Governmental bullying of unemployed and addicts

Three of the most disliked groups just may be banks, dole bludgers and addicts. Worth noting the governments hit list with this latest budget

All the conversation I have heard so far this week seems to be about finger-pointing and demonizing drug users who may or may not be addicts or mental health dual diagnosis patients. We need to clear our thinking here – we are talking about the unemployed not “known drug users avoiding work and breaking rules”. Firstly we must spare a thought for these many thousands of guinea pig Australians who have found themselves in financial crisis after loosing their jobs. As an Australian, when this happens we have the right to support through Centrelink – now that is packaged with the instant assumption that you are a drug addict and you are subjected to the indignity of urinating in front of a stranger to prove otherwise... what happened to our rights here?

For those few individuals who will record positive drug tests (expensive process - who's paying for that in the budget Mr Turn-dill) there are more subgroups – casual users and those with mental health issues related to addiction and/or other mental health issues. Those of us working in the substance abuse and mental health areas understand that treatment of substance abuse and mental health disorders is complicated by the fact that alcohol or drugs are often used by mental health consumers to alleviate the stresses of their mental illness, history of trauma and abuse, social dislocation and distress.  The government itself has noted that dual diagnosis is the 'expectation not the exception' yet here we go again going for the soft target – trawling through the unemployed looking for the bludgers. Statistical evidence confirms that substance abuse among those with mental health problems is pervasive (2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing).

It is doubtful that being tough on drugs users without the existence of a robust well integrated service network to support this vulnerable group will improve anything and I am sure things will unravel for the government rapidly. People with substance abuse and mental health issues (a dual diagnosis) have a higher level of need than other mentally ill cohorts and a poorer prognosis due to the complex interrelationship of these disorders.

The co-occurrence of drug dependence and mental health disorders is widespread and is associated with higher levels of hospitalisation, incarceration, suicide, homicide, housing instability and homelessness, unemployment and financial difficulties, and lower treatment compliance People with co-morbid conditions experience high levels of unemployment. At the same time, they are least able to meet Centrelinks newstart and even disability payment requirements, because these services do not comprehensively assess or take into account the extent of the debilitation caused by these behavioural and mental disorders.

Very frequently these unemployed and other marginalised people are depressed, have great difficulty in personal contact, and lack confidence in their own capacity to relate to other people or indeed to initiate contact with them. To implement these new proposed income support arrangements will not encouraging people back to work and I have no doubt they will increase mental health issues, crime, homelessness and a host of other “unexpected consequences” for both the individual, services and community.  Who in Centerlink will be trained to the standard necessary in order to identify these hard to diagnose, hard to treat people - the diagnostic profile of AOD and dual diagnosis cohorts are known to be difficult and unreliable patients by definition. 

PS This has been proven to NOT WORK in many other countries including US.

It will not save money - IT WILL COST MONEY 

It will humiliate even further the 98% of Centrelink applicants who DO NOT USE DRUGS.

Aly Birmingham Geats

http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Former_Committees/mentalhealth/report/c14

Dealing with shame when you can't seem to quit

        Alcohol and drugs take the edge off.  There's no doubt about that but when your need to block out the negatives in your life start to put you in the danger zone with your consumption you soon realize that quitting is just not that easy. The obsessions and compulsions that drive this lack of control travel on a continuum that can be seen  as a journey from light use to addiction - no one starts off with a drinking/drug/technology problem it just develops; sometimes frighteningly fast and sometimes over a lifetime.  The end result is the same and the feelings of powerlessness and shame often rise as a result.
     
The habit of judging our weakness is enough to send us straight to the bottle - shame is a great driver of substance abuse.  Know that your brain undergoes significant changes when you have dependence or addictions in areas that control both drive and executive thinking so the voice that will normally get you to put the breaks on is on a "break" while the part of your brain that drives things such as emotion, hunger and fear is supercharged.  You can get things back to normal but it needs time without psychoactive drugs and behaviours to achieve this.
         Finding your most powerful motivations will start your neuro-detox - could be your children or it could be your sport!  Find someone to guide you through the process of gaining control through this time because it really is so very hard just to get a start.  I know because I've see people do this journey every week for nearly 20 years.  Doing it alone is even harder and doing it without a plan is almost impossible.
        Always remember every attempt is not a failure - just use it as a learning opportunity so you can see what triggered you to use/drink today and find a solution for tomorrow.    
 

As you take those first steps, let the shame go and feel the power return!

                                     Aly Birmingham Geats 

Consulting room/office available to rent in Dee Why, Northern Beaches.

  Consulting room/office available to share in Dee Why, Northern Beaches. 

  We are looking for someone reliable and professional to share our therapeutic space. The current days available are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday morning and Friday morning.  This is flexible as we are interested in finding someone who is serious about their practice (to take all these days would total $150).  Please call Aly on 02 94890250 and leave a message if I am in session (we can be hard to catch).

Counselling for women on the Northern Beaches

I write this post today with a broken heart grieving our beautiful fairy godmother who lost her long and brave battle with addiction this week.  Thank you darling lady for letting us know you.  

Northern Beaches Alcohol culture mirrored across the country!

One in seven patients entering hospital emergency departments on Australia Day were there because of alcohol-related harm, research by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine has found.

The largest snapshot survey of its kind undertaken in Australia and the first to investigate the relationship between alcohol-related harm and Australia Day, it found that as of 11pm on Tuesday, 15% of patients across 100 emergency departments were there because of alcohol.

The chairwoman of the college’s public health committee, Associate Prof Diana Egerton-Warburton, said that figure was closer to 8% on an average weeknight.

On Friday and Saturday nights alcohol-related emergency presentations could reach 14%.

“We’ve been doing this survey for the past three years and this was the highest ever resulted recorded for Australia Day, and higher than an average Friday or Saturday night,” she                                                                 said.

The figures revealed a “huge and entirely unnecessary burden being placed on our already over-stretched emergency departments”, Egerton-Warburton said.

She urged government action on extended trading hours, low prices and heavy advertising of alcohol, all factors known to contribute to harmful drinking.

“For every additional late trading hour, there’s a 20% increase in serious assaults and injuries,” Egerton-Warburton said. “States like NSW and Queensland are already trying to take a lead on introducing early last drinks to help address this tide of human tragedy that arrives in our emergency departments.

“We need to have a national agreement on safe alcohol trading hours. It will save lives.”

“This is the cost Australia is paying for its all-too-familiar relationship with alcohol, and again supports our argument that governments are not doing enough and that the well-understood evidence about fixing this problem, including getting rid of quick access to booze and reducing trading hours, is the only way to address it.”

Its about to get a lot harder to access prescription drugs on the Northern Beaches!

National real-time medicine monitoring will save lives

Our calls for the urgent  implementation of a national real-time recording and reporting system to decrease the inappropriate use of prescription  medicines seems to be very slowly actioned by the Federal and State Governments (although I find the speed of this "urgent" intervention to be a national disgrace).

As we loose countless wonderful people in this country each and every year from legally prescribed drugs I cannot fathom the attitude of our political leaders and the lack of interest they continue to show.  Be that as it may, this system will finally become a reality in the near future and I have further concerns as to how we are going to deal with the many thousands of individuals who are currently experiencing heavy dependence on these prescription medicines when they are not able to access their normal quantities.... 

Northern Beaches women are our clients and I can tell you that I personally see more women experiencing problems with alcohol and prescription medications such as Valium and Xanax than other illicit drugs combined.

The expected reporting  system ( Electronic Recording and Reporting of Controlled Drugs)  will include all drugs with potential for dependence meaning that all doctors will be able to access a patients record in the consultation - no more "doctor shopping"

This is great news but if we don't support these individuals they will experience dangerous health, social and psychological distress and/or probably substitute with alcohol or illicit drugs. 

We need to have some serious conversations and get ready!

Aly 

Aly Birmingham Geats

www.counsellingnorthside.com.au

ARE YOU A PROFESSIONAL WORKING IN A HIGH STRESS ENVIRONMENT?

DRUG AND ALCOHOL OR TECHNOLOGY ABUSE, DEPENDENCE AND ADDICTION ARE THE HIDDEN HEALTH ISSUES OF A HIGH FUNCTIONING YET HIDDEN GROUP IN AUSTRALIA.

   
There are serious issues regarding professionals accessing appropriate help for these issues and there are often serious issues in the treatments that are available for this group as reflected in the recent popularity of "rehab tourism".

  That our “best and brightest” feel the need to literally flee the country to address these complex issues is a real wake-up call for us all.  The unfortunate aspect of these treatment centres is that they cannot address in depth, why an individual is having these problems – compulsive behaviours seen in substance abuse must be addressed within the context of an individual’s life in order for them to maintain change.  The idea that this can be done in a brief stint in an overseas rehab unit is both naive and potentially dangerous. 

  
 There are services in Australia that are second to none but not all individuals are comfortable in group or public treatment models.  The high functioning client is functioning with varying degrees and levels of impairment and not likely to seek help where their identity may be exposed.  It's one reason why they are such a hard-to-reach group.  They are captains of industry, performers, medical directors, vets, dentists, police officers and accountants and there is immense fear and shame around this perceived weakness - a stigma that can destroy careers and families.  These professionals have the most to lose.

  We work in complete privacy with our clients and set in place many safeguards to protect their anonymity at all times.  Our clients know that this tight security is a given so they can focus on their goals.   

Context Health & Education
www.counsellingnorthside.com.au

MINDFULNESS FOR HSC STUDY

Being Mindful about study: engaging your brain to reduce stress and study better with assignments and exams fast approaching, you might be feeling anxious, worried or stressed.
Mindfulness practice is the ability to put your mind where you want it and be fully involved in the moment. Have you ever had the experience of being “in the zone”? That’s mindfulness! Being aware of how you’re feeling; what’s going on around you; and still being able to be focused on what you want to accomplish. Not easy, but with practice, you can build the mental muscle necessary to be mindful.  Anything can be done mindfully. We often don’t do things mindfully because we get caught up in the daily craziness of work, school, relationships and life. How often do you do three things at once…watch TV, eat dinner and take notes on your class readings? How often do you talk on the phone while driving? In order to get things done, we feel pressured to do many things at the same time. Often we are rewarded for living this way. We get a lot done quickly; we feel productive; and others view us as intelligent and successful. Unfortunately, that lifestyle often leaves us feeling stressed, fatigued and irritable. Mindfulness is choosing to do one thing at a time with focus and intention.
 Research shows that practicing mindfulness improves your brain’s ability to pay attention, concentrate, plan and organize information. That means you can improve your brain’s ability to study more effectively and efficiently. Regular mindfulness practice also has a positive impact on health and wellness. Because mindfulness can have a relaxing effect on the body, it has been shown to boost immune functioning. That means feeling better with less illness. If you’re prone to getting sick during stressful times because you’ve worn yourself down studying; not eating well and not sleeping enough, then mindfulness can be one way to buffer yourself from the negative effects of stress.
 To practice putting your mind where you want it, count your breaths. Every breath has an inhale and an exhale. After each exhale, count. When you get to 10, start over at one. If your mind wanders and you lose track of the count, start over at one. Don’t change your breath as you breathe. Breathe normally and count. Notice if your mind wanders. If it does, gently bring it back to the counting without judgement - the purpose is merely to observe the mind doing what it does.
Taking a 2 minute break from studying or being overwhelmed can help you regroup and get back to work in a more organized way. Being mindful isn’t all about silence and stillness. You can move your body and be mindful too!

Aly Birmingham Geats is a coach, counsellor and therapist located on Sydneys Northern Beaches with a Post Graduate degree in Mindfulness and Buddhist Practice at Nan Tien Institute, Australia

www.rowan.edu/open/studentaffairs2/hci/healthymind/documents/mindful.pdf

A WOMANS STORY IS NOT HER EXCUSE

             Hearing it is an opportunity 
             for insight and compassion.

Addiction is not a matter of morals.
It is not a matter of weakness.
Addiction is not a choice, recovery is a choice but it is rarely achievable without help.
A woman does not decide to become an addict.
A woman has a right to make bad decisions without being judged and shamed.
We all need support when things go wrong.

When things go wrong for a child
and theres no one there to show the way
how can they create a good life?
How do they grow up and know how to be safe?
They just try their best.

counsellingnorthside.com.au
sydneyrecoverysupport.com.au
familytree.org.au

       Acceptance not Judgement

Hi All,

We have had a huge time changing our place of healing as well as changes to our individual websites and blogs.  So here we are all fresh and new!  Please take a look at our new online places where we are packing loads of information and support resources.

www.northernbeachescounsellingsupport.com.au

www.drugandalcoholinfo.com

www.alybirminghamgeats.wix.com/practitioner

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• Addiction is no mystery
• On Mindfulness
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