Positive masculinity
IT’S so predictable. Every other week we turn on the television and there he is, another tearful, high profile sportsman, politician or businessman apologising for his appalling behaviour. Sometimes it’s a an on-field punch up, other times a drunken grope of a female colleague, worse still an episode of domestic violence. Tragically, according to statistics, […]
Q&A: The Critical Inner Voice
That nagging voice inside your head that tells you you’re not good enough, or worse? It’s called the critical inner voice, an integrated pattern of destructive thoughts toward yourself and others, and it can lead to significant mental health conditions. Raindrum’s clinical director Jane Enter explains. What is the Critical Inner Voice? It’s the voice […]
CEOs, celebs and sport stars using art to address mental health
For more than two decades, artist Paula Bannan has worked with clients, from elite athletes to celebrities, homeless teenagers to captains of industry, using art therapy to help them process a variety of mental health and emotional issues. Bannan’s art therapy is one of a host of experiential therapies offered at Raindrum, a specialist provider […]
The link between stress and mental illness
If you’re a high performer, you’re accustomed to working under stress. You may have even come to believe that intense pressure is normal. However, according to Beyond Blue, accumulative, ongoing stress can turn into a major problem in terms of mental health. Neurological insights into how the brain processes stress suggest that it can be […]
Binge eating disorder
More than one million Australians are living with an eating disorder, according to The Butterfly Foundation, the national charity for those impacted by eating disorders and body image issues. These include anorexia, bulimia, disordered eating and binge eating disorder. Of those with eating disorders, 47% have binge eating disorder (BED) compared to 3% with anorexia , […]
How to use stress to help, not harm, your health
If you’re a senior executive, or a competitive, stress is probably a normal part of your schedule. However, too often it is chronic stress that can result in symptoms that range from headaches, gastrointestinal upsets and anxiety and depression to frequent infections, and insomnia. In fact, chronic, unresolved stress – distress – can increase your […]
A new definition of success
You’ll remember all those feel-good moments of the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo – if only because it actually took place from August 24 to September 5, 2021. Delayed more than a year because of Covid-19 and in doubt because Japan went through a fifth wave of the pandemic around the time of the preceding […]
Paralympics takes gold in mental health support
Experts say Paralympics Australia set “gold standard” in mental health care with Quarantine Support Program MENTAL health has taken centre stage at this years’ Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics ––with Paralympics Australia helping to lead the charge in providing athletes with extensive mental health support. At this year’s Olympics in Tokyo, high profile athletes such as […]
Dealing with mental illness in a pandemic
In Australia, most people with mental illness report experiencing stigma. This can result in social exclusion, something that can make suffering and recovery worse, according to the Productivity Commission Inquiry Report into Mental Health. Interacting with other people – friends, family, colleagues, or the broader community – can be an essential aspect of recovery and […]
Quick Q&A – Anxiety
What is anxiety? Anxiety is part of our sympathetic nervous system. Anxiety begins in the body; it is there to help us in the face of a threat or a perceived threat. Anxiety is a very normal part of the human experience. From the time that we are born to the time that we die, […]