Internal Acceptance Movement!

I ran across this site the other day for the Internal Acceptance Movement (I. A.M.). It was started by a young woman, Daniell Koepke, and has the simple motto of You exist, and therefore, you matter. I'll let her describe about it in her own words:

I came up with the idea while I was in treatment for an eating disorder in the summer of 2009. My initial goal was to spread eating disorder awareness and promote body positivity.

After creating a space on Tumblr, I decided that I wanted the I. A.M. to encompass something more broad — I wanted the blog focus on helping people heal from any struggle; to offer encouragement and validation; to remind people that they aren’t alone and that the things they struggle with don’t have to be a source of shame; to provide self-care tips and coping skills; and to offer hope that things can and will get better. 

Daniell is studying psychology with the goal of becoming a therapist. I think she will make a great one. Her own writings & thoughts have some great insights and are full of encouragement & support for all. Highly recommended.

The information contained in this blog can not be considered medical advice. These are only my own thoughts, feelings & ideas. If you or someone you know are having problems with mental illness please seek qualified medical advice.

Supporting a friend with a mental illness.

The daughter of a Facebook friend of mine posted a fantastic little piece on supporting someone close to you who has a mental illness. While it specifies depression and anxiety, what it says covers so much more. I just thought I would share it here.

Take care, stay safe.

The information contained in this blog can not be considered medical advice. These are only my own thoughts, feelings & ideas. If you or someone you know are having problems with mental illness please seek qualified medical advice.

Mental Health In The Workplace

Came across this article today on news.com.au dealing with mental health in the workplace. Looks like it's part of a recent series called Minds at Work. The series is being written in partnership with Australian mental health support organisation beyondblue.

Sadly this and associated articles seem to be hidden away a bit. I could only find them by using the search function. There seems to be no easy way to access them. To make it a little easier you can find the links here.

The articles also link to a website called Heads Up. This site is for both employers & employees and deals with mental health within the work environment. For employers there is information about creating a mental health friendly workplace. For employees there is information about your mental health and how to interact with your employer. And for everyone it also covers working with someone who has a mental illness.

Some good stuff there for people dealing with mental health issues in the workplace.

The information contained in this blog can not be considered medical advice. These are only my own thoughts, feelings & ideas. If you or someone you know are having problems with mental illness please seek qualified medical advice.

Bipolar Research Subjects Needed - Sydney

Early next week I'm off to Sydney to participate in a bipolar research study at the CADE Clinic, an outpatient service based at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney. The study 'Thinking Clearly With Bipolar Disorder' is being conducted by Dr Genevieve Curran.

She is seeking adults with bipolar disorder to participate in a research study that investigates how bipolar & lithium alter brain cognition (memory, concentration, attention, etc). It doesn't matter if you use lithium or not, subjects from both groups are needed.

From what I understand the study involves a session talking with Dr Curran, a session on a computer playing games, solving puzzles, etc & then possibly an MRI scan.

More information on the research study can be found on the CADE website, by calling Dr Curran (02 9462 9900) or by emailing her at grcurran@nsccahs.health.nsw.gov.au.

I you feel you could suitable for this study please participate. In the long run the study could benifit us all, you never know.

Until next time, take care.

Mark.

The information contained in this blog can not be considered medical advice. These are only my own thoughts, feelings & ideas. If you or someone you know are having problems with mental illness please seek qualified medical advice.

Small Irish Poll Shows Depth of Stigma.

An article by Paul Gilligan (CEO, St Patrick's University Hospital) published in the Irish newspaper Sunday Independent has highlighted how bad stigma can be and that it is costing lives. The stigma surrounding mental illness makes people reluctant to discuss their problems and they often feel they cannot seek help.

A small poll of 300 people at St Patrick's University Hospital in Dublin produced some shocking results, even for those used to seeing how bad stigma can be. The poll showed that:

• 20% of people believe that those suffering mental health problems are of below average intelligence.
• Over 40% considered seeking help for mental health problems is a sign of personal failure.
• Two-thirds expressed reluctance to hire someone with a history of mental illness, believing them to be unreliable.
• Over 30% admitted they would not willingly accept someone with a mental illness as a close friend.

Considering that there is a probability that some participants in the research wouldn't want to admit to having a negative view, it is quite possible the true levels of stigma could be much higher.

Gilligan goes on to discuss factors that go into creating (and maintaining) the stigma. These include human factors such as fear and a lack of understanding/knowledge. Then there is denial, both by the sufferer refusing to believe they could have a mental illness, and those who don't even believe there is such a thing as mental illness.

Weathering The Weather: is it SAD?

Over the last few weeks we've been having some fantastic spring weather here on the east coast of Australia. Brilliant sunny days and crisp clear nights. It really has been wonderful. At the same time I've been feeling a little more alive, things seeming a little easier. I suppose that many people feel like this, with warm summer days making it easier to get going than cold, wet winter days.  But is it all a little SAD?

Seasonal affectiive disorder (SAD) is now widely recognised as a common disorder, despite initial skepticism. But what a lot of people don't realize is it is NOT a stand-alone diagnosis. In fact it is associated with a major depressive episode for people with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

It is also commonly believed that the depressive feelings of SAD are associated only with winter, but in fact can occur at any time of the year, regardless of season. While winter is the most common season for the symptoms to show, all SAD really needs is repeated periods of depression at around the same time each year - winter, spring, summer or autumn, it doesn't matter which.

UQ Law Students Raise Awareness of Mental Health Issues

The University of Queensland Law Student Society (UQLS) will delve into the reasons for a high rate of depression, stress and anxiety among law students at a mental health forum this month. 

UQ and law firm Allens will host ‘Mental Health in the Australian Legal Profession,' forum at the University on September 12. 

The program has a line-up of expert speakers including psychologist David Whittingham, Legal Services Commissioner (QLD) John Briton, Annette Bradfield, Deputy President of the Queensland Law Society and special guest Kate Carnell, CEO of Beyond Blue. 

The forum is part of The University of Queensland's Law Student Society's strategy to stem the unusually high rate of mental health issues among law students.

The full article and forum details are available on the University of Queensland website. 

The information contained in this blog can not be considered medical advice. These are only my own thoughts, feelings & ideas. If you or someone you know are having problems with mental illness please seek qualified medical advice.

Sinéad O'Connor Concert For Mental Health

Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor is teaming up with Cork-based mental health campaign group Mad Pride Ireland to play a fundraising concert at the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork on October 19th. The concert is the first of a series of high-profile associations to promote more understanding of mental health in Ireland.

Mad Pride Ireland's chief executive David McCarthy said he hoped the concert would help highlight the issue of mental health and 'the need for the wider community to engage with the normality of madness'.

Mr McCarthy said the group believed that the best way to promote understanding of mental health was to engage the community through active participation in a fun environment.

O'Conner is to be supported at the concert by the Ger Wolfe Trio. Tickets are available at the Triskel or through their website triskelartscentre.ie.

SOURCE: IrishTimes.com

The information contained in this blog can not be considered medical advice. These are only my own thoughts, feelings & ideas. If you or someone you know are having problems with mental illness please seek qualified medical advice.

Dandelions and Bad Hair Days: Cover released.

Suzie Grogan, the driving force behind the upcoming release Dandelions and Bad Hair Days, has made public an image of the cover for the anthology. The cover artwork is by Ingrid Eva Creative and is a brilliant pictorial representation of the title.

The book is a collection of articles, stories & creative writing from sufferers of mental illness (including me!). Due out early October, all profits from the sale of Dandelions and Bad Hair Days will go to mental health charities such as SANE UK. A great book for a great cause.

Cheers

The information contained in this blog can not be considered medical advice. These are only my own thoughts, feelings & ideas. If you or someone you know are having problems with mental illness please seek qualified medical advice.

Depression: The Global Problem

For a long time, due to cultural & religious differences, it has often been thought that depression & anxiety was mainly a Western problem with Eastern cultures being little affected. A recent study published by researchers from The University of Queensland seems to debunk this theory.

In the worlds most comprehensive study of anxiety & depression to date, researchers in two separate studies into anxiety disorders & major depression disorder (clinical depression) found that surveys of clinical anxiety & depression have been conducted across 91 countries involving more than 480,000 people.

These studies show that anxiety & depression are major problems across the globe, regardless of culture, race or religion.

Bipolar 1 & 2, What's the difference?

Bipolar Disorder (formerly called manic depression) is an illness that at times even the sufferer doesn't fully understand. Most people don't even realize there are couple of forms of bipolar, or if they do, they don't understand the differences. So here I will attempt to detail the differences between bipolar 1 & bipolar 2.

Both forms of the disorder have 2 things in common which helps with the initial diagnosis of bipolar. First, you must have suffered episodes of clinical depression, which is often the only thing you will be treated for initially. I found that getting a new diagnosis after being diagnosed & treated for depression (which didn't help at all) to be very difficult. Secondly, you must have had periods of feeling 'high' (mania). Everybody feels happy or sad at times, but bipolar sufferers feel these emotions far more deeply, and the swings between the highs & lows are usually extreme & can occur quite suddenly.

Back to school - it's never too late

Returning to the halls of learning is something I've considered on & off for years but never followed through with. Over the years I've even signed on for a few courses but the steam quickly ran out and they fell by the wayside. It's pretty hard to keep going with depression continually pulling you down. I would get a lot done in the first few weeks while the energy was up, but when it was gone, nothing.

I think a lot of the problem was I was trying to do it all by distance education so I wouldn't have to face sitting in a classroom situation with a whole lot of strangers. The problem for me was that there was no structured learning. What I was doing was easy for me but I couldn't keep myself grounded with the need to get things completed & sent in for assessment. I also had no-one around to encourage & support me

So this time I'm biting the bullet & trying a return to the classroom if possible. In my mind I'm a lot better now than at any time I've tried studying previously and I also have some great support close at hand. I'm also hoping the more structured environment will assist in keeping me motivated, or at least to get things done for fear of failing!