Links and Resources

IN CRISIS CALL (AUSTRALIA):

Lifeline
13 11 14 (confidential 24 hour Crisis Hotline)

Kids Help Line
1800 55 1800
Online confidential counselling available at http://www.kidshelpline.com.au

Mensline
1300 78 99 78

Coping with Mental Illness

There are several useful web-based resources for people living with mental illness, family members, carers and friends, mental health service providers and interested members of the general public. A few of these are listed below. Your local community centre or medical practice will have other information on specific resources in your area. A search of the internet will also identify the range of options available in your local area. Be sure to discuss these with your Psychologist / General Practitioner as part of your therapy.

Australian Psychological Society
http://www.psychology.org.au/community/

National Institute of Mental Health, Public Information Branch
http://www.nimh.nih.gov

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
http://www.nami.org

American Psychological Association
http://www.apa.org

American Psychiatric Association
http://www.psych.org

For Carers Of People With A Mental Illness

Carers Australia
http://www.carersaustralia.com.au/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
The carers associations in each state and territory provide carers with referrals to services and practical written information to support them in their caring role.

Better Health
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/BHCV2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/su_carers?OpenDocument
Provides a list of Australian based resources available to carers and in particular for carers of people with dementia, disability, or who require palliative care.

Drs Reference Site
A comprehensive listing of support groups available in Australia nationally is provided at
http://www.drsref.com.au/support.html. A search of the internet will also identify the range of options available in your local area. Be sure to discuss these with your Psychologist / General Practitioner as part of your therapy.

Mental Health Council of Australia
This is a national non-government organisation site offering fact sheets and consumer and carer resources, among other materials. It also has a section dedicated to information to support children caring for parents with mental disorders.
http://www.mhca.org.au/

FOR INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC MENTAL DISORDERS

Centre for Clinical Interventions
This site offers practical information packages for sufferers of depression and anxiety. It addresses issues such as low self esteem, social anxiety, and eating disorders as well. The modules take around 15-20 minutes each to work through and provide an excellent source of background information to these issues.
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/consumers.cfm

Anxiety Treatment Australia
http://www.anxietyaustralia.com.au/useful_resources.shtml

HealthInsite
An Australian Government site offering a comprehensive range of resources, general information and useful links for a wide array of mental health issues.
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Mental_Illnesses

beyondblue
An Australian site devoted to the issues of anxiety and depression and incorporating post-natal depression and bipolar disorder. Provides a sound array of resources and information for consumers and practitioners.
http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?

Black Dog Institute
This Australian site provides information specifically regarding depression and bipolar disorder for both consumers and practitioners.
http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

Shyness and Social Anxiety Treatment Australia
http://www.socialanxietyassist.com.au

Stress and Relaxation

The pace of life seems to continually shift into a higher gear – sometimes it feels as if whatever we do is simply a drop in the ocean of need! If you are feeling tense, uptight, anxious, sleep deprived, irritable or generally just out of balance in some way, it is likely that some of the resources I have listed below will offer you useful tips on re-establishing your internal equilibrium. Remember – its inevitable part of the human condition that we will experience negative events from time to time. The important thing is how we choose to deal with our feelings about those events – this is the part that can significantly impact on our quality of life, both in the short and longer terms.

Princeton Center for Yoga and Health
Offers a free relaxation recording that you can download directly to your computer.
http://www.princetonyoga.com/relax.htm

The Relaxation Centre
Offers tips and techniques for mindfulness, relaxation, better sleep and rebalancing of your internal equilibrium.
http://www.relax7.com/

MSNBC
An interesting page that offers a bit of everything for the stressed-out consumer – video images designed to soothe and relax, audio recordings and deep breathing exercises for immediate stress relief, and other stress-busting tips.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15739388/

ACT Mindfully
This site is an excellent introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – an innovative approach to encouraging mindfulness and value-driven action as a means of restoring and maintaining our sense of internal harmony and well-being. It offers on-line courses and a wide range of reading materials for the interested browser.
http://www.actmindfully.com.au/

Grief and Loss

Grief is a natural response to feelings of loss – whether through death, divorce/separation, geographical isolation/relocation, financial difficulties, and so forth. It can be an emotionally intense period – most people will experience feelings of significant loss at least one time in their life. To help you make sense of this process here I have collated resources specifically addressing issues concerning grief and loss. I trust some of these will be useful in helping you through this most difficult time.

Coping with Loss

Coping With Bereavement – Succinct and caring site about grieving and coping with loss. (Mental Health America - http://www.nmha.org/index.cfm?objectid=C7DF9618-1372-4D20-C807F41CB3E97654)

Life after Loss: Dealing with Grief – Youth-oriented guide to coping with loss. (University of Texas - http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/Grief/grief.html)
Grief Support – This Australian site provides insights into grieving and the grief process. A companion page contains detailed information about children’s grief. (Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement - http://www.grief.org.au/support.html)

Loss of a Spouse

On Being Alone: A Guide for the Newly Widowed and Seven Choices of Grief – A comprehensive series of articles on grief and loss offering practical, as well as psychological advice. (AARP - http://www.aarp.org/families/grief_loss/a2004-11-15-newlywidowed.html)

Are there Stages of Grief?

The Kübler-Ross grief cycle – Details each stage as it applies to persons facing death or other negative life change. Note that the cycle as presented includes seven stages, including initial shock. (ChangingMinds.org; http://changingminds.org/disciplines/change_management/kubler_ross/kubler_ross.htm)
What is grief? – Lays out general stages of grief with tips for helping someone who is grieving. (http://www.counselingcenter.uiuc.edu/Brochures/grief.htm)

Grief after Suicide

Grief after Suicide - Survivors of suicide and their friends can help each other and themselves by gaining an understanding of grief after suicide. (Canadian Mental Health Association - http://www.cmha.ca/bins/content_page.asp?cid=3-101-103)
Grief after Suicide Understanding your emotions, as well as suicide in general, may ease your grieving after suicide. (Buddha Dharma Education Association - http://www.buddhanet.net/r_suicid.htm)

General Readings

Death, The Final Stage of Growth. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1975 Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth.

On Death and Dying. New York: MacMillan, 1969 Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth.

When Bad Things Happen to Good People. New York: Schocken Books, 1981Kushner, H.S.

Good Grief: A Constructive Approach to the Problem of Loss by Granger E. Westberg
Examines the stages of grief, from stage one - a state of shock - to stage ten - a struggle to affirm reality.

Good Grief Rituals: Tools for Healing: A Healing Companion by Elaine Childs-Gowell
The author offers a variety of activities and ideas for expressing and overcoming one's sadness over sustaining a personal loss, from letter writing to meditation.

I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One by Brook Noel, Pamela D. Blair. The book introduces us to so many others, both famous and ordinary, who can hold a hand and comfort a soul through grief's wilderness.

Life Lessons: Two Experts on Death and Dying Teach Us About the Mysteries of Life and Living by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. "One more book, not on death and dying, but on life and living." This is your chance to see life from the 20/20 vision of hindsight.

The Grief Recovery Handbook: The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses by John W. James. Offers grievers the specific actions needed to complete the grieving process and accept loss.

The Healing Journey Through Grief: Your Journal for Reflection and Recovery by Phil Rich. This unique journal is designed to help you work through the painful emotions, thoughts, and memories that surface when you have lost someone dear to you.

Grief and Loss - Where to go for help

National Association of Grief and Loss (NALAG)
Tel 02 9976 2803 or http://www.griefaustralia.org

Club Speranza
Tel: 02 9908 1233 or http://www.clubsperanza.org
Education, training, counselling, resources and support groups for people affected by suicide or self-harm.

Solace Association Inc
Tel 02 9519 2892 or http://www.solace.org.au
A support group and counselling service staffed by trained volunteers for people who have lost a partner.

Lifeline
Tel 13 11 14
24 hour counselling, support and information.

Compassionate Friends
Tel 02 9290 2355 or http://www.thecompassionatefriends.org.au
Self help for bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings.