The State of Mental Health in The Australian Church Community
There’s a growing need for our church leaders to be adequately equipped to provide others with emotional and mental health support.
PMDD – Not Your Average Monthly Symptoms
PMDD is a hormonal mood disorder characterised by severe unpleasant psychological and physical symptoms occurring during the luteal phase of menses.
Depression In Leadership Is Not Uncommon
Depression in leadership is not uncommon. Depression is an emotionally dark and gloomy place to be and can affect anyone. Even those in leadership roles.
Surveys Reveal Australians Need Mental Health Support
Survey statistics reveal a growing need for churches to be equipped with skills enabling them to listen, help & support others.
The Basic Characteristics Of Binge Eating Disorder
The Basic Characteristics Of Binge Eating Disorder Binge Eating disorder is characterised by eating large amounts of foods in short period of time often when the person isn’t hungry. People with the disorder usually feel out of control when eating not being able to stop when they want to. Binge eating as a way of…
Schizophrenia A Debilitating Psychotic Disorder
Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder causing hallucinations and delusions. Symptoms are mostly found in teens and adults and is less common in children.
A Brief Look At Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism is a deep rooted neurodevelopmental condition that lasts a lifetime affecting social communication and patterns of behavior. We don’t yet know what causes it.
Disorder in The DSM-5 VS Disorder In The Bible
In the new DSM-5, the word “disorder” is used to describe now over 300 maladies identified with being human! This got me thinking, from a biblical theology and practical counselling perspective: the word “disorder” is in some ways actually an accurate word to describe the biblical story of what went wrong with the world and a…
Support & Inclusion Of Disadvantaged Children
Despite this great nation’s wealth and sustained economic growth, sadly in Australia there are children living in poverty and disadvantage. Research results showed confronting statistics that were presented to the Australian Government in the ACOSS report. The ACOSS Report showed: In Australia 1 in 6 children under 15 years of age are living in poverty…
The Typical Counselling Room A Safe Place To Talk
Seeing a qualified counsellor for the first time without knowing what to expect can make us a little nervous. Lack of knowledge can also lead to misconceptions about counsellors, leading some to shun the counselling room for fear of judgement, or for concerns about breaches of confidentiality. What do trained counsellors do, what happens in…
Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder
When we think about Bipolar Disorder we tend to think of it as one type of mental illness when in fact there are a few variations. Bipolar disorders (manic-depressive disorders) are classified as a ‘chronic mental health condition’ characterised by periods of low mood such as depression as well as periods of mania, or extreme…
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? (SAD)
Seasonal Affective Disorder also known as SAD, a form of recurrent major depression affecting some people during seasonal changes.
Central Sleep Apnoea (CSA)
Central Sleep Apnoea (CSA) is a serious condition, commonly known to affect patients who suffer from heart failure. Heart Failure is the heart’s inability to pump blood and oxygen around the body is often cause by stiffened, damage heart chambers. Central Sleep Apnoea is listed in the DMS-5. According to SNORE Australia approximately 4% of the…
Could Air Pollution Be Affecting Our Mental Health?
We live in an industrial world that is constantly pumping out dangerous fumes and gases into the atmosphere. Natural events can also pollute our air with pollen, smoke from bushfires and the dust from windstorms. There are many other pollutants that can affect the quality of air we breathe impacting on our overall health, mental…
Childhood Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
According to The Huffington Post, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder has attracted its fair share of controversy since its addition to the DSM-5 in 2013. Kids who throw huge explosive tantrums can now be labelled, posing the question, ‘Have they really gone too far in calling this seemingly normal behaviour a disorder?’ To answer that question…
Separation Anxiety Disorder in Children
Childhood Separation Anxiety Disorder is different from usual childhood fears due to its intensity that extends beyond appropriate developmental period for a child’s age. When children experience severe anxiety due to separation from their mother or primary care giver they might be feel a strong, persistent and excessive fear or anxiety. Physical symptoms may also…
Avoidant Personality Disorder
People with Avoidant Personality Disorder struggle with feelings of inadequacy and extreme shyness. These people are sensitive to rejection and show extreme social inhibition. They are also insecure and feel inadequate. The symptoms of this disorder affect a person’s occupational life and their relationships. People with this disorder appear timid, shy, awkward and lonely. Symptoms…
Nichole Howson Interview About Her Bipolar Disorder
In an interview with aifc, Nichole Howson tells us about how she coped with bipolar disorder when growing up with her family, how her bipolar affected her relationships and how managing her Bipolar Disorder with treatment and counselling has helped her immensely. Nichole is a Christian woman who manages her own business and runs ‘Defying…
BIPOLAR DISORDER – Message To A Young Girl
As we grow older and wiser we tend to think, “If we only knew then what we know now!” Nichole Howson addresses issues that young girls could be facing in the hope that she can help other young ones who are going through the same thing. Dear young girl, I know these times might be…
What I Wish You Knew About My Bipolar Disorder
The demand for mental health care in Australia has never been so great with Lifeline reporting a record breaking 1M calls to the service in 2015, according to news.com. Nichole Howson’s blog, ‘Dear unnamed’ helps shed some light on her Bipolar disorder. This is but one of many mental health conditions in the DSM-5. Dear…
Order Disorder Reorder New Order?
One of my responsibilities as a tutor with a Christian Counselling Training organisation is to assess my students written assignments, of which “Evaluate and Provide Therapy for Psychopathological Disorders” is what I am currently marking. It is interesting how in a clinical context such as the DSM-5 (the long-awaited, controversial new edition of the bible…
