Forum offers solution to mental health problems

Her wo rds were powerful; her courage was ine stimab le . L ooking ac her today you couJd never imagine chat s he fea red to s eep our o f her house fo r m o n ths. Yo u could nor comprehend the severe aIL'Clety char she fac ed or the nightmares chat possessed ber. And chat was precisely the reason w hy chis brave young lady stood up to scrutiny in from o f an audie nce to share her perso n al story. Janine was a p sychiatric survivor, and s he was there co spread the message chat the stigm a associated w ith m ental heal th was o utmoded and should be sent packing

According to the A u stralian Bureau Of Statistics, o n e in live Australians aged 16- 85 had a m e n tal disorder in a year, and 1.9 million people accessed serv ices for mental health problems in the 12 months prio r co the survey lt is estim ated th ac ac least 20% Australiai1s will experience m e n tal illness at some stage in thei r lives. Janine's sto r y was not unusual, but her courage to discuss chis in pub lic certainly was Janine recow1ced her perso n al experienc es to a r apt audience at an exclu s ive dub in che city, encouraged by her Con sultant Ps ych iatrist Dr 1'vla n jul a O'Con n or.

D r O'Connor is a Co n s ultant P sychiatrist in private and hospital practice, and her special .interest i s in domesti c a11d family violence, ge n der related iss u es in ps ychiatric illn ess, a nxiety a nd depressive illness. Cur re n tly Dr O'Connor is the vice President of the Australia India Society of V ictoria (AISV) She is also the chair of the AISV raskforce against d omestic vio lence in Indian and ethnic communities.

According co Dr O'Conn or, tl1e o pportunity for recovery fro m mental illness is more likely in a society of acceptance. The talk was meant co inspire peopl e co se rve ;is mental health va ng uard , motivating a societal cha11ge towards accepta nce and d ecr easing the n egative attitudes that surround mental illness. Besid es

Janine's moving account, the talk aimed t o support a n d educate audienc e about rais ing awaren ess, stigmas a nd treaane nrs available for peop le livi n g with mental h ealtl1 illness. Jan in e's willingness co disc.lose her exper iences of survival, resistance, recovery a11d self-deterrninatio n proved far more effective than a ny theoretical discussion o n the subject o f men tal illness.

Th e audience resonated wi th Janine's emotio nal struggle and discussed their own mental demons, or th at of people close to chem Dr O'Connor a n swered each query with experti se a nd stressed on the importance of c o ll aboratio n ,vith family members and communiLy to e nab le a patient to live a m ea ningful li fe and achieve their full potential. She highligh ted the unique barriers to implementing shared decisio n - making with family members. Dr O'Conn or clai m ed tl1at work could be both the reason for st ress or the key co recovery of sel f- confidence, and employers h ave a respon sibili ty co understand mem.'l! disorders a n d not discrim inate agains t patients.

P r ior to h er treatment Janine suffered ex treme fear of returning co work, felt like a failure, had loss of concentration and a fear of never being able to com p rehend concepts. S he completely avoided so cial life, made n o telephon e concact w ith a11y friends and wit hdrew from everyone She reac hed a stage where s he found no pleasure in life a nd no i nte rest in food Whil e Dr O'Conno r tried l ow doses o f mood stabi li zers and antidepr essancs, she al so so ught collaboration from Janine's wor kp lace and HR. Janine's moth e r was active!)' invo lved in the h ealing process. Janine i s now working foll time a nd has gain ed back her confidence and self esteem

According to Dr O'Connor the lesson co learn from J anine's story is that besides correct diagnosis an d effective m edicatio n , it is crucial to have non- judgmental support fro m family and friend s. "Mental he,·Li tl1 recovery i s a journey of h ealing an d tra11sfor m ation. For a11yon e sufferi n g with m ent.al illness or living wi th someon e witl1 m ental illness you'll recognize tl1e fears, hopes, and dreams chat yo u may be dealing wi tb right now Only by sharing can we come together as a commu n ity an d h elp che m survive the psychiatric 11belling, a11cl help them to h eal and tran sfor m ," she s aid.

Preeti Jabbal

C om e a lo n g to "A u sso m Fa mil y D ay Ca r e"

Aussom Fam ily Day Care o p e n ed its d oors in J an 2008 and h as offices in both Melbou rn e and Sydney, to provide q ua lity early c h ild h oo d ed u cation a n d care to c h ild re n

• We offer flexible contracts to genu ine peop le interested in caring for and educating ch ildren aged between infants co 12years o ld in their own home

• We wou ld love co engage a diverse range of educators from many different cultures ,

• A commitment co enrol into Certificate 3 in Chi ldren ' s Serv ices and other criteria app ly,

• W e have a re.am of ded icated professiona ls waiting to help you kic k scare your career in Family Day Care.

• We offer comprehensive support an d guidancea ll you need to do is p ic k up the phone and make an a p pointment.