Displaying items by tag: anxiety

As a SANE Peer Ambassador, I’m so proud to be part of a national network of nearly 100 people who all share a common goal of reducing stigma and discrimination for those living with complex mental health issues.

I joined the Peer Ambassador program because I wanted to use my lived experience of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) to help others living with complex mental health issues, and the people who support them. Through sharing my journey, I want to break down the stigma and talk about the impact that mental ill health can have on the lives of Australians. OCD is not a personality trait or simply another way of saying that you’re extremely tidy or clean, but a serious mental illness that up until recently silenced me in everyday life.

The training to become a Peer Ambassador was really special. It was the first time I truly realised the power of storytelling and connected with other lived experience advocates.

One of the best things was that I felt accepted for me, and that my story was valued. The level of understanding and support SANE has for my specific needs creates such a great space to be an advocate in. I truly feel like I am following a passion. The program has provided me with mentoring not just in my advocacy journey, but in everyday life. I previously took part in a campaign focussed on mental health in young adults called Be Kind to Your Mind. I was able to share my story in a way I initially thought I wouldn’t do, using short social media videos. The training around this campaign taught me useful skills in dealing with others’ opinions, not just online, but in any advocacy engagement. With every opportunity I have been involved in I’ve learnt new life skills and become more confident in expressing my story. Along with this, hearing the experiences of other Peer Ambassadors from across the country has provided me with a greater understanding of other complex mental health issues.

Sharing what happens to us when we experience illness, distress, stigma or trauma can be difficult. But there is such power in hearing someone’s candid, first hand experiences, which the program supports members to do in a safe and impactful way.

Today, because of organisations like SANE, there’s a lot more awareness of mental health issues, but there is still a long way to go when it comes to reducing stigma, increasing mental health literacy and help seeking behaviours.

As a young man in the sporting industry, talking about mental health can be seen as a weakness. But as I continue to develop my advocacy skills as part of the Peer Ambassador program, I’m finding that I’m having more and more positive conversations about what it means to live with a complex mental health issue and I’m challenging stereotypes of masculinity and emotional vulnerability. It’s so important, especially as young people, to challenge outdated views, stand up for what we believe in and be the change we want to see in this world.

An ‘Obsessive Compulsive action figure’ made by Accoutrements in the U.S.A. has been stocked by several Australian retail outlets. The action figure wears white gloves and comes with a surgical mask and a sanitary moist towelette. The packaging lists ‘A day in the life of OC action figure’ including entries such as ‘7.35am brushes teeth, disposes of toothbrush’. There is also a joke checklist for customers to determine if they have OCD.

OCD is often misunderstood and reduced to hyper-cleanliness at the expense of those who live with it.

This product has been stocked by Faboo store, Newslink and Urban Attitude. Newslink has discontinued the line.

StigmaWatch contacted Faboo and Urban Attitude to pass on the views of customers who said the toy mocked and trivialised a mental illness that is often debilitating. StigmaWatch explained that many community members do not welcome this import and encourage Australian retailers to reject it.

TW: This article mentions suicide. 

Jock is a fit, healthy man. A man who runs marathons. A public speaker. A man filled with the joy of life, and yet only a few years ago he was barely functioning as a human being.

Jock's mother, Dianne, describes him in those days as ‘overweight, depressed and lethargic, sometimes sleeping 20 out of 24 hours’.

‘It was a desperate, awful time,’ she says. ‘Jock probably weighed about 170 kilos. He was bloated, and looked terrible. He had no social life or social skills, and had trouble taking anything in or communicating. We were in despair.’

In his early twenties, Jock had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Obsessive-compulsive disorder and Anxiety. The years passed, and Jock showed no signs of improvement. His mother, two sisters and brother were beside themselves.

‘Whenever I called the clinic over my concerns, they just increased the dosage of Jock's medication,’ Dianne says.

Dianne, a strong and remarkable person, knew there must be an answer somewhere. She refused to listen to well-meaning people who told her Jock should go into an institution.

It was then she discovered a local community organisation, ERMHA (Eastern Regional Mental Health Association) which supports people with mental illness in a number of ways. Dianne persuaded Jock to go to their drop-in centre a few days a week.

‘It was a huge step,’ Dianne says.

While he was at ERMHA one day, Jock had a blackout and wandered off. He ended up in hospital. A neurologist was horrified at the amount of medication Jock was taking. Tests showed there was nothing neurologically wrong with Jock and that the cause of many of his symptoms was the excessive amount of drugs he was prescribed.

Dianne took Jock back to the clinic where he had been given the medication and saw a psychiatrist who read Jock’s history and threw out all but one of his tablets.

‘Within three months of the change in his medication, Jock took over his own life. He didn’t look back.’

At the same time, Jock’s GP referred him to a psychiatrist to deal with the Obsessive-compulsive disorder. ‘This worked brilliantly,’ says Dianne.

Jock started to feel alive again.

The combination of symptoms and side-effects of medication had given him a craving for caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol and junk foods. He decided to lose weight, quit smoking and drinking and improve his diet.

‘I did this myself,’ he says, ‘but got fantastic support from my family.'

He asked his brother-in-law Jason to help him get fit. They started with a run round the block. ‘We did about half,’ says Jock. ‘I was so out of puff it wasn’t funny.’

At the time Jock recalls thinking, ‘I don’t know if I can do this’. But he made himself take what he calls baby-steps – boxing practice or a short run – every day, and set himself the seemingly-impossible goal of running a half-marathon within a year. Amazingly he did it, and he and Jason raised $10,000 for SANE. They were among the top four fundraisers out of more than 17,000 participants.

On tough days Jock thought of his friend Pete who had ended his life. ‘He had Bipolar disorder and his death was a terrible shock. I knew he’d be happy about how I was going and it kept me on track.’

At the same time as he was getting stronger physically, Jock was enriching his life via ERMHA.

He took a couple of catering courses there and was accepted for the 20-week ‘Life Skills’ program run by the MadCap Café, a non-profit organisation helping people with mental illness re-join the workforce.

Jock now has a permanent part-time job there and loves it.

‘For years I found it difficult to communicate,’ he says, ‘but working with customers, especially, means my confidence has really soared.’

Jock was invited to speak at the official opening of a new MadCap Café. He shook with nerves but afterwards felt good.

‘I would like to speak in public more often,’ he says, ‘I want to help people who are in the same position I was, because if I can change my life around, anybody can.’

To overcome his nerves Jock has joined Toastmasters and to his delight has been asked to speak at the opening of a third MadCap Café.

Jock has taken up yoga and meditation, which he finds therapeutic, and keeps up his physical fitness by cycling and going to the gym.

Dianne now sees herself as a backstop in Jock’s life and is thrilled. 'I give him a good home base and support the decisions and choices he is making,’ she says.

She believes if he had stayed on the unnecessarily heavy doses of medication he might be dead by now. ‘As it is, he is now this lovely, intelligent, bright, beautiful person.’ She says.

She points out that Jock’s sister Julianne – Jason’s wife – is 14 years younger than him and only ever knew him as unwell. ‘She keeps looking at him and says she now has a wonderful big brother in her life.’

‘His other sister Andrea knew Jock before he became sick,’ she adds, ‘and tears well up in her eyes when she sees him with her kids.’

For the family, Jock’s transformation is a miracle. As he says himself, ‘I used to exist but now I have a life.’

Where to from here?

• For 24/7 support if you're stuggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. 
• To chat with a supportive online community who get it, head over to our Lived Experience Forum. Start connecting today. 

Quick facts

• Anxiety is the mind and body’s natural response to a real or perceived threat.  
• Everybody experiences anxiety sometimes, but if it is distressing or overwhelming, or impacting on a person’s day-to-day life, it might be a cause for concern. 
• Lifestyle changes, self-help strategies, and mental health professionals can help people manage anxiety. 

• What is anxiety?  

  Anxiety is something everyone experiences from time to time. It involves different thoughts and behaviours that can occur in response to a possible threat. Anxiety itself isn’t bad. In fact, it’s an important emotional and physical experience that can protect people from harm. 

  Anxiety can vary in strength, from mild to very severe. It can pass quickly or last a long time. It can be triggered by many situations, including social settings, performances or speeches, crowds, deadlines, health problems, or threats to safety and wellbeing.   

  Most people experience anxiety at some point in their life. It’s also a common symptom of many mental health issues. A variety of anxiety disorders have been identified. Some of the most common anxiety disorders include generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder (panic attacks), and social anxiety disorder.  

• Anxiety symptoms 

  Anxiety can involve symptoms like¹:  

  • Worrying: fearing or assuming the worst will happen; overestimating the danger of a situation; or assuming things will go wrong 
  • Difficulty controlling worry: having trouble managing anxious thoughts and feeling overwhelmed by them. 

  • A fear of uncertainty: being uncomfortable not knowing what is going to happen, or what to do. 
  • Avoidance: avoiding situations, people or places that cause anxiety.  
  • Safety behaviours: behaviours like checking or over-preparing to try to prevent a feared outcome. 
  • Physical symptoms: these can include a pounding heart, difficulty breathing, upset stomach, muscle tension, headache, sweating or choking, feeling faint or shaky, or difficulty sleeping. 
  • Panic attacks: intense periods of fear, discomfort and physical symptoms, usually peaking within a few minutes. 

  Some people experience anxiety for their whole life and don’t know what it feels like to live without anxiety – it feels normal to be worried and on edge. But living with chronic anxiety can cause long term impacts. These include increased risk of physical health issues, such as headaches, nausea, immune system problems, heart problems, and stomach problems.  

• Causes of anxiety 

  Anxiety will feel different from person to person. Genetic factors and life experiences can impact both how serious a person's anxiety is, and what it feels like for them². 

  Part of what creates anxiety is the body's normal reaction to a perceived threat – the fight or flight response. The fight or flight response involves the body preparing for action. By increasing heart rate, muscle tension and fast breathing, bodies prepare to either fight or escape danger.  

  Though helpful for keeping people safe, these responses can feel overwhelming and confusing. Especially when it occurs when a person is not actually in danger, but going about everyday life.  

• Managing anxiety 

  Some people strategies like these are helpful to prevent, manage, or reduce their anxiety:  

  • Learning strategies to manage unhelpful thoughts, including understanding anxiety thought processes, and challenging or reframing anxious thoughts. 
  • Relaxation and breathing training to calm the body and mind. 
  • Developing and practicing mindfulness skills. 
  • Learning to gradually face (rather than avoid) situations that usually trigger anxiety. 
  • Looking after physical health through healthy eating, exercise, and sleeping well. 
  • Avoiding or reducing nicotine, caffeine, alcohol or other drugs. 
  • Accessing peer support 

• Treatment and support for anxiety 

  Not everybody who experiences anxiety needs mental health support. For many people, anxiety is a temporary experience, or mild enough to not cause problems. 

  But many people do find treatment and support helpful.  

  It’s a good idea to talk to a GP first. A GP can provide information and referrals for other health professionals or support services. 

  Here are some psychological therapies that have been found to be helpful for managing anxiety disorders³​: 

  • cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) 
  • exposure therapy 
  • psychodynamic therapy 
  • eye movement desensitisation reprocessing (EMDR) 
  • interpersonal psychotherapy. 

  Some people also find medication helpful to manage their anxiety, particularly if it is severe or ongoing³​

  Anxiety is a normal part of life, but there are things you can do to help manage it if it is causing problems. To connect with others who get it, visit our online Forums. They’re safe, anonymous and available 24/7.  

  VISIT FORUMS  

• Resources 

  • Anxiety self-assessment (Black Dog Institute) 
  • Anxiety, worry and panic self-help resources (Centre for Clinical Interventions) 

  • Recommended Apps for managing anxiety (Very Well Mind) 

• References

  1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5). In: 5th ed. American Psychiatric Association; 2013.  

  2. Gottschalk MG, Domschke K. Genetics of generalized anxiety disorder and related traits. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience. 2017 Jun;19(2):159–68.  

  3. Bandelow B, Reitt M, Röver C, Michaelis S, Görlich Y, Wedekind D. Efficacy of treatments for anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis. International clinical psychopharmacology. 2015;30(4):183–92.