Barwon Health Mental Health and Drugs & Alcohol Services Family & Friends Newsletter
December 2014/January 2015
Carers, Family and Friends Support Groups
December
Wednesday 3rd December – Family Drug Support – in the Green Room at the Swanston Centre Annex from 7.00 – 9.00
Thursday 4th December – Mental Health Carer Peer support and education in the activities room at Barwon Health Community Health Services 104 – 108 Bellarine Hwy Newcomb from 1.00 – 3.00
Wednesday 10th December Christmas lunch at CATS – 12.00 – 2.00 – by reservation – ring Pamela to reserve your place at our festive table.
*** When you book for this or any of our special events could you please let us know if you are unable to attend as we usually have an emergency list.
Thursday 11th December– Creative Carers – in the activities room at Newcomb from 1.00 – 3.00 – making Christmas decorations
Wednesday 17th December – Family Drug Support – in the Green Room at the Swanston Centre Annex from 7.00 – 9.00
Thursday 18th December- There will be NO peer support meeting this afternoon
Have a safe and relaxing festive season and remember to take care of yourself
Quick tips from Carers Victoria
When you are caring for someone else you often put your own needs last. These tips are a reminder that your own health and wellbeing is important; they are also practical strategies that can help manage stress.
- Eat well. A nutritious balanced diet will give you the fuel your body needs to keep on caring. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and cut down on sugary and fatty snacks.
- Exercise regularly. Physical exercise can relieve tension and reduce stress levels.
- Share the care. Let family members and friends know that their help and support is welcome.
- Talk it over. With a friend or family member or with a professional counsellor. Join a Carer Support Group and meet other people to share tips and experiences.
- Take a break. Do something that you love…or do nothing but relax and recharge your batteries.
Contact the Carer Advisory Line for more information 1800 242 636
January 2015
As the first Thursday is New Year’s Day – there will be NO carer education group on 1/1/15
We wish you all a happy & healthy new year
Thursday 8th January – Creative Carers from 1.00 – 3.00 in the activities room at Barwon Health Community Health Services 104 – 108 Bellarine Hwy Newcomb This will be a catch-up and planning meeting - so bring a smile and ideas for our 2015 creative afternoons
Thursday 14th January – Family Drug Support – in the Green Room at the Swanston Centre Annex from 7.00 – 9.00
Thursday 15th January – Drop in to the Green Room at the Swanston Centre Annex for peer support from 2.30 – 4.00
Thursday 28th January – Family Drug Support – in the Green Room at the Swanston Centre Annex from 7.00 – 9.00
The brain’s task now is to reveal its own secrets:Nicky Phillips
Over the past two centuries. Modern science has charted vast quantities of our solar system and constructed detailed models of the invisible particles that make up the world’s matter.
But when it comes to understanding the human brain, a complex machine comprising 100 billion neurons that make trillions of connections, scientists have no map to guide them.
Recently, President Barack Obama announced his “Brain Initiative”, a bold new plan – with $100 million initial funding – to conquer the body’s most mysterious frontier.
“The brain initiative will give scientists the tools they need to get a dynamic picture of the brain in action and better understand how we think, learn and remember,” President Obama said at a White House news conference.
While project details and time frames were scarce, most pundits interpreted the goal would be to create a map of the brain’s functional circuitry – the highly sophisticated movement of electro-chemical signals between neurons and synapses that underpin the body’s transfer of information.
By understanding how information in the brain is stored, retrieved and used, scientists will hope to gain insights into brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and autism.
The head of Neuroscience Research Australia, Peter Schofield, believed the project was an ambitious but worthy endeavour, much like the human genome project, which sequenced the building blocks of DNA, and has delivered significant research benefits.
“This will not be wasted effort; it will provide great new insights which will be quickly harnessed for the direct benefit of people and the conditions which afflict them,” Professor Schofield said.
Decades of brain research and advances in brain imaging means neuroscientists can pinpoint regions of the brain that drive basic human function such as speech, emotion, memory and fear.
What they are yet to understand is the finer detail of how each of those connections work and the exact sequence of events when a memory is created or the brain retrieves a phrase for speech, Professor Schofield said.
An article in The Age April 4th 2013
Accept who you are
Some of us make people laugh, some are good at maths; others cook fantastic meals. Some of us share our lifestyle with the people who live close to us, others live very differently.
We’re all different. It’s much healthier to accept that you’re unique than to wish you were more like someone else.
Feeling good about yourself boosts your confidence to learn new skills, visit new places and make new friends.
Good self-esteem helps you cope when life takes a difficult turn.
“Being happy with who I am now means I enjoy living in the moment.”
Be proud of who you are. Recognise and accept what you are not good at, but focus on what you can do well.
Work out if there’s anything about yourself that you still want to change. Are your expectations realistic? If they are, work towards the change in small steps.
Mental Health Foundation Scotland –Look after your mental health
The role of carers – in a client’s recovery
The role of clients in a client’s recovery cannot be understated. Carers of people with mental ill-health provide millions of hours of unpaid care annually. An Access Economics report estimated that, “…if all hours of informal care were replaced with services purchased from formal care providers and provided in the home, the replacement value would be $40.9 billion (equivalent to 3.2 of GDP and 60 per cent of other formal health care),” (Access Economics, 2010)
In face of these significant statistics, more needs to be done to support those in a caring role because many develop their own health issues. The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index surveyed 3,766 carers in 2007 and found that, on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, 56 per cent of carers were classed with at least moderate depression compared with only 6 per cent of non-carers.
Expansion of funding for family and carer services is required to ensure the continued delivery of informal care, on which the formal care system relies to manage demand.
Mind View Spring 2014
SANE Forums
For people living with a mental illness
For family, friends and other carers of people living with a mental illness
Sane Forums are an online space to support each other, sharing our stories and knowledge – a genuine peer-to-peer support service for all Australians affected by mental illness themselves, or as family, friends or other carers.
Welcoming, safe and anonymous, the forums are a service of SANE Australia working with partner organisations around the country.
saneforums.org
Wonder
Life is a marvel and a mystery. To watch a sunset or the play of light on a leaf, to experience the taste of our food or the movements of our bodies is to be in the presence of a mystery. Yet most of us have become so numb that we miss what is happening around and within us. The simple joys of life elude us. We require tremendous stimulation to feel any aliveness or excitement. Yet when this noise has subsided, we are often duller than before.
Every child is full of simple wonder. How have we become so numb? Part of this numbing is the result of having shut down from past psychological pain, and part is a function of the culture in which we live. In our efforts to protect ourselves from physical and emotional pain, we shut down to life and shut out the wonder of it. We cannot dull ourselves to the pains of life without at the same time dulling ourselves to its simple pleasures.
Today we are bombarded with more information than we can possibly process. We often must fit ourselves into someone else’s schedule and are constantly rushing about, without taking the time to really experience our own bodies or life around us. Beyond this, we have accepted a cultural convention that to act “grown up” and mature is to act jaded and cynical. How marvellous to return to the simplicity of the child, to once again see and appreciate the joys and mysteries of this life. The wonder is all around us.
Zen Soup – Tasty morsels of wisdom from great minds East & West – Laurence G. Boldt
Avocado and cucumber saladfor a hot summer day
175g baby salad leaves – especially cos lettuce
2 medium avocados, chopped
4 green (spring) onions thinly sliced
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved, thinly sliced
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
Finely chopped fresh mint leaves or parsley for garnish
Combine salad leaves, avocado, onion and cucumber in a bowl. Place lemon juice and olive oil in a screw-top jar and shake. Pour over salad and garnish with finely chopped mint or parsley.
(I added a cup of cold freshly cooked peas and some black olives.)
Recipe for life:
1 cup of determination
1 cup of courage
2 cups of self-awareness
A dash of hope
Bake in your heart and sprinkle with faith.
Store in your soul
Unknown from
How much and what type of mental activity do you need to do to reduce your risk of dementia?
The research evidence to date suggests that any activity that involves thinking and learning may be beneficial for brain health and protecting against dementia. The evidence also suggests that greater benefit comes from more complex and challenging mental activities. The more brain activities you do, the more frequently you do them, and the more complex the activity, the lower your risk of dementia is likely to be.
Choose a variety of activities that you enjoy
Choose activities that challenge your brain and give you enjoyment as well. If you try to do something that you find very difficult or boring, you may become frustrated or stressed, and this is not healthy for your brain.
With many mentally stimulating activities, you can start at an easier level and move to more challenging levels as you get better with practice. This also helps you include new learning in your routine, which is important for building your brain reserve.
We are likely to be involved in different types of mentally stimulating activities at different stages of our life. No matter what your age, and whether you are studying, working or retired, exercising your brain can help reduce your risk of developing dementia.
Formal education, working or running a family can keep your brain very active. What you do in your leisure time can also help. If you are retired, you should think about new ways to give your brain a regular workout. There are many, many activities that involve mental stimulation and challenge. You could try:
- A hobby such as painting, carpentry, metal work, sewing, craft or collecting
- A short course such as woodwork, gardening, computers, cooking, mechanics or yoga
- Reading different styles of books, newspapers or magazines
- Writing poetry, essays or keeping a diary
- Doing jigsaw, crossword, number or word puzzles
- Playing board games or cards
- Learning to dance, play an instrument or speak a new language
- Going to the theatre, movies, museum, gallery or a concert
- Cooking a new recipe or building a model
- Joining a club or community group or volunteering
- Researching something you’re interested in on the internet or at your local library
Even having a chat with a friend about current affairs involves brain exercise. Choose activities that you enjoy and try to include lots of variety to exercise different parts of your brain.
Challenge yourself often and keep learning throughout life to keep your brain sharp and reduce your risk of dementia.
For carer support & information about mental health services
Ring Pamela – 421 52418 or mob 0437 663 845
Jennifer – 421 52419 or mob 0490 346 694
Note land line numbers – recently all Barwon Health telephone numbers changed and the prefix to the land lines is 421
We both work part time so leave a message & we will call you as soon as possible
For respite services
Ring the intake worker – FREECALL 1800 052 222
National Family Drug Support
Available 7 days a week 24 hours a day – phone 1300 368 186
Lifeline 131114
This is a 24-hour telephone crisis service available every day of the year to anyone, anytime and from anywhere in Australia for just the cost of a local call
Beyond Blue
Talk it through day or night
1300 224 636
SANE Helpline
Information and advice 9 – 5 weekdays
Suicide Helpline 1300 651 251