Health and Wellbeing

What is 'Mental Health'?

-  it describes the emotional, psychological, social, economical, spiritual, and medical 'well-being' of any person.

It is about feeling happy, being confident, aware, resilient, and able to handle and recover from any challenges we may face throughout our lives.

Understanding the levels of how we feel, think, act, and socialise is important to help us maintain and function our healthy wellbeing.

Being able to maintain an emotional and behavioural level, will determine how best we can manage stress, connect with others, and make the right life choices.

What is 'Mental Illness'?

- the description for a group of Mental health conditions.

The more commonly known group of conditions diagnosed under this banner are…

Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Schizophrenia, Bipolar, OCD, Dissociative Disorders, and the list goes on.

Others under the banner of developmental disorders…

Such as ADHD/ADD, Autism, language disorder/delays, ODD, and many more,

These can also be recognised under the Mental Illness listing due to the associated symptoms that can cause a disruption to their Mental Health, therefore disabling their ability or potential to cope with normal life stresses, or to lead a productive working lifestyle  within their community.

Although this may be easier said than done, we need to start with awareness and education around these issues and how we can as a community, and within the school environment, understand the warning signs, then promote and implement supports for those affected to be able to comfortably and easily access.

Our major concern for these vulnerable people is due to the high rate of suicides or self-harming issues.

Reaching the point of self-harm or suicide is due to their personal feelings of hopelessness and/or helplessness.

This is becoming more of a common issue in our community (and many others) and something that can't be ignored.  

While I focus many of my experiences and knowledge around ASD or PTSD, it is similarly evident and the processes etc are the same regardless of the initial cause that has resulted in a Mental Health Condition.

We need to implement actions to stop the stigma around mental health conditions and encourage supportive actions to help those affected know they can seek help or support from someone they can trust.

To be able to gain and maintain a balanced Mental Health wellness is the responsibility of a community as a whole.

With emphasis on social behaviour/relationships and physical health, direct the focus to Learning, Creativity, and Productivity.

I have been very pleased to see the implementation of different programs locally to promote the awareness of these issues, and I encourage anyone who has concerns or knowledge regarding a family member or friend to connect with these events and programs, or to speak with someone to gain understanding and supports for those in need.

If you, someone you know, or someone you see, may be at risk of, or struggling with, mental health issues please support them while contacting immediate assistance through a medical support network, 000, or the following

  - Lifeline 13 11 14 - Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 - Headspace 63 381 100 - Kids Helpline 1800 551 800 -