Meditation: An Antidote to Anxiety

Why do it?

I won’t beat around the bush. Meditation is simply one of the most practical and effective methods in reducing one’s anxiety. Those who have suffered from anxiety and have given meditation a genuine go will often tell you with wide eyes in an almost disturbing manner how much they have regained their life through practicing regular meditation. You will learn to relax the body and mind to an extent most people are completely unfamiliar with – and over time you develop a much friendlier and healthier relationship with your thoughts. You come to see and understand how thoughts can contribute to stress and that it is possible to live a life with less anxiety, worry and concern. People also often discover a degree of tranquillity and mental clarity that they never imagined possible. Life often seems to flow more smoothly and difficulties become easier to manage.

Its benefits have been scientifically proven through extensive clinical research and medical evidence to the degree that it is now recommended by Psychiatrists and Psychologists as part of the standard treatment regime offered to patients suffering anxiety disorders. On a physiological level, meditation results in decreased blood pressure, better circulation, lower pulse and metabolic rates and less muscular tension. It also affects the immune system and alters the levels of various hormones in the body. It therefore has proven benefits in relieving the effects of insomnia, hypertension, migraines, fatigue, pain, digestive problems and chronic illness. If you’re not one for the cold hard facts, perhaps you can be convinced of its effectiveness through the knowledge that many celebrities now practice meditation regularly!

So why doesn’t everyone with anxiety meditate?

People either don’t attempt it for various reasons, or they try only half heartedly and then proclaim “1) I can’t do it, 2) my mind is always racing and I can’t control it”. 1) Scientific fact: everyone can do it, it is not like singing where you seem to have it or you don’t! But it does take time and effort to learn. 2) Of course your mind is racing, that is the very reason you are leaning meditation, to calm the mind. You are not trying to control your mind; that is impossible; you are learning to objectively observe it.

So, what is meditation?

There are a lot of misconceptions about meditation. You do not have to renounce the material world, shave your head, go to Tibet and sit in a cave for rest of your life. You can if you like, but really meditation is quite simply the ‘art of deliberately relaxing the body and calming the mind’. These are simple skills that anyone can learn, much as you would if you took up an instrument or sport or underwent any other sort of training. The skills are based on clear, verifiable principles and are surprisingly easy to do. During meditation you:
- learn how to calm yourself rapidly
- discover how to identify and let go of physical and mental stress
- learn to watch your thoughts and emotions objectively
- enjoy new found mental clarity and awareness

Meditation is also easy to adapt to your own needs. You can integrate it into the busiest of lifestyles and use it for all kinds of different purposes. At work, you could do a momentary ‘spot meditation’ to quickly de-stress. You could use it to heighten your enjoyment whilst walking or eating, or to prepare yourself for an exam or important meeting.

In brief, people meditate to:
- relax, de-stress and better cope with anxiety
- remain calm and balanced throughout the day
- improve their health
- cope better with pain and sadness
- develop greater awareness
- stimulate creative thinking
- find happiness, beauty and meaning

To find out how to meditate try reading some books, searching the internet, listening to guided CD’s or attending classes in meditation.

Recommendations for further information and resources
Pauline McKinnon, Life Development Centre- http://www.stillnessmeditation.com.au/
Melbourne meditation centre- http://www.melbournemeditationcentre.com.au/
Meditation Society of Australia- http://www.meditation.org.au/

By Tim Blake (2008)

Simple and proven ways to live a happier life!

When attempting to understand and overcome our anxieties we can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of information out there. Having only a limited amount of time in our busy days to invest in our own self development, one of the big challenges is finding out what works for us individually. I have attempted to put together some simple tried and proven ways to live a happier, more anxiety free life.

Lighten up. Don’t be afraid to look at life and your anxiety with a bit of humour. Sigmund Freud, a pioneering psychiatrist, was a huge fan of humour and identified it as a mature defence mechanism in coping with stress.

Appreciate your anxiety (I know that’s tough!). Just as in life, nothing is black and white, neither is your anxiety all bad. Without suffering from anxiety it’s unlikely you would be such a sensitive, empathic or creative person. Give anxiety a little bit of credit.

Explore spirituality. Read a little Buddhism, attend church out of interest, do some meditation or read some philosophy. Your mind is like an elastic band, once stretched by a new way of thinking, it will never return completely to its former tension.

“There is no such thing as right or wrong, but thinking makes it so” Shakespeare.
Remember this sequence 1) Event 2) Thought 3) Feeling. This is a key concept, it is not the event that causes you to feel a certain way, but your response to the event, the way you think about and respond to the event. Understand this concept and you have made a significant step towardsunderstanding your anxiety. Congratulations!

Let go of hatred towards others. Why? Hatred is like holding a hot coal that you are going to throw at your enemies, you are the one getting burnt. In short, hatred causes you suffering. How do you let go of it? You forgive. I know that sounds pathetic but it works. How do you forgive? You can try love, but often that’s to hard to begin with, so try empathising or pitying them instead, anything is better than poisoning yourself with hatred. How do you pity your enemies if all you can feel is hatred? Simple, remember this saying next time someone hurts you; ‘hurt people, hurt people’. The bully at school is bullied at home. The girl who bitches most is the most insecure within herself. If someone feels the need to drag others down, it’s because they themselves feel down. Forgiving doesn’t mean kissing and hugging them. In fact, you may wish never to see them again. That’s fine. But at least you are no longer carrying hatred with you. I know it is easier said than done, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be said!

Invest in anxiety for a calmer future. Challenge your comfort zone every now and then, expose yourself to your anxieties. Look at it as an investment in a calmer more peaceful future. A stitch in time saves nine. Short term pain for long term gain!

Try to reduce your need to judge and label other people. Let them be. Basically speaking, we judge others in the same way as we judge ourselves. The mind is a funny thing, if we are more accepting of others and less critical and judgemental of their flaws, we treat ourselves in the same manner subconsciously. Accepting others, warts and all, flows onto our own acceptance, leading to better self esteem. Give it a bash.

Love yourself! Society often confuses this with arrogance when in fact they are opposites. Self love is the opposite to arrogance. Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa all had supreme self love for themselves, certainly not arrogance, and that allowed them to extend love to others through true forgiveness and compassion. Arrogance is a lack of self love demonstrated in the need to assert superiority over others. Self love is quite the opposite. You have to first love yourself, before you can truly love others, or as Shakespeare put it ‘Self love my lord is not so vile a sin as self neglecting’. Sometimes the biggest act of love you can give to your family and friends is to first take action towards loving yourself.
“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care”.
Want friends to like and care more about you? Who doesn’t! But often we go about it the wrong way. We try to be perfect, or to impress them with our achievements. People will be impressed, sure, but is all your hard work and desire to impress and be perfect really just a desire to be loved? Of course it is. If you think about it, people feel most comfortable around friends who are imperfect, friends who are happy in themselves and don’t feel the need to impress. So, embrace your imperfections, they are often what makes you loveable. Instead, put the hard work into caring and being there for your friends. Then you will get more of what you are really after, love in return. Hooray, what a relief, we no longer have to impress everyone to be loved, impressing sure was hard work!

Yoda from Star Wars said: ‘Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hatred. Hatred leads to suffering.’ Take the little dudes advice, if you suffer from anger and hatred it may be because of your fears. Bosses are no more deserving of hatred than anyone else, but how many of us hate our boss? Often it is because we fear them, which leads to anger and hatred. Recognising this subconscious fear is important as it allows you to release some of the anger and hatred you have stored away. In doing so, you suffer less.

Invest one tenth of the time, effort and money you put into your body, into your mind. Read self development books instead of trashy magazines. Do a course in mediation or yoga instead of the gym this month. Spend money on seeing a psychologist rather than buying the latest winter fashion. We are often fantastic at putting our resources into our body, but our mind is often neglected. Many of us exercise regularly, spend time buying and preparing good food, spend lots of our hard earned money on expensive haircuts, cosmetics and clothes. All to make us feel better, attract a suitable partner and live longer. That’s fantastic, however the balance is often out and by shifting 1/10 of our focus from the body to developing our minds we will live longer, happier lives and become even more attractive. Putting time into developing your mind will reduce your anxiety and improve your self esteem, all making you a much happier person- although it’s not immediately obvious, hence the reason we don’t often do it. The more effort put into developing your mind will breed self confidence, an extremely attractive feature, as well as stability, helping you to maintain long term relationships with the opposite sex. A calmer, more peaceful mind also leads to less stress on the body, hence you will live longer.

Take a compliment without disqualifying it. Sounds simple but often isn’t, especially if you have low self-esteem. People are generous with compliments not to those who are most deserving, but to those who show most appreciation in reply. If someone thanks or congratulates you, be brave, look them in the eye and say with meaning ‘thankyou’. Try to resist the temptation to disqualify your achievements, otherwise you are throwing the compliment back in the persons face and they will stop giving them to you. By accepting a compliment you are showing compassion to the other person, as well as compassion to yourself. As the Dalai Lama said ‘If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.’ Don’t be afraid to love and be loved.

Tim Blake (March 2008)

The Ocean - Poem by Eva Savov

There is a feeling, a kind of feeling, words cannot describe, once one learns to be silent and listens to the ocean. One truly understands the meaning of one great man that once said: "Man cannot discover new oceans until he has courage to lose sight of the shore."
A peace of mind occurs. Suddenly you feel the truth within your heart. A magical feeling as you unite and become one with your body, mind and heart. Somehow, you stop analyzing and seeing what's only in front of you. You look deeper and further. You see the waves how they unleash the truth that lies deep within you. You lose sight of all that is limiting and hope finds its way back to your heart. You stop questioning and doubting yourself. You discover the feeling of love that has been yearning for you to share it with the wondrous things in this beautiful land. There is no right or wrong, for love goes beyond any words or actions. It's like a ray of light that leaves your heart and brings a shine to everything that it touches.
The breeze of the wind against your face, is nature's slap to awaken you to what is reality. And reality is, a heart full of love does not experience jealousy, hate or anger, it does not need material possessions to feel happy or waits for someone else to bring it happiness.
You awaken to the truth. The truth is, once you learn to love, honour and appreciate yourself, all other feelings experienced, came to you from feeling insecure and not nurturing and loving yourself.

By: EVA SAVOV
Copyright © 1994

"My Journey" by Justine

I am a fairly new member to the Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria (although I am wishing I had found them years ago), and I have been thoroughly enjoying reading my newsletter. I love hearing everyone’s stories and I am always reassured to know that I am not on this journey we call “mental illness” on my own.

Today I felt compelled to share my story with you, seeing as so many others have opened up their hearts and lives to share their stories.

I guess my story shouldn’t be too much unlike everyone else’s, but I think what makes my story that little bit different is that I am further along my journey than many of you are.

The story begins with a 29 year old woman who had everything she could possibly want in life – a great partner, a brilliant job, money, a fast car, a fantastic house, tonnes of clothes and a huge future – and it ends with a 33 year old woman who once again has everything she could possibly want in life – although the list is a fair bit different to the one above. I still have the great partner and a huge future, but it is losing the things in between that has been a huge part of this journey.

At the age of 29 and with the world at my feet I experienced the first of many panic attacks. This of course, is the one that none of us will forget. (I even remember the time of day it happened!!) These continued and got worse for many months to come. My “brilliant job” became too hard to handle, so I sat at home on the couch. I lost my income and my car, I sold my clothes on ebay and suddenly the most exciting thing in my life was watching Oprah at 2pm everyday. I have to tell you at this point that if I did not have the loving and supportive family and man in my life that I have, I am not sure that I would be capable of writing this story today.

I am now 33. I run my own internet business, I work part time in a retail store, I am about 80% of my way through this journey I had to take, and I am the happiest I have been in a long, long time.

I won’t sugar coat this for you. It has been tough, very tough …….

There have been days that have felt like Mt Everest and others that have only felt like Mt Buller. But I want you all to know that over time, these mountains do get smaller. I still have my bad days, but now bad days only seem like Mt Dandenong. And the goods ones feel like sunshine.

Everyone will tell you that it is all the people around you who get you through this journey. And whilst it is true that a great GP, a psychologist, a wonderful family and a loving spouse and great friends are all very important to this journey, they are not the most important part. YOU are. It was the days that I decided I had to fight, that I fought the hardest. It was the days that I decided I had to take another step further, that I went the furthest. And it was the days that I decided I would make great that were the greatest. It was not the decisions of any of these other people. Maybe that is just the stubborn side of me, but some days it was that side of me that I needed to work for me.

I know many of you will agree with me here, that one of the most frustrating parts of dealing with this disorder, is the perception that others have of us. I will call these people “outsiders”, for want of a better word. These “outsiders” seem to think that we are lazy, silly, stupid, crazy etc. (and I’m sure there are plenty more insults that I haven’t yet heard). But I will NEVER say that about any of us. I know too well that our apparent laziness or unwillingness to work or contribute to life is due to fear. And I know how crippling that fear can be. But if I can help just one person today, I want you to know that there really is nothing to fear. Sure, the first steps (whatever your first steps are – as everyone’s are different) are hard, really hard …….

But believe me, they are the hardest and then everything else after that is a lot easier. Taking those first few steps to conquering your fears really does give you the confidence to do and try more.

Another small piece of advice that I want to give everyone, is to praise yourself when you do take a step forward. I didn’t do this …… and became my own worst enemy because of that. But once I learnt how to do this, I can honestly say that it makes moving forward a hell of a lot easier. In doing this, you need to take time out for yourself. You need to sit down and say to yourself “you did really well today…”, and you need to pat yourself on the back. And this helps to give you confidence to do and try more things. I found that a great motivator for me was rewards. It almost became like dog training …… I would set myself a goal for the week. It may have been to spend half an hour at the supermarket, or to go to a crowded market, or to go to the football at the MCG (this was one of the very last goals I set myself!!). And I would set myself a reward. In my case, as I love clothes and shoes, it would be to reward myself with a new skirt or a new pair of shoes. Which in turn would make me want to get out and try new things, because I had a new skirt or a new pair of shoes to show off. We need to do these things to make ourselves feel better.

I am certainly no expert on this matter. I only know what I know, because I went through it myself. And I know that most of you would have doctors or psychologists that know what they are talking about. And you should always listen to them. But I just thought that maybe one or two of you out there would want to hear it from someone whose done it …… take those first steps to getting through this journey, everything after that seems so much easier. And life DOES get better …… I know, because mine has and I want yours to as well. And I hope that in time I can meet some of you at support groups or lectures, so that I can say hi and wish you well.

By Justine —March 2008

Anna's Story...

(Note: This story is not on Anna Kouloubos, Managing Director of ADAVIC)

Anna’s Story

Hi my name is Anna, and I’m a 22 year old university student who has social phobia. I’m not exactly sure when this all started for me, I can remember being a happy-go-lucky child but my teenage years were pretty stressful. I remember the phobia becoming a real problem when I left high school and started Uni. I would just become absolutely terrified at the prospect of being asked questions in lectures or appearing strange or different to everyone else in my classes. I was really frightened that I would embarrass myself by saying something or doing something stupid and that everyone would laugh at me. It really affected my studies, I found it hard to go to my lectures and if I did go I would end up panicking and have to sneak out of the room. I would always sit at the back close to the exit so that I could just slink out when it all became too much. I worried that the lecturers thought that I was lazy or unable to do the work, and that my classmates would just think that I was weird, and that made my anxiety worse. I also found social situations extremely difficult, especially large groups, and at my age that’s something that is really hard to deal with and explain to others. When the anxiety hit I felt like I had no control over myself, I would shake, my heart would pound, and then there’s the sweating and feeling of hot then cold. I would become short of breath and my chest would tighten. So many times I was convinced I would die, or that I had contracted a horrible disease. I finally decided to look for help and that’s when I found PADA. I had a talk with them over the phone and they made me feel very comfortable. I attended an info session with my best friend in town and then we decided to attend a weekend workshop together. I was terrified and I was getting all of those horrible feelings, but I was determined to get some help. I found both the info session and the workshop very helpful, and I was so relieved to find that there were others who felt the same as me. I am now working through this with my psychologist and things are better. I’m back at Uni on a part time basis. Some days are still really hard. Especially when I see others sitting around chatting and socializing in the cafeteria, and I hear people talk about what a fantastic night out they had. It still makes me sad sometimes, but I’m lucky I have a couple of very supportive friends who are always around to lend a hand, and Mum seems to be a bit more understanding these days.

One day that will be me chatting and laughing with a big group of friends planning our next night out. I have faith in myself and the determination to continue on this journey however long and winding it may be.
You should join me!

Re-printed with permission from The Panic Anxiety Disorder Association (South Australia)

Daniela’s Story……

Firstly, I would like to point out that my story is not an answer to depression, it’s simply a story that I hope can give peace to someone else that may be going through anxiety and depression. To read about someone else’s story gives you some insight, guidance and comfort that you are really not the only one feeling like this.

I was a happy, smart, and motivated teenager. I finished VCE and went onto Uni. My anxiety began 2 months into uni, I was 19. I remember exactly what I was doing when I felt my first panic attack. It was just a normal Saturday night at home with my family and we had just ordered fish and chips. We began eating and after about five minutes I started to feel panicky and dizzy. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me but I knew that this feeling was not something I had experienced before, and as time went on I became more and more scared. I went into the lounge room and curled up into a ball on the couch. My mum came and sat beside me and said are you feeling ok? I just burst into tears for no apparent reason. My head started spinning, I was sweating profusely at the palm of my hands, my legs went to jelly and my stomach felt horrible. Most importantly I couldn’t think straight and my heart started beating uncontrollably. Not knowing what my diagnosis was at this point, my only thought was that I was dying. The thoughts going through my head were – “I’m too young to die”, “I don’t deserve this”, “I haven’t done all the things I wanted to do in life”, “what will my family do without me”. It turns out, this was the first of my panic attack episodes. I spent the next couple of weeks home, constantly crying and sleeping on the couch all day long. I needed to have my mother by my side otherwise it would get worse. I still didn’t know what was wrong with me at this point. I remember one particular week I visited the doctor every day – five days in a row. I first saw my doctor and told him that i didn’t understand what was wrong with me, i felt i needed to see a doctor but couldn’t really describe what the issue was. After I explained the symptoms of the last couple of weeks, I was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

Living with depression is, very very hard. Living with depression affects your every day routines and most importantly relationships with loved ones. Being with a partner and getting them to understand depression was a battle for me. A long battle which would play on my mind each minute, losing faith and doubting myself. Will I be a good enough wife, mother, daughter, friend, lover, friend? Will I suffer depression when I’m older? Will I fall into that spout of depression where I cry uncontrollably and cannot understand why I’m unhappy? Will I have thoughts of suicide, will I have panic attacks? Who will help me? My mum and sister won’t be around for me forever. Who will understand and be able to help me through panic attacks, times of being so low that my body becomes irritable and my mind races a million miles per hour. But I will say that reading other people’s stories, finding a tiny bit of inner peace and reading up on symptoms, side effects and just to know that there are millions of other people in the same situation has given me something that makes me get up each morning and have that bit in me to keep going. Bottom line is I have achieved good things and I know that one day my strength will overcome this inner feeling I hold each day.

In conclusion, nobody should live in fear and anxiety. We have choices in life and we have choice in most things we come across. It’s how we take situations is what defines our path. We can choose to crumble or we can choose to stand strong and fight our problems. Some days are easier than others, but just remember you are not alone.

By Daniela – December 2008

Quote of the Day!

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." - Helen Keller

Bev Aisbett Design!

Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents!

ANXIETY DISORDERS IN CHILDREN and ADOLESCENTS
Perspectives on Identification and Evidence-Based Treatment

A Workshop for School Personnel and Mental Health Professionals
Presented by Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria

This is an Australian Psychological Society Endorsed Activity (7 CPD points)

By Ruth Rosalion, Clinical Psychologist

The full day program aims to increase understanding and knowledge of the nature, origin, assessment, diagnosis and evidence-based treatments of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Material is particularly relevant to mental health practitioners and school personnel and will include a lecture presentation, video vignettes, discussion of case material and hands-on exposure to creative treatment materials. The workshop is designed to be both informative and fun.

Date:
Friday 18th March 2011
9.00 am to 5.00 pm (8.30 am registration)

Venue:
Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre (Acacia Room)
Cnr. Bell Street & St. Georges Road, Preston


Additional Details:
• Handouts
• Notebook
• Full catering will be provided, starting with tea and coffee on arrival

Cost:
• Standard Cost: $260
• Early Bird Price/ADAVIC Member: $235 (payments for EBP must be received by 18 February 2011)

For further information: www.adavic.org.au

Treating Targets/Victims of Workplace Bullying!!!

TREATING TARGETS/VICTIMS OF WORKPLACE BULLYING

A workshop for mental health professionals and managers
This is an Australian Psychological Society Endorsed Activity (7 CPD hours)
Presented by Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria

By Evelyn Field, Counselling Psychologist & Author.

Date:
Monday 28th February 2011
9.30 am to 5.00 pm (9.00 am registration)

For further information: www.adavic.org.au

Getting to the Guts of Anxiety!

Saturday 5th March 2011
(future workshops on April 30th and June 25th)

9am to 4.30pm (8.45am registration)

Camberwell Counselling @ Ma'at Holistic Centre
721b Riversdale Road, Camberwell

Limited to 8 participants only

Cost: $155.00

A one day workshop where participants learn to:

* Assess and understand their current individual anxiety triggers, responses and coping mechanisms
* Develop an individualised anxiety management plan
* Learn the Ten Step approach to managing anxiety
* Take home a workbook to use as an ongoing learning resource

Enquiries and enrolments

http://www.camberwellcounselling.com.au/

Camberwell Counselling
Phone: Mary Hahn-Thomsen on 0404-082-675

Participate in Research!

Having Panic Attacks?

If you're having panic attacks and are over 18, you may be eligible for cost-free treatment, provided online as part of a study being conducted by psychologists at Deakin University. Participation involves completing an interview, several questionnaires and working through an 8 week online cognitive-behaviour therapy program, with weekly support provided by a provisional psychologist.

For more details about the project: http://www.adavic.org.au/PG-resources-participate-in-research.aspx


Contact:

Mr Chris Trewavas, Candidate: Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)
Deakin University
Phone: (03) 9251 7004
Email: cdt@deakin.edu.au

Primary Supervisor: Dr. Helen Mildred (helen.mildred@deakin.edu.au)
Supervisor: Professor Marita McCabe (marita.mccabe@deakin.edu.au)

How to Overcome Depression and Put Your Life Back on Track!

By Dr. Vesna Grubacevic

• Do you find yourself feeling down, lonely, depressed, crying at the drop of a hat or feeling overwhelmingly hurt by what others say and do?
• Are your emotions controlling your life, affecting your relationships, your performance at work and holding you back?
• Are you lacking the energy and the motivation to do the things you want to do, including simple everyday activities?
• Would you like to put some joy, energy, motivation, enthusiasm and excitement back in your life?

Emotions are our way of knowing that something feels comfortable or uncomfortable for us. Therefore, paying attention to our emotions is very important. All emotions are good because they provide us with feedback as to whether something sits well with us or not. There are two types of emotions: balanced emotions and unresolved emotions.

Balanced versus unresolved emotions

Our emotions are balanced when we feel an appropriate level of emotion in a particular situation. For example, if we are watching a sad movie, it is appropriate to feel sad. Any time we feel an emotion that is out of proportion to the situation that we are in, it is a sign that it may be unresolved. For example, road rage is an example of unresolved past anger and crying for no reason may be a sign of unresolved past sadness.

It is important to address the unresolved emotions. For as long as we ignore the unresolved emotions that we feel we may turn to food, smoking, alcohol, other substances or have other undesired behaviours as a way of dealing with our emotions and coping with life. When we do this, we are covering up our emotions and encouraging the unwanted behaviours.

Holding on to unresolved emotions can also prevent us from doing what we desire in life. For instance, unresolved hurt can prevent people from getting into another relationship even when they really want one. Unresolved fear can prevent people from taking action and have them feeling stuck and unfulfilled. Because unresolved emotions are trapped energy, we can feel tired or lethargic as a result and lack the energy to do things in life, even simple every day activities.

Medical professionals and researchers agree that emotions such as grief, loneliness, disappointment and depression weaken the body’s immune system. In contrast, emotions such as joy, relaxation and satisfaction strengthen the body’s immune system. Therefore, holding onto depression and other unresolved emotions can have a detrimental affect on our health.

Overcoming Depression

When we go through significant experiences in life eg. relationship break up, financial problems, a business failure, retrenchment, loss of a loved one, accidents, injuries, illnesses, etc, some people cope with these events well, while others find it difficult to cope and can become depressed by these circumstances. They may lose motivation, focus and energy and may get caught up in the emotions and lack of self esteem around these events. Because depression is a combination of unresolved emotions, by resolving these emotions you can also resolve depression. In addition, there may also be other issues that need to be addressed (eg. self esteem, body image issues, limiting beliefs, etc.) in order for depression to be fully resolved.

Getting back on track!

Our behaviours are driven by our memories, values, beliefs, emotions, language, etc. Because these are stored at the unconscious level, any changes we wish to make in our behaviours, beliefs, emotions, etc need to happen with the cooperation of the unconscious (some call it the subconscious mind). By working with the client’s unconscious, addressing unresolved emotions (such as depression) is faster and longer lasting than working on a conscious level (via purely analytical and conversational techniques).

NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and Hypnotherapy techniques work safely and quickly on an unconscious level. These techniques enable us to easily and quickly assist the client in finding the cause of any unresolved emotion or limiting belief, then to assist the client to comfortably release these without the client needing to experience the emotion again or relive the trauma or the past over again.

Both NLP and Hypnotherapy are well respected disciplines. NLP has been used successfully since the 1970s, while the use of hypnotherapy dates back to before 1500 AD and today it is being used by medical doctors, dentists, surgeons, therapists, other health practitioners and sports athletes. Many individuals are using hypnosis and also learning self hypnosis techniques to assist them to change unwanted long term habits and behaviours at the unconscious level.

Imagine easily, comfortably and safely letting go of these emotions, overcoming depression and putting the joy, energy, motivation and excitement back in your life.

Qt
Dr. Vesna Grubacevic is the founder of Qt, a certified NLP Trainer, who holds a PhD in Clinical Hypnotherapy, is a Master NLP Practitioner and Master Hypnotherapist, holds a BEc and has over 28 years’ business experience. Dr. Vesna is the creator of breakthrough behavioural change techniques, is a sought after speaker, and has a proven track record of assisting clients to achieve exceptional personal and professional success! She offers transformational one on one consultations, seminars and certification trainings in NLP and Hypnotherapy. For more information on overcoming depression and for your FREE gifts, visit http://www.qttransformation.com/ today or call Dr. Vesna on (03) 9653-9288.

© Qt, 2000 – 2010. All Rights Reserved.

LIVING IN THE MOMENT by Peter Kyriakoulis

As the world continues advancing, both technologically and economically, our lifestyles are becoming faster paced. Sometimes we are so busy it is difficult to appreciate the essential things in life. We move automatically and unconsciously through our day to day activities, reacting to people and situations around us in a mindless rather than mindful state. We mindlessly rush through meals, whittle away hours at the television or computer, and engage in unrewarding behaviours, such as brooding over problems, and overspending on material possessions. Mindless habits such as these can lead us adrift on our course to health and happiness.

Practicing mindfulness can assist in easing the pressure of a fast paced life and provide relief from some of the symptoms of stress and negative thinking. Mindfulness is a form of self awareness training adapted from Buddhist mindfulness mediation. If refers to a state of being completely in touch with and aware of the present moment, and accepting things for what they are.

Upon reflection, and often in psychotherapy, we can notice certain destructive repeating patterns in our lives, but we are usually powerless to change them at this stage. By learning to be more mindful we can develop new habits to weaken old irrational and unhelpful automatic thinking habits. Mindfulness interventions have been demonstrated to be beneficial for a number of psychological and physical conditions including chronic pain, depression, and anxiety.

At the Positive Psychology Wellness Centre we believe mindfulness is something everyone should practice, and is a vital step in assisting people to break free of unhelpful habits that are preventing positive action. Like Budda said, “If you let cloudy water settle, it will become clear. If you let your upset mind settle, your course will also become clear”.

By Peter Kyriakoulis
Director of Positive Psychology Wellness Centre
Ph:5976 8443
www.positivepsychology.net.au

Treating Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

The Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria Presents
Treating Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)



A Lecture with Peter Kyriakoulis, Clinical Psychologist
Director of the Positive Psychology Clinic & Positive Psychology Wellness Centre.

This lecture will discuss (CBT) as being a treatment option for Panic Attacks!

Panic attacks affect approximately 4 out of 10 people and are very debilitating as individuals may feel that they are losing control, going crazy or dying. Panic Disorder is less frequent and affects about 4% of the population. Individuals suffering from panic disorder have a persistent fear of having a panic attack and worry about the consequences of an attack. Many people change their behaviour in an attempt to prevent attacks and some are so affected that they try to avoid any place where it might be difficult to get help or to escape from. When this avoidance is severe it is called Agoraphobia and refers to people developing a fear of crowded places.

Panic Disorder may become accompanied by depression, other anxiety disorders, dependence on alcohol or drugs and may also lead to significant social and occupational impairment. This seminar will attempt to define panic attacks and panic disorder with and without agoraphobia and will describe various evidence based cognitive behavioural techniques used in treatment.


Peter Kyriakoulis is the director of the Positive Psychology Clinic and the Positive Psychology Wellness Centre. He is a clinical psychologist who specialises in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. He completed his undergraduate studies with honours at the University of Athens in 2000, and in 2003 he completed a Masters in Clinical Psychology in Melbourne.

Since 2003 he has been working in private practice as a psychologist, and over the ensuing years has worked in community health and various psychiatric settings, becoming a member of the Clinical College of the Australian Psychological Society in 2007. Peter has a wide interest in applying positive psychology principles in clinical practice whilst maintaining a cognitive behavioural framework. He also specialises in psychological assessment using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
Inventory (MMPI-2).

Thursday 24th February 2011
7.30pm-9.00pm
Northcote Town Hall (First Floor, Room 1)
189 High Street, Northcote VIC

Cost:
$10.00 ADAVIC members
$20.00 Non-Members
Bookings:
Phone: ADAVIC (03) 9853 8089
Email: adavic@adavic.org.au
Website: http://www.adavic.org.au/

Proceeds from this event help to maintain ADAVIC services

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL! Monies non refundable

Quote of the Day!!!

"Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use." - Ruth Gordon