Asthma treatment season

Hi Friends,

These days (before December 22) are good for asthma treatment. If your friend or you have the same or revelent problems, come and you will have a very good next year.

My clinic address:

shop1A
102-106 Boyce Road
Maroubra

Introduction of diabetes

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood glucose and either insufficient or ineffective insulin. 5.9% of the population in the United States has diabetes, and diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in our country. Diabetes is a chronic disease without a cure, however, with proper management and treatment, diabetics can live a normal, healthy lives.

Insulin

Insulin is a hormone secreted by specialized cells in the pancreas in response to (among other things), increased blood glucose concentration. The primary role of insulin is to control the transport of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. After consuming a meal, insulin enhances the uptake of the energy nutrients (amino acids, glucose, and fatty acids). Insulin helps maintain blood glucose within normal limits and stimulates protein synthesis, glucose synthesis in the liver and muscle, and fat synthesis.

Without insulin, or when insulin is ineffective, glucose regulation falters and the metabolism of energy-yielding nutrients changes. In diabetes, there is too much glucose in the blood. When glucose builds in the blood instead of going into the cells, it can cause two problems:

• Your cells may become starved for energy
• Over time, high glucose blood levels may harm your kidneys, heart, eyes or nerves

There are two main types of diabetes, Type I and Type II, described below.

Type I Diabetes
(a.k.a. Juvenile Onset Diabetes, Insulin-Dependant Diabetes)

Insulin-dependant is caused by damage to the pancreas. The pancreas contains beta cells, which make insulin. With Type I diabetes, the deficiency of insulin is due to a decline in the number of beta cells the pancreas contains. It appears that certain genes make Type I diabetics more susceptible, but a triggering factor (usually a viral infection) sets it off. In most people with Type I diabetes, the immune system makes a mistake, attacking the beta cells and causing them to die. Without the beta cells, you cannot produce insulin. Glucose then builds up in the blood and causes diabetes.

Type I diabetes exhibits the following warning signs:

• Losing weight without trying
• An increased need to urinate
• Increased hunger
• Increased thirst
• Trouble seeing
• Feeling tired and/or
• Going into a coma

For Type I diabetics, treatment usually consists of a healthy diet, exercise, and insulin shots to replace the insulin that your body no longer produces. Most insulin-dependent diabetics test their blood at least four times per day to monitor their blood’s glucose level. This is necessary to keep their blood glucose within certain limits. If blood glucose is not monitored, and if insulin levels are not kept in check, three things may happen:

1. Ketoacidosis – occurs when your blood glucose levels are highly elevated, by either eating too much or taking too little insulin, by stress or illness. In this case, there is too little insulin in the blood. Your body then begins breaking down fat for energy, producing chemicals called ketones. Ketones can make you throw up, have difficulty breathing, cause excessive thirst, cause dry, itchy skin, or even cause coma.

2. Hypoglycemia – occurs when blood glucose levels become too low. It can be cause by taking too much insulin, eating too little, skipping meals, eating at the wrong time, exercising too intensely or for too long, or by drinking alcohol on an empty stomach. If your blood glucose is too low you may feel hungry, confused, tired, shaky or nervous.

3. Complications – elevated glucose levels in the blood over time can hurt your organs. Diabetes can damage kidneys, eyes and nerves, and makes heart and blood vessel disease more likely. Diabetics can defend themselves from complications by keeping their glucose levels under control.

Type II Diabetes
(a.k.a. Adult Onset Diabetes, Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes)

Type II diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, with about 90% of diabetes falling into the Type II category. With Type II diabetes, glucose builds up in the blood – not because not enough insulin is present, but probably because cells lose their insulin receptors and become less sensitive to insulin. Type II diabetes usually (though not always) occurs in individuals who are over 40 years of age who are overweight.

Type II diabetes produces mild symptoms, and can be controlled with a healthy diet, exercise and weight loss. Type II diabetics should also monitor their glucose levels to be sure they are maintaining healthy levels. In some cases, weight loss, diet and exercise are not enough to control the glucose levels. In those cases, your physician may control your diabetes by prescribing diabetes pills or insulin shots.

Type II diabetes can cause three types of problems:

1. High Blood Sugar – high glucose levels in the blood are most likely when you’re sick or under a lot of stress. High blood sugar can cause you to have a headache, blurry vision, excessive thirst and an increased need to urinate, and cause dry, itchy skin. Though less of a problem with Type II diabetes, ketones can build up in the blood when Type II diabetics have symptoms of high blood sugar, or when they are sick.
2. Low Blood Sugar – When blood sugar falls to low you may feel tired, shaky, nervous, hungry or confused. It may be caused by taking too much diabetes medicine, eating too little or skipping meals, exercising too intensely or for too long, or from drinking alcohol without eating.
3. Complications – Elevated blood glucose over many years can hurt organs, including the eyes, kidneys, and eyes. It can also make heart and blood vessel disease more likely. The best defense against complications is a careful monitoring of blood glucose, a healthy diet and exercise.

Risks for Diabetes

• Individuals with parents or siblings with diabetes
• People over the age of 45
• People who are overweight
• People who do not exercise regularly
• People with low HDL cholesterol or high triglycerides
• Certain racial and ethnic groups (African Americans, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans)
• Women who had gestational diabetes or who had a baby weighing 9 pounds or more at birth.

Warning Signs of Diabetes

Type I: Frequent urination Unusual thirst Extreme hunger Unusual weight loss Extreme fatigue Irritability

*Type II: Any of the Type I symptoms Frequent infections Blurred vision Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal Tingling/numbness in the hands or feet Recurring skin, gum or bladder infections *individuals with Type II diabetes often have no symptoms

 

Understanding Fat and Cholesterol

Blood Lipid Parameters:

The National Cholesterol Education program recommends that everyone over the age of 20 be tested for cholesterol at least once every 5 years.

The National Cholesterol Education Program
Blood Lipid	Desirable	Borderline	High
Total Cholesterol	< 200 mg/dL	200-239 mg/dL	>= 240 mg/dL
Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL)	< 130 mg/dL	130-159 mg/dL	>= 160 mg/dL
High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL)	> 35 mg/dL (values >60 mg/dL are considered a negative risk factor)
Triglycerides	< 200 mg/dL

Lipids (Fats) Explained:

Fats, or lipids, can be divided into three general categories: Triglycerides, Phospholipids and Sterols.

• Triglycerides - (fats and oils) This is the main form of fat in the diet. Triglycerides provide us with energy, insulates, cushions and protects internal organs and helps our bodies use carbohydrates and proteins more efficiently. Triglycerides can be further divided into the following categories:
• Saturated fats - Usually solid at room temperature, saturated fats contain the maximum number of hydrogen atoms (saturated with hydrogen). Saturated fats are considered the most detrimental to health.
• Monounsaturated fats - Liquid at room temperature, monounsaturated fats include olive and canola oils. This type of fat tends to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol while leaving the "good" HDL cholesterol unchanged.
• Polyunsaturated fats - Liquid at room temperature, polyunsaturated fats include corn oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil. This type of fat tends to lower both "bad" LDL and "good" HDL cholesterol.
• Hydrogenated fats - This fat results from a process where hydrogen atoms are added back to polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats to protect against rancidity . This procedure effectively causes hydrogenated fats to become saturated fats. Thus, if a food lists partially hydrogenated oils among its first three ingredients, it usually contains alot of trans-fatty acids and saturated fats.
• Trans-fatty acids - In nature, most unsaturated fats are cis-fatty acids. During hydrogenation, the molecular structure changes from cis- to trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids increase "bad" LDL cholesterol and lower "good" HDL cholesterol, which may increase heart disease risk.
• Essential fatty acids - Essential fatty acids must be supplied by the diet. The body uses essential fatty acids to maintain the structural parts of cell membranes. They are also used as a component in the production of hormone-like substances (eicosanoids) that help regulate blood pressure, clot formation, and maintain the immune response.
• Linoleic Acid - The Omega-6 family. Common sources for these essential fatty acids are vegetable oils and meats. Most individuals can ensure an adequate intake of Omega-6 fatty acids by including grains, seeds, leafy vegetables, and small amounts of vegetable oils and meats in the diet.
• Linolenic Acid - The Omega-3 family. Linolenic acid is a major component of the communicating membranes of the brain, and is active in the eye's retina. It is essential for growth and development. Fish, in particular, is abundant in both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
• Phospholipids - (eg. lecithin) Phospholipids help transport fat-soluble vitamins, hormones and other substances through cell membranes. Because they can dissolve in both water and fat, they act as an emulsifier, helping to keep fats suspended in body fluids and blood. The liver can produce all the body's phospholipids from scratch, therefore it is not an essential nutrient.
• Sterols - Sterols include cholesterol, vitamin D and sex hormones. The are a component of bile, sex hormones (testosterone), adrenal hormones (cortisol) and are a structural component of cell membranes. 9/10 of the body's cholesterol is stored in cells.
  
  Cholesterol - The liver manufacturers about 800-1500 mg. of cholesterol per day, which contributes much more to total body cholesterol than does diet. The liver can also make cholesterol from carbohydrates, proteins or fat. Only animal foods contain cholesterol. Excess cholesterol harms the body when it forms deposits on artery walls, leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease. Cholesterol can be further divided into HDLs and LDLs:

·         Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) - Considered "bad" cholesterol. It is produced in the liver and circulates through the body, transporting fat to the muscles, heart, fat stores and other tissues.

·         High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) - Considered "good" cholesterol. It is produced by the liver to carry cholesterol and phospholipids from the cells back to the liver for recycling and/or excretion. Because HDLs represent cholesterol removal from arteries and blood to the liver for breakdown and disposal, it is considered "good" cholesterol. Therefore, high levels of HDL cholesterol is considered a negative risk factor for heart disease.

Approximate Cholesterol Amounts in Foods:

Food	mg/chol
Grains, vegetables, fruits	0
Whole Milk, 1 cup	30-35
Nonfat Milk, 1 cup	5-10
Cheese, 1 ounce	25-30
Butter, 1 tablespoon	10
Beef, chicken, or pork, 3 ounces	70-85
Liver, 3 ounces	410
Egg yolk	213
Egg white	0
Shrimp, 3 ounces	165
Fish, lobster, clams, 3 ounces	50-60

The table above shows the approximate amounts of cholesterol that can be found in common foods.

Note that current research indicates that food cholesterol does not appear to increase blood cholesterol as dramatically as does saturated fats. So while it is wise to watch your cholesterol intake, be sure to decrease your consumption of saturated fats as well.

How you can improve your Cholesterol Levels

• Reduce or maintain a desirable weight
• Exercise. Aerobic exercise four days per week for 30 minutes or more can increase the level of ("good") HDL cholesterol in your body
• Choose monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats in small amounts in place of saturated fats
• Avoid saturated fats.
• Eat fish once or twice per week
• Avoid hydrogenated or trans-fatty acids
• Reduce consumption of high-cholesterol foods
• Consume more soluble fiber
• Graze. Eating 5 or more meals per day keeps insulin concentrations low and slows down the liver's synthesis of cholesterol

Note

16.7 Million People Around the Globe Die From Heart Disease Each Year

This year, more than 32 million people across the world will suffer a heart attack or stroke, and about 12.5 million of those incidents are fatal.2 Blood cholesterol levels have a lot to do with a person抯 risk of getting heart disease. In fact, the higher the blood cholesterol level, the greater the risk for developing heart disease.

Regular tracking of cholesterol and triglycerides is important for many reasons.

• Testing your numbers over time helps you make informed decisions.
• Checking your numbers gives you peace of mind. Why wait and worry?
• Tracking your levels lets you know if your heart health regimen is working.

 

Eating for fat loss

Diet versus Diet, which one is best?

There certainly is allot of debate over which diet is best for fat reduction. First of all, the word diet has gotten a bad rap. The word simply means; the foods one eats on a regular basis. However the word diet for most people brings up thoughts of starvation, deprivation and unsatisfactory long term results. So maybe we should just forget about the word diet and all of the next miracle fad diets that come along. Therefore the answer to the question is, none of them. No particular restrictive diet works for everyone and long term they are all unhealthy for everyone. Restrictive diets can and usually do create nutrient deficiencies, cravings and unhappy people. So eventually most dieters try and satisfy these deficiencies and cravings by bingeing on very unhealthy foods that pack on even more fat.

Bio-Chemical Difference

There is no one best eating program that suits everyone. Everyone is bio-chemically unique and thus requires a unique eating strategy. We each have certain health challenges, certain foods that our bodies can't properly digest or that may cause an allergic reaction.
We all have certain nutritional deficiencies that upset our hormonal balance which can lead to fat storage. One of the primary ways to know what foods may be best for you is to determine your metabolic type. A qualified health care practitioner can test for any nutritional deficiencies and for your metabolic type. This information will help you to choose the foods that best suit your current health status and type of metabolism. You might also consult the book "Eat Right for Your Body Type" for some more ideas.

General Eating Tips

• Eat a balanced diet of proteins, fats and carbohydrates
• Eat real food grown by Mother Nature. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and lean animal products, raised naturally without hormones.
• Eat at least 50% of your food raw.
• Eat several small meals throughout the day
• Eat slowly and chew your food well.
• Avoid refined sugars sweets and processed packaged foods
• Do not eat at least 3 hours before sleeping

If you follow these tips you will begin to burn significant amounts of excess body and it will stay off.

Notice!!! New Clinic address

Hi everyone  !

Thank you for coming to my clinic for long time.

My clinic's new address is

SHOP  1A

102-106 BOYCE ROAD

MAROUBRA

Contact Binbin: 0451 262 035

Tips for staying healthy at work

by ABC Health and Wellbeing

Earning a living doesn't need to cost you your health. There are plenty of things you can do to make sure you stay healthy and happy at work.

Published 11/07/2012

For most of us our time at work takes up much of our waking life.
While there's no denying that work can cause stress, aches and pains, it doesn't have to be a negative experience. There are plenty of changes you can make that can help make your work life happier, healthier and more productive.

Don't ignore stress

There's no denying that work can be stressful, but sometimes it's the way we think, rather than situations themselves that leave us feeling overwhelmed.
A job that seems too difficult or demanding might be more manageable if you let go of certain beliefs, such as the notion that you should never make mistakes, or that everyone in your workplace needs to approve of you all time. There are also some great online resources that can help you learn about stress – and the role your thinking style can play in exacerbating it.
Also, if you feel overwhelmed at work, you might talk to your supervisor or look at your work style.
As well, it can help to:

• Create boundaries between work and personal time. Try not to take work home with you, check your emails outside work hours, or think about work after you knock off.
• Stay connected with family and friends when you're not working.
• Try to say no to extra work.
• Schedule regular breaks at work – no matter how busy you are.
• Get regular exercise.
• Spend time every day doing things just for you: i.e. regularly do a hobby or activity you enjoy, or catch up with friends.
• Manage irrational or negative thoughts such as "I have to be responsible for everything": i.e. write down counterproductive thoughts and challenge them with positive or more realistic ones. Alternatively, seek advice on cognitive behaviour therapy or rational thinking skills training.
• Research and employ stress-relief strategies, such as relaxation and meditation.
• Avoid relying on drinking or using drugs to help you cope.

Many workplaces also offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), which are run by external providers and can offer free help with problems including helping you learn to manage stress.

Don't sit all day

When it comes to our work, many of us spend our days sitting on our bottoms. This doesn't mean we're lazy, but it could mean you're shortening your lifespan.
A growing body of research shows that sitting for hours of your day might shorten your life, even if you're getting the recommended amounts of daily exercise. That's because muscles need to contract for some important processes in the body to occur and long periods being still mean this doesn't happen enough. This affects our body's processing of fats and sugars in ways that increase our risk of heart disease and diabetes.
But if you break up your sitting time throughout the day, regardless of the total time you spend in your chair, you might go some way to help counteract the problem. Why not try to:

• stand every time you make a phone call (or use a mobile, cordless handset or headset so you can move around even more).
• move your rubbish bin/printer/filing cabinet further away from your desk so you need to get off your chair to get to them.
• take the stairs instead of the lifts between floors.
• walk to a colleague's office or desk to talk to them instead of sending an email.
• get up to move around for few minutes or so every hour.

When you sit, sit properly

If your job sees you stuck in a chair, make sure your seating arrangement is ergonomic. When using a computer:

• keep your feet flat on the floor (or use a footstool if needs be)
• use an ergonomically-designed chair to support your lower back
• position your keyboard so your forearms are parallel to the floor and allow your elbows to rest comfortably by your side.
• have your computer monitor at eye level, use your whole arm, not just your wrist, when using a mouse.

Avoid overworked muscles

Whether your job sees you tied to a computer, chopping food or digging ditches, repetitive movements or sustained postures can cause muscle imbalances. One muscle is overworked and becomes tight, while the opposing muscle is unused and remains slack. This not only leads to aches and pains, it can also lead to joints being improperly supported, increasing your risk of injury.
Over time, the overworked muscle becomes even tighter and more fatigued, while the opposing muscle weakens and no longer supports the joint effectively, increasing your risk of injury.
"With someone seated all day, their hips are constantly in a shortened position so it means the muscles in and around the hip joint and lower back become tight, and the buttock and stomach muscles become weak," says Ashley Gardner, exercise physiologist and director of Pace Exercise Physiology in Victoria.
Repetitive manual labour, such as digging, chopping vegetables, carting bricks or even just sitting for long periods, can also cause muscle imbalances.
Chronic postural problems set in when the sustained, poor posture becomes the new 'norm' and you no longer realise you're carrying yourself incorrectly.
The best solution to these problems is to break the cycle of repetition.

• Alternate your activities – If you are working on a computer, for example, break it up with phone calls. If you are digging, stop for one minute and simply bend backwards.
• Stretch – Whatever sustained position you are in, think of a logical opposite movement. You don't need complex stretching routines; if you are doing the stretch right, it will feel good.
• Take regular breaks – Every 15 to 20 minutes break for two to three minutes and aim for a few 20 minute breaks throughout the day.

Look after your eyes

Looking at a computer screen, reading, or doing other close-up work can increase your risk of short-sightedness, especially when you are young. Any task that minimises the "work" your eyes have to do to focus on your screen could be helpful. This may include:

• Enlarging the display on your computer screen through the software you are using.
• Getting glasses that magnify things slightly when you are doing extended close-up work.

In the shorter term, prolonged viewing of a computer screen can make any existing vision defects more noticeable. It can also give you what is sometimes known as "computer vision syndrome" – eye strain, headaches, gritty eyes and blurry vision. But this is only temporary and can be minimised by:

• adjusting the screen display so the contrast is high and the brightness feels comfortable.
• having lighting that does not produce glare on the screen.
• giving your eyes regular rests from looking at the screen (The Optometrists Association of Australia recommends you do this for five to ten minutes every one to two hours of computer use. It's a good time to make phone calls or do other tasks.)

Efron says looking into the distance, or even just closing your eyes also gives your eyes a break. "This is total relaxation for your eyes."
This can also help prevent dry eyes. Concentrating on a visual task for any length of time makes us blink less, reducing the supply of moisture to our eyes. "If you look away, you'll naturally blink."
Also make sure you have eye assessments every two years, if you're over 50, your checks should be annual.
If you work in manual labour, construction, mining or other outdoor occupations, the most common eye injuries are foreign bodies in the eye and being hit by objects. Naturally, the best prevention is protective eyewear, such as goggles and glasses.

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough is a highly infectious respiratory disease that is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, and is known by the medical name pertussis. When the symptoms first come on it often feels like a cold, but the cold then turns into a cough that can last for longer than three months.
It's known as whooping cough, because people with the disease have uncontrollable fits of coughing followed by vomiting, choking or gasping. It is the gasping that makes the whooping sound.
Whooping cough (pertussis) is one of the conditions for which Australian children receive vaccination as part of the national immunisation program.
Experts say immunisation protects between 80 and 90 per cent of children. So it is still possible for kids who've been immunised to catch whooping cough, however people who are immunised are likely to get a milder bout.
Babies are most at risk from complications from whooping cough. This is why some states are now offering free booster doses of whooping cough vaccine to the parents and carers of newborn babies in an effort to stop them from passing the infection onto their newborn baby.
Brisbane paediatrician Dr Bruce Lewis encourages parents of newborns to ask people who plan to visit to first ensure they are immunised against whooping cough.
"You're doing them a favour, because hopefully they won't get it [themselves] and be off work for a month or two," he says.

My kids had whooping cough

by Jean Madden

Street Swags' founder Jean Madden knew something wasn't quite right when her children developed a nasty cough. But she didn't suspect that it was whooping cough.

Published 31/03/2011

It all started when my husband Tim developed a terrible cough, it sounded like a machine gun. It was so bad he hurt his back in a coughing fit. Around the same time my eldest son Harvey, four, also had a cough and a chest infection.
I was heading to Perth for Street Swags – the not-for-profit organisation that I founded and run, which provides swags to homeless people – so I decided to take Tim and our two boys with me. Our baby, Ged, was about five months old at the time.
Before we left on our week-long trip, I went to the doctor several times to make sure the boys were okay to travel. The doctor put Tim and Harvey on antibiotics; but gave them and Ged (who had also had cold and flu symptoms) the all clear to fly. They loved Perth, but Tim and Harvey were both coughing the whole week.
The day we got back home to Brisbane, I had to fly straight to Mt Isa. I then had a night at home and then had to fly to Sydney for a conference. By the time I got there I was sick, congested and headachy.
When I got home late the following night the kids were already in bed. The baby didn't sound so good, he was coughing during the night and by morning he was really starting to gasp. I had taken to swinging him to get some air into his lungs.

Something's not right

Like most mothers, I know my kids and I know when something is not right. I was really worried about the baby, so that morning, my husband took Harvey to pre-prep and I took Ged up to the Wesley Hospital in Brisbane.
They tested the oxygen saturation levels in his blood and used a long flexible cotton tip to swab the very back of his nose before sending us home.
A few hours later we got a call to say he had tested positive for whooping cough and that the entire family had to go back in. So my husband and I, our two boys and Granny headed back up to the Wesley. We were all given antibiotics and sent home to be quarantined for the weekend.
During this time, we took it in shifts to keep vigil over the baby. Every time he coughed he needed to be picked up so he wouldn't choke. This meant one of us was awake all through the night.
The hardest part about it was that we were all sick and exhausted. But it was the baby, because he couldn't sit himself up, who was in the most danger. So we took turns sitting in a chair with him laid on our chests to keep him upright.
The Street Swags annual general meeting was also on that weekend and I had to attend via Skype.

A week in hospital

By Monday morning, I was still really concerned about the boys and I wanted to see my paediatrician, Dr Bruce Lewis. I was worried about Ged's oxygen levels and both the boys had really gone downhill. So we went back to the Emergency Department and the boys were then admitted to hospital.
Dr Lewis and all the staff at the Wesley were fantastic. They kept the boys there a week, until I was sure their coughing attacks were manageable. It was still hard going in hospital, as we had to maintain a careful watch over Ged and pick him up whenever he coughed to help him clear his lungs. Harvey's coughing was so violent I was worried it might cause brain injury.
Meanwhile, I was still running Street Swags from my mobile phone and laptop and trying to reassure other parents around us that we are no longer infectious. I have never seen a play room clear so quickly as when the word got around that we were in the hospital for whooping cough.
Once we left hospital, Harvey still wasn't getting better. Several weeks later his breathing at night was still so scary that I took him to our family ear nose and throat doctor. He put Harvey on some serious antibiotics, which did the trick, and he later cleaned out Harvey's ears, because he had started to go a bit deaf.

Trusting my instinct

We suspect our case of whooping cough came from Tim's work. I feel terrible that we did so much travelling before we were diagnosed, I'd hate to think we had spread it to other people. I'm also really sorry to say neither Tim nor I had been vaccinated.
And while Harvey had been immunised, the baby wasn't old enough to have had his full course at the time he got sick. Even though it's possible to catch whooping cough after being vaccinated, the immunisation likely made the disease milder than it would otherwise have been.
Although I hate hassling doctors, I'm really glad that I did act on my instinct and continue to get the boys seen to. So my advice to other parents: get yourselves and your children immunised, and always trust your instincts when it comes to your kids.

Australia's mental health

by Dr Norman Swan

A national health survey has found a significant number of Australians have mental health issues.

24 08 2009

The psychological wellbeing of Australians has become a lot clearer thanks to the second national mental health survey. The Australian Bureau of Statistics doorknocked thousands of households asking questions about common mental health problems.
They found that one in two of us will have anxiety, depression, or a problem with drug and alcohol abuse in our lifetimes. About one in five people surveyed had had a mental disorder in the last 12 months; and one in four of those had had more than one – losing about nine days of useful functioning every month.
Yet surprisingly few people were being treated. Largely because they felt they didn't need any help or, wrongly, they felt there was no help available. This included people who were suicidal.
It was also found that people with physical illnesses were more likely to have anxiety, depression or problems abusing alcohol and other drugs.
Since this survey was done the Government has provided more access to evidence-based psychological treatments so more people are receiving help. But these deep-seated beliefs that nothing that can be done are a problem, as is the stigma which still exists to people identifying themselves as psychologically unwell.
So it's important that doctors, friends and families recognise when someone has a mental illness and offer assistance, but it's also important to recognize that there may be more than one thing going on at the same time, a physical illness with anxiety and depression, or a drug and alcohol problem with illness with anxiety and depression and they all need to be treated so the person can become well again.

For Reference

Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Henderson S et al. State of the nation's mental health 2007.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:591-593
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Johnston AK et al. Suicidal thoughts and behaviours among Australian adults: findings from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:635-643
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Whiteford H, Groves A Policy implications of the 2007 Australian National survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:644-651
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Teesson M et al. Comorbidity in Australia: findings of the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:606-614
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Meadows Gn, Burgess PM Perceived need for mental health care: findings from the 2007 Australian Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:624-634
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Burgess PM et al. Service use for mental health problems: findings from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:615-623
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Slade T et al. 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: methods and key findings.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:594-605