Mental health can be defined as a wellbeing state whereby individuals realise their own potential. They could also cope with the common stresses of life and able to work in a fruitful and productive manner while contributing to their community in positive manner (World Health Organization [WHO], n.d., as cited in Queensland Health, 2017). It is often viewed as a positive concept related to social ... »
The Australian bushfire crisis has impacted millions, putting individuals, families and entire communities at higher risk of trauma and psychological/emotional distress. »
Dementia Australia estimates that in 2019 there are 447,115 Australians living with dementia, a number expected to rise to nearly 600,000 by 2028 and over a million by 2058. Currently in Australia, 250 people join the population with dementia every day. There are about 5.4 million Americans with it (Godman, 2016; Mercola, 2017) and the condition affects 50 million people worldwide, predicted to ri... »
“The way my manager looked at me when I turned in the report — I know he’s planning to sack me soon.” »
He’s up at 5:00 a.m. every morning, slipping into jogging shorts despite the single-digit temperatures, cold winds, and darkness. He pounds the pavement faithfully for 90 minutes a day, at least five days a week. He is also chronically tired and complains of frequent joint pain. He has recently been feeling like, “Why bother? Life is just a treadmill of ‘have-to-dos’”... »
Depression and anxiety are the most common of all mental illnesses, the services for which continue to grow faster than the rate of population growth. Depression and anxiety can often be managed in the general practitioner’s office, and they are the fourth most common problems brought to general practitioners. People who have either condition are often dealing with physical problems as well. »
If your client was suffering from trauma, which approach would you choose to help them? In this post we explore eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, or EMDR. »
In recent years, many disaster response experts and mental health researchers have switched their focus from looking exclusively at at-risk populations in the aftermath of an emergency to asking, “What are the protective factors?” “What situations, experiences, or personal traits help people to come through a traumatic incident with greater resilience?” First, let’s c... »
The CEO of the fast-expanding organisation looked at me, despair seeping through a veneer of confidence. With three growing children, a loving husband, and work at the top of the corporate ladder, her life ticked all the boxes. “I’m coping OK,” she confided, “but I’ve been better.” “Better” was before she came to be afflicted with one of the most com... »
We can broadly define CBT as a combination of cognitive and behavioural therapeutic approaches used to help clients modify limiting, maladaptive thoughts and behaviours, ones that are often inconsistent with consensual reality (Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979). The basic premise of CBT is that troublesome emotions are difficult to change directly, so CBT targets emotions by changing the though... »
As a counsellor/therapist, doctor, allied health professional (or just a caregiver) of a depressed older adult, you are undoubtedly wondering what you can do to encourage them to help themselves. The following list is a compilation of strategies and tips culled from sites specialising in caring for the depressed elderly. You may wish to discuss the options named with your client and generate furth... »
For most of the two percent of Australians affected by panic disorder, the onset was during their teens or early twenties. It is twice as common in women as men. Not everyone who has panic attacks will develop panic disorder, as some people will have just one attack and never have a recurrence. The tendency to incur panic attacks appears to be inherited (The Royal Australian and New Zealand Colleg... »
Many people have suspected for a long time that we human beings are designed to be able to experience things happening for another person: in good times or in bad. So we see a stranger clumsily bump their head on a low-hanging branch at the park, and we flinch, too. We hear that a friend has gotten some good news about a medical diagnosis, and we are genuinely happier. Yet although we have suspect... »
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