The Christmas Break...

Services during Christmas / New Years



The Holiday Season of 2011 is here and soon we will be bringing in the New Year – 2012!

Wherever you are at this time, whoever you are with and however you celebrate, may the true light of this season shine within your heart!

From all of us at ADAVIC we wish you all a very happy holiday season and a very happy and prosperous New Year. Take time off, relax and enjoy the holidays.

All The Best!

See you all back here in the New Year!

Anna Kouloubos
Managing Director


ADAVIC OFFICE (PHONE SUPPORT, INFORMATION & REFERRAL)

Our final office day for 2011 is Tuesday 20th December, closing at 4pm.

We re-open on Tuesday 10th January 2012 at 10.30am.

If you require assistance during the Christmas / New Year's break the following organisations may be helpful:

Organisation Phone
Lifeline 13 11 14
SuicideLine 1300 651 251
Mental Health Advice Line 1300 280 737
Parentline (Vic) 13 22 89
Men’s Line Australia 1300 789 978
Kids Help Line 1800 551 800
Reconnexion 9886 9400 or 1300 273 266
Beyondblue—Info Line 1300 224 636
Nurse on Call 1300 606 024




EMAIL SUPPORT

Emails to adavic@adavic.org.au will be checked twice-weekly during the Christmas break.



SUPPORT GROUPS

Group Final meeting 2011
Altona Tue 13th Dec
Berwick Tue 13th Dec
Coburg Mon 12th Dec
Kew Mon 12th Dec

Group meetings to recommence 2012
Altona Tue 17th Jan
Berwick Tue 24th Jan
Coburg Mon 16th Jan
Kew Mon 16th Jan

For more details about Support Groups click here.




DISCUSSION FORUM

The ADAVIC Discussion Forum will remain open during the break (typically 24/7 access).

Forum features:

•Discuss and share experiences
•Ask for advice
•Help others whilst helping yourself
•Open 24 hours/7 days a week
•Registration Required

To access the forum click here.



BOOKSTORE

Orders from the ADAVIC online store will be processed twice-weekly during the Christmas/New Year's break.

Please be aware that delivery may take longer than usual due to Christmas mail.

PTSD Support Group 2012

Domenic Greco, from the Victims of Crime Counselling services will be running a support group for PTSD - see details below.


Support Group for PTSD will be commencing on the 25th January 2012
Will run every week on Wednesday from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm at
Victims of Crime Counselling Services at 163 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy.
The support group is specifically for those suffering from PTSD following being the victim of crime.
Domenic Greco, Psychologist will be facilitating this group.

Weekly Quote

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.
- Jimmy Johnson

ADAVIC Events in 2012!!

The team at ADAVIC are already well underway organising events for next year! So far there are three lectures available:

EVENT NAME: ‘Don’t Worry: Treating Generalised Anxiety Disorder’
PRESENTER: Peter Kyriakoulis
DATE: Thursday 23rd February 2012
TIME: 7.30pm – 9.00pm
COST: $10.00 ADAVIC Members $20.00 Non-members
VENUE: Clayton Hall (Meeting Room)
ADDRESS: 264 Clayton Road, Clayton, Victoria.
CONTACT: Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria
PHONE: 03 9853 8089
EMAIL: adavic@adavic.org.au
WEBSITE: http://www.adavic.org.au/product-view.aspx?Id=130


EVENT NAME: ‘From anxiety & Panic to Courage, Commitment, Calmness and Change…’
PRESENTER: Pauline McKinnon
DATE: Tuesday 28th February 2012
TIME: 7.30pm – 9.00pm
COST: $10.00 ADAVIC Members $20.00 Non-members
VENUE: Horticultural Centre Function Room
ADDRESS: 82 Jolimont Road, Forest Hill, Vic
CONTACT: Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria
PHONE: 03 9853 8089
EMAIL: adavic@adavic.org.au
WEBSITE: http://www.adavic.org.au/product-view.aspx?Id=131


EVENT NAME: ‘School Refusal: An information session for parents and teachers’
PRESENTER: Dr Simon Kinsella
DATE: Wednesday 7th March 2012
TIME: 7.30pm – 9.00pm
COST: $10.00 ADAVIC Members $20.00 Non-members
VENUE: Cardinia Public Hall (Next to Cardinia Primary School)
ADDRESS: 2405 Ballarto Road, Cardinia, Victoria, 3978
CONTACT: Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria
PHONE: 03 9853 8089
EMAIL: adavic@adavic.org.au
WEBSITE: http://www.adavic.org.au/product-view.aspx?Id=132


EVENT NAME: 'How to transform distressed sleep to peaceful sleep'
PRESENTER: Dr Donna Golding
DATE: Thursday 19th April 2012
TIME: 7:30pm - 9.00pm
COST: $10.00 ADAVIC Members $20.00 Non-members
VENUE: Northcote Town Hall
ADDRESS: First Floor, Room B, 189 High Street, Northcote, VIC
CONTACT: Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria
PHONE: 03 9853 8089
EMAIL: adavic@adavic.org.au
WEBSITE: http://www.adavic.org.au/product-view.aspx?Id=133

Organising Finances During the Holiday Season

I don’t know about you, but for me it feels as though it was just the other day that we were celebrating Christmas, but sure enough, here it is again. Christmas day is generally a very relaxing and peaceful day for families. The build up to this day, however, is quite the opposite. It is during this time of year that people tend to be busiest. Work is demanding, the kids are home from school looking for something to do, and on top of all this, there are still so many things that need to be organised for the big day. If all this hustle and bustle wasn’t enough, this holiday period can also be very financially taxing. Between planning holidays to buying gifts, it often feels as though spending money never ends.

While the Christmas period should be about celebrating with your family, friends and, depending on your religion, your church community, it is often the gift giving part that people think about most during this time. Many people have to arrange gifts for partners, kids, parents, siblings, cousins, friends, bosses, and the list goes on. The good news is that you can still give a great present without having to delve into your life savings. Here are some low cost gift ideas:
Gift baskets: gift baskets and hampers are wonderful gift ideas because they are original and can be very diverse. All it takes is to get together a few bits and pieces, such as the person’s favourite food, drink, DVD, chocolates and any other things you think they might like. The best thing about this gift is it shows that you have gone to a lot of effort, and you can put in as little or as much into it as you wish.
KKs: For those who don’t know, a KK (Kris Kringle) is when a group of people, such as a family, a group of friends or a class, put everybody’s name into a hat and each person chooses one name each, that name being the person who you are to buy a gift for. This is a really fun way of buying presents as it adds a little mystery into gift buying and leaves everyone wondering who will be buying for them. Alongside this, it is the ultimate way to save money as you are only required to buy one person a gift as opposed to a number of people.
Make something: This is probably one of the easiest and cheapest gift ideas, but also tends to be one of the best. Things you could make include a scrapbook for someone close to you with pictures, quotes and letters, a personalised apron you have decorated for someone who likes to cook, a CD with favourite songs for your best friend, a hand made voucher for a partner to take them out for dinner and to the movies whenever they like, and the list goes on. While this may seem like something really small, it shows the recipient how much time and effort you have put into their present.
Always remember, ‘It’s the thought that counts’!

Now that we have the present situation under control, time to move onto holiday planning. Everybody needs a break and it is generally during this time of the year that people tend to do so. So how can it be done economically? Here are some tips on how to save money when organising a trip:
Avoid school holidays: if you are planning on going away with your partner or a close friend, aim to do it when school is on. Prices are a lot higher during school holidays, so if you don’t have to go during this time, try to steer clear of it, not to mention it will probably be a lot more relaxing without kids running around everywhere!
Explore Australia: if you are going away with your kids, you don’t have to go overseas. There are so many great places within Australia, and furthermore, within Victoria, that you can visit. Places such as Lorne, Ocean Grove, Mt Bulla and The Grampians are all beautiful holiday destinations which will work out to be a lot cheaper than an overseas trip.
Think Big: instead of going on small trips every year, why not save up for a big holiday? This will give you something to work towards. I personally find that it’s a lot easier to work and save money when you know you are working and saving up for something. Adding on to this notion, if you have something planned, you will be able to book months in advance, which in itself will save you a lot of money.
Always remember, you don’t need to go to Paris or the Bahamas to have a great time. In my eyes, a holiday is a holiday. No matter where you go, as long as you are away from the demands of your daily life and are with good company, you will have a great time.

The holidays don’t need to be a stressful and expensive time that provokes anxiety. They can be as relaxing as you want them to be. Plan ahead, be creative and stay on top of things. Happy holidays!

By Monica- ADAVIC Volunteer

Participate in Research! OCD, PANIC DISORDER AND FEARS

You are invited to take part in research being conducted by staff and students on Deakin University. This research aims to examine the cognitive and problem solving abilities of people with anxiety disorders. We are also interested in finding out about what people find helpful in enabling them to cope with their anxiety disorder and what they find difficult in daily life due to these conditions.

You are eligible to participate in the research if you:
•are 18 years and over

•Have a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Panic Disorder

•OR believe you suffer from a fear of spiders, dogs, heights or enclosed spaces
Participants who choose to be involved in this project will be provided with a questionnaire package to be completed independently. The questionnaires in this package will ask you to provide information relating to your mental health and how it impacts on your life. Following this, you will meet with one of the trained researcher from the School of Psychology for approximately 90 minutes where you will be asked to complete six tasks that assess your ability to pay attention to certain stimuli, your ability to solve problems and aspects of your memory. This will occur at Deakin University Geelong or Burwood, or in your home if preferable to you.
If you are interested in participating in this research or would like further information, please contact:


Emma Gould, Lecturer, School of Psychology, Deakin University

Phone: 03 5227 8492
Email: emma.gould@deakin.edu.au