INSPIRATION

 

 

SALLY-ANNE MCCORMACK - LIVING WITH ANTS

Famed ADAVIC committee member, Sally-Anne McCormack is a lot of things. She not only is a clinical psychologist with private practices in Blackburn and Burwood East in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, but also is a registered psychologist, counsellor, media consultant, former teacher, wife and mother of four. On top of all that she is a writer, too. 

Also a regular on the now ended programme The Circle, McCormack has written a series of books for children which also apply to parents, teachers and social workers. Her current book Living With ANTs, provides strategies to identify and how to deal with them.

ADAVIC is proud to be celebrating with Sally-Anne for the launch of her new book on Wednesday September 5th. Please visit the ADAVIC site for more information and bookings, or call 03 9853 8089.

SCHOOL REFUSAL: ADAVIC LECTURE

  

School refusal is a complex and common issue in our society affecting up to 5% of children, and is stressful for the child, their family and the school.  The more time the child is away from school, the more difficult it is for the child to resume normal school life.  If school refusal becomes an ongoing issue it can negatively impact the child’s social and educational development.

This information session will provide parents and teachers with an understanding of this complex issue and will provide them with a range of strategies they can use to assist their children back to school, including:

• What is school refusal?
• How common is it?
• Types of school refusers
• Why children refuse to go to school?
• The symptoms school refusers present with
• Short and long term consequences of school refusal
• Things to consider in assessment
• What parents can do (practical strategies)
• What schools and other professionals can do

About the Presenter

Joanne Garfi is a psychologist with 23 years experience and expertise in child and adolescent issues.   She has 8 years experience as a school psychologist, working in both primary and secondary schools providing specialist training to teachers.  She has special interests in the treatment of Anxiety and Panic Disorder and is well known for her work with school refusal, childhood anxiety, behavioural disorders and developmental issues.  She utilizes Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and skills development and prefers to take a whole person approach to treatment.  Her emphasis when working with children is to have families and schools working together to bring about change.

$10 for members, $20 for non-members, Wednesday 8th August, 2012, Wyndham City
(Council Chambers Room) 45 Princes Highway (entrance Foyer - Southern Lobby), Werribee, VIC Melway Ref: 206 / B7, 7.30pm  to 9.00pm 

  

YOUR COMPASS

The Black Dog Institute and the Federal Government have launched a new website designed to help people who may not otherwise seek help about their anxiety issues. 

"myCompass is an interactive self-help service that aims to promote resilience and wellbeing for all Australians. myCompass is a guide to good mental health – it points you in the right direction. You can track your moods, write about them and view information and tips. You can also choose to do one of the modules designed to help you manage mild to moderate stress, anxiety and depression."

"To get the most out of myCompass we recommend you:
track at least 2 moods, feelings or events each day
complete at least 2 of the modules & home tasks
use the program regularly for 6 to 8 weeks"

Check it out! 

NATUROPATHY

 

We've all heard it before, but some of us may not be entirely sure, or just need some reminding. Naturopathy: what is it, what does it do, and why should it be considered? 

 What is it?

Naturopathy relies on a holistic system of healing,  meaning that by incorporating a range of natural treatments and therapies, your own body is able to aid itself. The underlying belief is that our immune system may be less prone to sickness and general negative well-being if one can maintain a natural equilibrium of the body. 

As opposed to drugs, a Naturopath typically recommends systems of exercise or dietary changes  

What does it do?

Naturopathic approaches may include: 

• dietary advice
• herbal remedies
• homeopathy (the idea that like cures like, i.e. what makes a healthy person sick, will make a sick person healthy)
• hydrotherapy (use of water for pain relief and treatment)
• iridology (idea that patterns, colours and other characteristics of the iris can assist in pinpointing information about one's systemic health) 
• massage
• nutritional supplements
• osteopathy (work on muscles and joints; general belief that body has its own self-healing mechanisms).  

ADAVIC's workshop, 'Nourishing your nerves: Managing stress and anxiety through natural therapies' will include lectures in naturopathy, nutrition, Chinese medicine and yoga therapy - that's a diverse range of topics pertaining to naturopathy! Let's take a look at each of these topics briefly - to wet your appetite!

Nutrition: 

Rocco Di Vincenzo, an accredited practicing dietitian will talk about the role of optimum nutrition in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. His school of thought is that treatment occurs on a case-by-case basis, and that with the right diet for each individual, mood and anxiety can be better managed. 

Chinese Medicine:

 Robin Marchment, a lecturer in Chinese medicine at RMIT will discuss how herbs and acupuncture can calm the mind. Chinese herbs are said to restore your Qi (Chee); herbs are said to cure things like: fatigue, eczema, digestive problems and stress amongst others. Acupuncture, where very thin needles are inserted into the skin at acupuncture points, to restore the imbalance of the flow of Qi. The concept of Qi and Yin & Yang, are extremely prevalent in China, and many claim to have successfully manage their ailments. 

Yoga:

Originating from ancient India, Yoga is an increasingly popular exercise today. The main focus is to attain spiritual insight and inner tranquility. Essentially it is a kind of meditation which also physically as well as mentally manages.

Why should it be considered? 

Naturopathy claims to be able to treat a range of conditions, from weight loss to arthritis - book your seat at ADAVIC's 'Natural Therapies Workshop' to get a better understanding of natural therapies and how they may be able to assist you. 

Book here.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

 Don't waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ask yourself this question:
"Will this matter a year from now?"
Richard Carlson, writing in Don't Sweat the Small Stuff 

A mistake in judgment isn't fatal, but too much anxiety about judgment is. Pauline Kael

“Anxiety is the space between the "now" and the "then."”

Richard Abell 

It ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!  

Rocky Balboa

                 

DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTY

“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.”

~John Allen Paulos

Uncertainty is challenging for everybody. Some struggle with the inability to plan ahead, others with the risk that can accompany uncertainty (“will I have enough money to pay my rent?”) and some people just cannot stand that feeling of anxiety that uncertainty can bring. For mental health sufferers this may be something that is all too familiar. For everybody else, that feeling that overcomes your stomach and the thoughts that circulate in your mind, still do not seem easy to combat.

Lets discuss a light example of uncertainty. I will volunteer myself as an example (as a past volunteer for ADAVIC, it seems only fitting). I always knew what career path I would follow. When I finished my undergraduate degree at University I enrolled straight into an Honours course and was sure I would follow that with a masters degree. Half way through that Honours course I realised my heart (or maybe my head?) was not in it anymore. So I finished that year without any idea what would come next. Was I making a mistake not re-enrolling? Would I find a job I liked? What would everyone say if I was unemployed for the next year and had to then slink back to Univerisity with my tail between my legs? The thoughts that cross your mind when you face the anxiety around being uncertain can vary from the logical to the ridiculous.

Unfortunately, if we don’t expose ourselves to feelings of uncertainty, it probably means we are not taking any chances. If we protect ourselves from the unknown forever then we end up living a life without any challenge and without any excitement. I am not suggesting that you throw caution to the wind and let fate control every outcome in your life, but it is important that we loosen those ties we have with control every so often.

Here are some examples on how you can ease into it:


Prepare for different possibilities: In the example I used above I really had two logical outcomes, either I would get a job or I wouldn’t. So planning would involve searching for a job, and understanding that if I didn’t get one I would need a plan b (for example, re-enrolling in study or volunteering). Make a list if you have several possible outcomes.

Use stress-reducing techniques as soon as uncertainty becomes a possibility: The best way is to use breathing techniques and meditation.

Understand your uncertainty: Is it really being uncertain that bothers you, or is it the feelings that uncertainty elicits? Learn to check yourself and your thoughts. Have your thoughts gone from “I might not be able to find a job” to “I will end up unemployed, lonely and surrounded by twenty cats” – if so, then you are probably stressing out more than is necessary and for that, you can follow the previous step (breathing and meditation).

Focus on what you can control: You may not control whether someone hires you for a job, or whether an elderly parent passes away. However, you can control how well you write your resume and perform in a job interview. You can also control how you choose to spend your last days with a loved one. No one ever expects you to have the utmost control over your life, just do what you can (not what you think you should) and you will be all the better for it.

Understand that escape from uncertainty as impossibility: You will never have a life free from uncertainty. Understanding this and that we all deal with things in different manners, is why getting a hold of this, and realising what works for you is important in living a fulfilling life. Try a few techniques and see what eases those feelings and thoughts that we all know too well.


By Jessica – former ADAVIC volunteer who let uncertainty into her life and found…it paid off.