reduce shame & stigma

shame can kill - help us reduce stigma

Meanwhile

It’s common sense that an ill parent will have an affect on the entire family, but all too often around the world, the children of people being treated are left out in several ways.

There are further complications because it is often the case that genes determining aspects of mental health are shared by some family members

Follow this link to coverage of new research on affected families and suggestions for professionals on more effective, holistic treatments.

Brain Training, Plasticity and You – how have you changed your life by changing the way your brain works

In the last 8 years I’ve recovered from PTSD ( Clinical Depression and Anxiety ) to the stage where my health is actually better than before I became ill.

  

The three main areas that have kept me alive and then allowed me to thrive again are based on Brain Plasticity, the ability to “rewire” your own  brain. ( see the website for Norman Doidge’s inspiring book on the subject in the right sidebar of this blog )

Prescribed drugs may help some, but without proper diagnosis using fMRI it’s guesswork, and my Doctor guessed wrong – the SSRI’s made me suicidal.

The therapies/treatments that have allowed me to build new ways of thinking are neurofeedback, cognitive behaviour therapy and meditation/hypnotherapy.( see my guided imagery page – also in the right sidebar )

Since going public with my illness 8 years ago and on  talkback radio here in Perth recently I have been swamped by people struggling with depression, panic and many other challenges. Almost without exception they have received little help and only grief from the “system” of health professionals who often just hand out potentially deadly pills, even giving SSRI’s to infants!  Just last week a mate who was close to the end of his tether was told by his family doctor to “get over it” – I wonder if someone with a broken leg is told to “run away”

When I return to fill in at 6PR there are always calls from my fellow travellers battling the “black dog” and the common theme is that very few doctors, hospitals or health systems have any idea what to do in the short medium, or long term.

Anyway it’s become clear that the most reliable and effective help available comes through fellow sufferers or their devoted families and carers.

So let’s do something about that.

I am keen to work with anyone who has stories and info on recovery and resilience. I will post text audio and video here and you can make a big difference if you are able to pass on details of your journey and links to any useful sources of help or inspiration.

Clinical work on brain plasticity ( the ability to forge new neuronal pathways in the brain ) by amazing people all over the world has provided us with the means to share effective treatments for illnesses and genetic disorders such as;

depression, panic, anxiety, schizophrenia, epilepsy, autism, tourettes, closed head injury, head trauma, genetically related disability, stroke, paralysis, alzheimers, dementure, addiction, OCD, bipolar, bulemia, anorexia, fibromyalgia, body dysmorphia and more.

So please join in and contribute, especially if your story or info can help sufferers and reduce the deadly stigma that comes with brain related illness.

Please comment by clicking the button below, and you’re welcome to submit text pics, audio or video.

You’re welcome to send comments or materials by email to serve.tony@gmail.com

You can also call and leave your spoken thoughts or info on my recording service +61 8  9467 2264 – you have several minutes to speak and I’ll post the audio here for you.

Anyone can contribute, so don’t feel your input isn’t valuable because you’re ill or feel small inside, we need to hear from you and welcome questions or solutions equally.

I hope to hear from you soon… and you’re welcome to join me on my last 4 nights at 6PR midnight to dawn – that’s 882 6PR in Perth, globally at 6pr.com.au    

local time is daylight saving and it’s midnight to 0600 sat & sun, then midnight til 0500 mon & tue.

 Perth time is GMT/UTC PLUS 9 hours

Early Sunday morning I’ll have 2 teenage guests in the studio who have worked out effective ways to overcome eating disorders and depression. Join me, Travis and Alicia and about 30 thousand listeners and see if we can make a difference.

Computer That Reacts To Thought A Lifeline For Brain Injured

ScienceDaily (2008-11-06) — People who have suffered traumatic brain injuries and who are unable to speak or move are being given the first chance to communicate using just the power of thought — and a laptop loaded with sophisticated algorithms.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081105191855.htm#

Please share this with any and all advocacy groups and philanthropists you know, a little money for this project would go a long way to giving some dear people a better chance at fulfilling their potential.

By the way, local clinical work/research here in Perth by Dr Neil Beck suggests Neurofeedback techniques can play a major role in recovery for people with head injuries.

It works with the brain’s natural  “plasticity” to develop new neural pathways.

I’ve also found Neurofeedback helpful for PTSD and Panic – a lot more efficacious than those damned SSRI’s

btw… I’ve often been called a “bleeding heart”   – well, if a heart’s not bleeding, it’s dead, and that’s OFFAL!!!