The 2011 Mission Australia survey has found teenagers are stressing about school work, body image and coping with stress more than ever.
Teenagers are feeling the pressure to get good grades at school, particularly 15-19 year olds. The survey found that 41.8 are now listing school as their top priority, up from 28.7 last year. These concerns are probably coming from this generation watching people lose jobs due to the global financial crisis and anticipating the highly competetive job market they will be entering.
Teens, particularly girls, have reported increasing levels of concern with body image, this indicates that the messages about healthy liefstyles and realistic body images are not getting through. The quest to gain peer approval and to be popular seem to be over riding all attempts to make people aware of the dangers associated with the quest to be like "the girls on tv."
This age group also reported generally coping with stress as a stressor.
All in all these figures are concerning, the pressure youth are under and the pressure they put themselves under could lead to further mental health issues.
For more information, check out these articles from News.com and the Australian.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Social Inclusion Week 19th - 27th November
Social Inclusion Week encourages everyone to reconnent and be inclusive of all cultures, age groups, nationalities and the disadvantaged.
Social Inclusion Week is focused on making everyone feel valued and to give people the opportunity to participate fully in society. This includes connecting with local communities, work mates, family and friends to build relationships and networks, addressing isolation and exclusion by supporting people who may be unable help themselves.
Social Inclusion Week was launched in 2009 to encourage everyone to connect, to create awareness of groups that are often isolated. These groups include; young people 12-25 years of age, jobless families with children, disadvantaged Australians, people with a disability or mental illness, people who are homeless, older people and Indigenous Australians.
Who are YOU looking out for this week?
Social Inclusion Week is focused on making everyone feel valued and to give people the opportunity to participate fully in society. This includes connecting with local communities, work mates, family and friends to build relationships and networks, addressing isolation and exclusion by supporting people who may be unable help themselves.
Social Inclusion Week was launched in 2009 to encourage everyone to connect, to create awareness of groups that are often isolated. These groups include; young people 12-25 years of age, jobless families with children, disadvantaged Australians, people with a disability or mental illness, people who are homeless, older people and Indigenous Australians.
Who are YOU looking out for this week?
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Attitudes towards mental illness
Negative attitudes towards mental illness are again in the spotlight with moves to stop plans for two housing facilities for people with mental illnesses in the Narre Warren area, reports the Casey Weekly.
Locals are concerned about increased traffic in the area, insufficent public transport and the site's location near a bus stop "where many young people congregate", as well as it being close to Scout and Guide halls. Their concerns are seen to be perpetuating old myths about mental illness. Locals and Australians in general are urged to quash outdated views on mental illness.
Similar points were raised during forums held in mental health week in October. Leaders in the field raised the point that increased awareness of mental illnesses and exposure to people with mental illness is the best way to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and normalise mental illness within the community. Considering one in five Australians will suffer from a mental illness at some stage in their lives, and all Australians will be affected by mental illness, this negative attitude towards mental illness needs to stop!
Locals are concerned about increased traffic in the area, insufficent public transport and the site's location near a bus stop "where many young people congregate", as well as it being close to Scout and Guide halls. Their concerns are seen to be perpetuating old myths about mental illness. Locals and Australians in general are urged to quash outdated views on mental illness.
Similar points were raised during forums held in mental health week in October. Leaders in the field raised the point that increased awareness of mental illnesses and exposure to people with mental illness is the best way to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and normalise mental illness within the community. Considering one in five Australians will suffer from a mental illness at some stage in their lives, and all Australians will be affected by mental illness, this negative attitude towards mental illness needs to stop!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
‘Sleep Soundly CD’ – Sarah Edelman
Sarah Edelman provides the listener of the ‘Sleep Soundly’ CD two tracks of different visualization exercises, guided imagery and meditation, which are effective for promoting sleep. The listener is provided with step-by-step assistance in each exercise by Sarah’s gentle voice that enables the listener to forget any troubling thoughts and become lost in what seems like a surreal world. This is further encouraged by the accompanying ambient music, which also allows you to relax. As you become immersed in Sarah’s voice your breathing starts to slow down and you can feel your muscles begin to relax and eventually find yourself in a state of mental calmness and deep physical relaxation.
The CD is considered to be most effective when heard at night whilst laying in bed or when you’re experiencing a slight case of insomnia. Some nights, you may not even get the chance to listen to the CD from start to finish as you could find yourself feeling sedated and soon enough drifting off to sleep before you know it. However, it could be suitable when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the endless thoughts and worries of the day, or when you might feel the need to release any tension and let go of any anxiety. The visualization exercises and the “Letting Go” imagery are appropriate at such times as they allow you to become distracted from the demands of the real world and engage in a dream-like state. Thus, Sarah Edelman’s ‘Sleep Soundly’ CD is highly recommended to people as it alleviates some of the stress and anxiety of daily pressures.
By Mary – ACAP Placement Student
Both these CD’s are available from ADAVIC’s online store for
the price of $24.95
CHECK IT OUT: http://www.adavic.org.au/product-view.aspx?Id=8
Sleeping…or not!
Unfortunately anxiety-producing thoughts may sometimes be hardest to deal with at the time when you most need some rest from them - when you are trying to sleep. On settling down in bed at night (or at some stage during the night) you may be hit with a very high level of anxiety. It is as though it has simply been lying in wait all day for the time when you are at your lowest points in terms of trying to work with those thoughts. Relaxation techniques, such as meditation are often useful at this time, since they are based around releasing the thoughts. But not everyone is able to put this into practice.
The least benefit is obtained, obviously, from simply lying in bed and turning the thoughts over and over in your head, which will only be added to the anxiety over not being able to sleep. Therefore, one method of taking some action, and hopefully relaxing enough to be able to sleep, is to take ‘’the bull by the horns’’ and deal with whatever is playing on your mind. It is best done by getting out of bed, sitting yourself in another room and attacking the problem with pen and paper in hand. If this is not possible, nor desirable, complete the exercise in the same way while lying in bed, making mental lists.
The first step is to define each situation which is causing anxiety, and then look at what can be done about it and when. If there is absolutely nothing you can do about it at the moment, consider briefly what action will be possible to resolve the situation, then add the action and the desired time-frame to your list.
As an example, let’s suppose you are having worrying thoughts about your health. If you consider that the symptoms are serious enough to need immediate attention, then call a doctor or take yourself to a hospital. If, on the other hand, you do not feel that the situation is that serious, then mark the action necessary (making an appointment with your GP) and when you need to do it (as soon as possible, the next day) on your list. Once you have taken either of these options, resolve that you will now be able to return to bed without continuing to worry about the situation as you have either taken immediate action, or have a plan as to what action you will take and when. A hint here is to try and confine the list to those particular situations which are causing most concern – it will not be helpful to stay up all night trying to deal with every issue you can bring to mind!
The final step is to return to bed and relax, reassuring yourself that you have either done what you can at the moment, or have prepared yourself for further action, in regard to those earlier worries. In this way you are making another move towards taking back the power over your disorder, since you no longer lying in bed at the mercy of your thoughts, but have done something positive. Hopefully, with a little practice, you will find it a useful option when trying to sleep.
By Sandy
The least benefit is obtained, obviously, from simply lying in bed and turning the thoughts over and over in your head, which will only be added to the anxiety over not being able to sleep. Therefore, one method of taking some action, and hopefully relaxing enough to be able to sleep, is to take ‘’the bull by the horns’’ and deal with whatever is playing on your mind. It is best done by getting out of bed, sitting yourself in another room and attacking the problem with pen and paper in hand. If this is not possible, nor desirable, complete the exercise in the same way while lying in bed, making mental lists.
The first step is to define each situation which is causing anxiety, and then look at what can be done about it and when. If there is absolutely nothing you can do about it at the moment, consider briefly what action will be possible to resolve the situation, then add the action and the desired time-frame to your list.
As an example, let’s suppose you are having worrying thoughts about your health. If you consider that the symptoms are serious enough to need immediate attention, then call a doctor or take yourself to a hospital. If, on the other hand, you do not feel that the situation is that serious, then mark the action necessary (making an appointment with your GP) and when you need to do it (as soon as possible, the next day) on your list. Once you have taken either of these options, resolve that you will now be able to return to bed without continuing to worry about the situation as you have either taken immediate action, or have a plan as to what action you will take and when. A hint here is to try and confine the list to those particular situations which are causing most concern – it will not be helpful to stay up all night trying to deal with every issue you can bring to mind!
The final step is to return to bed and relax, reassuring yourself that you have either done what you can at the moment, or have prepared yourself for further action, in regard to those earlier worries. In this way you are making another move towards taking back the power over your disorder, since you no longer lying in bed at the mercy of your thoughts, but have done something positive. Hopefully, with a little practice, you will find it a useful option when trying to sleep.
By Sandy
LAST EVENTS OF THE YEAR!
The end of the year is rapidly approaching and with it ADAVIC's final three lectures!
Tomorrow night (Thursday 17th November) ADAVIC presents a "Questions & Answers: For parents who have children / adolescents with Anxiety or Depression" which will be presented by Clinical Psychologist, Author & Mother, Sally-Anne McCormack and Author and Mother Nicky Johnston at the Balwyn Library (Meeting Room) from 7.30pm to 9.00pm.
Next week (Wednesday 23rd November) ADAVIC presents "Empowering your child to deal with School Bullying" Presented by Counselling Psychologist Evelyn Field at the Kew Library (Phyllis Hore Room) from 7:30 - 9pm.
Wednesday 30th November, ADAVIC presents "Hoarding problems: Diagnosis and management" Presented by Professor Mike Kyrios at the Northcote Town Hall (Ground Floor, Room 2)from 7:30 - 9pm.
For more information or to book, please check out the ADAVIC EVENTS CALENDAR.
Tomorrow night (Thursday 17th November) ADAVIC presents a "Questions & Answers: For parents who have children / adolescents with Anxiety or Depression" which will be presented by Clinical Psychologist, Author & Mother, Sally-Anne McCormack and Author and Mother Nicky Johnston at the Balwyn Library (Meeting Room) from 7.30pm to 9.00pm.
Next week (Wednesday 23rd November) ADAVIC presents "Empowering your child to deal with School Bullying" Presented by Counselling Psychologist Evelyn Field at the Kew Library (Phyllis Hore Room) from 7:30 - 9pm.
Wednesday 30th November, ADAVIC presents "Hoarding problems: Diagnosis and management" Presented by Professor Mike Kyrios at the Northcote Town Hall (Ground Floor, Room 2)from 7:30 - 9pm.
For more information or to book, please check out the ADAVIC EVENTS CALENDAR.
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