Last weekend I spent at a course learning how to ask better questions to understand someone’s needs. There were lots of good ideas that I wanted to use and so I began looking at my calendar to see when they could be actioned.

Shock, oh shock, I realised that it was almost March. It only seemed like yesterday that I was sitting with Hilary in a park overlooking the harbour watching the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge ablaze with colourful light. I then reflected that on that night, the majority of us make our 2010 New Year’s resolutions.

According to the website 43things where 150,000 people recorded their 2010 resolutions, this was the top 10:

1.       Lose weight 2. Be happy 3. Fall in love 4. Get a job 5. Travel 6. Stop smoking 7. Get married 8. Love 9. Find love 10 Lose my virginity.

WHY AREN’T MOST RESOLUTIONS KEPT?

According to an extensive report by the British psychologist, Richard Wiseman, 88% of people that make them will fail to honour them. Isn’t that depressing? I thought goals were healthy. Presumably we make them so that we can correct some perceived shortcoming in our lives.

I know how abysmal my own record is in this department. About 15 years ago on the stroke of midnight December 31^st, in a rush of blood, I decided that I wouldn’t drink alcohol for 3 months. I remember feeling very hung-over when I first woke up and thinking “what a great resolution”. I’m ashamed to say that at 2:30pm on January 1^st, at a recovery lunch my will power collapsed with the justification that I needed some “hair of the dog” to feel OK so I could continue my resolution. I never recovered. Then I felt guilty and miserable for giving in so easily.

Understanding what type of goals work and what don’t work, became the obsession of Harvard Psychology Professor David McClelland. He sought to understand if there were any common qualities between students who 20 years after graduating were leading a very fulfilling life.

His process was long and exhaustive but he ended up identifying 4 qualities around the goal setting of graduates that would determine who would be living an inspired life 20 years later, and who wouldn’t. These are the common goal setting qualities of students who were able to sustain an inspired life 20 years after graduating – drum roll – drum roll:

·         They set goals that were meaningful to THEM (their values, their strengths, their passions) and weren’t significantly swayed by social indicators of success. They would also regularly daydream as if they had already achieved their goal.

·         They set moderate goals which they have a 50:50 chance of achieving. No outlandish goals here – just things that were realistic but also had a slight stretch.

·         The engage in both positive and negative thinking in how the goals would happen. No Pollyanna’s here – just pragmatists. I good way to describe this approach is the English proverb “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”. They carefully monitor progress to then make corrections.

·         They seek advice from experienced people before deciding if a goal is realistic – someone who has travelled the path before them.

With a questionnaire that measured these 4 qualities Professor McClelland could predict with 90% accuracy who would be leading a meaningful and happy life 20 years later.

If you look at the top 10 for 2010, I can understand why they don’t last. I’m sure being intoxicated doesn’t help our clarity and sustainability of commitment.

What’s your experience with goal setting? What has worked for you and what hasn’t? Please reply to this blog and let me know.

THE GOOD NEWS

We don’t have to wait until December 31, 2010 before we try again.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO ME

As some of you may know, I have done lots of reflection over the last 10 years to understand what is really important to me. My life mission is to help people to realise that they can not only bounce back from adversity and depression, but also go on to lead inspired lives. I have decided to launch the BACK FROM THE BRINK book series in the US as I know what a difference it makes to have real people discuss their battles, struggles and victories. A key part of the success of the Australian book was having some high profile people in the book. This helped significantly in generating publicity. I am going to Chicago at the end of April to be a keynote speaker at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance conference (this group is partnering with me for the US versions). I am then going on to New York to present my proposal to publishers.

MY GOAL – TO HAVE 4 US/UK CELEBRITIES AGREE TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR BFTB BY APRIL 15

I need your help. So far I have tried contacting the high profile people via their managers with a disappointing result. I found in Australia that when I was able to speak with the celebrities directly there was a much higher probability of success.

DO YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE, OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES?

Jane Pauley – former host of Today                                   Greg Louganis – Olympic gold – diving

Carrie Fisher – actress Star Wars                                       Mike Wallace – TV journalist

George Stephanopoulos – ABC commentator                     Buzz Aldrin – Astronaut

Owen Wilson – Actor                                                           Richard Dreyfuss                                           

Brooke Shields – Actress                                                      Marie Osmond – Singer

Jim Carrey – Actor                                                                 Larry King – TV Journalist

Winona Ryder – Actress                                                        Brian Wilson – Musician

Terry Bradshaw – NFL Footballer                                          JK Rawling – Author

Trish Goddard – TV presenter                                               George Michael – Singer

HOW YOU CAN HELP

If you know one of these people or how I can find away to contact them directly, please respond to this email. If you are reading this on my blog and want to contact me directly please email me at graeme@graemecowan.com.au .  Alternatively you may know an option through Facebook or Twitter – I will try anything.

Please respond to the blog and let us know what you think. Are there any subjects you would like me to cover?

Kind Regards

Graeme

Graeme Cowan

www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com

www.GraemeCowan.com.au

The single largest pool of untapped resource in this world is human good intentions that never translate into action. –Cindy Gallop

For some time now, I have been helping to organise RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo. I believe these two events could make a big difference in how people who are struggling with adversity are treated in the workplace and the community. Below is an outline of RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo and at the bottom is brief 100 word summary that could be used to describe RUOK?Arvo in a newsletter. If you have any suggestions about helping us to be successful in our quest please respond to the blog below.

RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo

Chances are that you know someone who is going through divorce, has lost a loved one, has a serious illness, is facing financial hardship, been retrenched, or having trouble with their children. For some people these crises can cause anxiety and a flat mood. For some it can progress into full blown clinical depression or an anxiety disorder.

Most of us would like to help, but we often opt out because we don’t know how to start the discussion, or are a little fearful that we could open a “can of worms”. The government recently announced that Medicare rebates for psychological counselling have increased 54% for 2009 over 2008. This is a problem that won’t go away unless we all take action.

This was the reason that RUOK?Day was created. We believe that a conversation can change a life and invite you to participate on Sunday Nov 29^th, 2009. Expert advice and videos can be found at www.RUOKDay.com.au

Action you could take

1.       Visit www.RUOKDay.com.au and review resources.

2.       Put Sunday Nov 29 in your diary and promise to make contact with one person you think could be struggling.

IF YOU WORK CONSIDER THIS

A 2007 Medicare Private study showed that by far the largest contributor to lost productivity in the Australian economy was caused by depression and anxiety.  Since 2007, Davidson Trahaire, by far Australia’s largest workplace counselling group, has seen client sessions for stress and anxiety increase 76% and 68% respectively.

This is why www.RUOKArvo.com.au has been created on Friday November 27 – the Friday afternoon before RUOK?Day. On this afternoon participating companies will invite all employees to reach out to one person – either a loved one or a work colleague – and ask RUOK?

At www.RUOKArvo.com.au you will find:

1.       Simple instructions on how your team or company can register and participate in RUOK?Arvo

2.       A downloadable  “How to ask RUOK? and support guide” and related video – for those concerned – see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koEjNP6H-sg

3.       A downloadable “I’m not OK and support guide” and related video – for those struggling

4.       A downloadable “Team Leaders Meeting Guide” and related video plus RUOK?Arvo Poster – on how to present RUOK?Arvo and engage the team

The organisations below have between 30 and 25,000 employees and have decided that these issues are so universal, that they will invite all their employees to ask RUOK? on Friday November 27.

FOUNDING SUPPORTERS OF RUOK?ARVO

Alexion, APN  Media, AT Kearney, Australian Human Resources Institute, Black Dog Institute, CareerOne, Cbus Super, Cochlear, Davidson Trahaire Corpsych, DLA Phillips Fox, Freehills, Inspire Foundation, Investment and Financial Services Association, Lifeline, Lundbeck, Mental Health Association of NSW, News Limited, Ramsay Healthcare, Reach Out, SANE Australia, Sex Discrimination Commission, Simon & Schuster, STW Group, Talent2,  The Next Step, Toll Holdings, University of Western Sydney, Zurich Financial Services

Action you could take:

1.       Discuss RUOK?Arvo with 2 work colleagues and your team leader. If you decide you would like to participate as a team why not register at:  www.ruokarvo.com.au

Turn your good intentions into action by asking RUOK? - nothing changes until someone acts.

100 word summary

Do you know someone who is struggling?

RUOK?Arvo  - a conversation could change a life

November 27, 2009

Do you know someone who is struggling with depression or anxiety but don’t know how to open a conversation with them.  Organisations with between 20 and 25000 employees have already agreed to invite everyone to ask RUOK?  to a loved one or work colleague on November 27. For a 3 minute video on how to ask RUOK? see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koEjNP6H-sg

 To register and find full resources and support to help you start a conversation that could change a life, please go to www.ruokarvo.com.au 

 As I mentioned before, please let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions by responding to the blog below.

Kind Regards

Graeme

For some time now, I have been emailing you with advice about how to overcome depression. I would now like you to tell me what you find most effective. But first some background……

UNDERSTANDING WHAT REALLY WORKS

I get very irate when I hear “experts” in the media saying that there are only 2 evidence based treatments for depression, antidepressants and psychological counselling…. What utter baloney. Don’t get me wrong – I still take antidepressants and have benefitted from psychological counselling, but I also know that there are many, many, other factors that contribute to our mental health. Things such as exercise, emotional support from loved ones, fulfilling work, relaxation and nutrition to name a few.

WE THAT LIVE WITH DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR ARE THE REAL EXPERTS ON WHAT WORKS

Some of you who read my first book, BACK FROM THE BRINK, would know that I included the results of two surveys: one done for the book by Ultrafeedback in 2007 and one undertaken by the Black Dog Institute(BDI) in the previous year. The results from those surveys certainly challenged traditional approaches towards depression treatments.

Well it is now 2009 and I’ve decided to revisit this issue again with a survey that looks at the effectiveness of a broad range of strategies. It really combines the best features of the Ultrafeedback and BDI survey.  Through my association with www.DBSAlliance.org in the US, I am having people with depression from across North America also completing the survey, and hopefully other depression websites from around the world will help make this a truly global one.

I NEED YOUR HELP

I would love you to spend 10 minutes completing this survey and I will share the results for free on www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com  once the analysis has been completed – the survey will close on December 11, 2009. To access the survey please go to:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XI_2bk_2f_2fgIwvYmsvuAz2UBlQ_3d_3d

I really appreciate you taking the time to complete the 10 minute survey and I look forward to sharing the results with you.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INVITE OTHERS WITH DEPRESSION TO COMPLETE THIS SURVEY

The more that complete this survey the better so please feel free to forward this on to anyone you know who has experienced depression.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XI_2bk_2f_2fgIwvYmsvuAz2UBlQ_3d_3d

Kind Regards

Graeme

This is the first of a 2 part article for Lawyers Weekly magazine. Although there are some aspects relating to the legal area, the message is applicable to all workplaces

Feeling like you are treading water in a whirlpool? Are you struggling with continued interruptions that leave your mind always cloudy? Finding it difficult to switch off from work and sleep properly? Wound up like a spring?

Rest assured, you are not alone.

In 2007 Medibank Private commissioned a study by Econtech which found the cost to the Australian economy of absenteeism was $ 7 billion and presenteeism amounted to a staggering $26 billion. The report concluded that by far the biggest contributor to this productivity loss was depression and anxiety disorders.

Stress has ballooned in the last year

Since the GFC, the strain has been building rapidly with the number of people seeking Medicare rebates for psychological services growing by a staggering 54% from March 2008 to March 2009. Australia’s largest workplace counselling provider, Davidson Trahaire Corpsych reported that sessions related to stress, anxiety and depression were up 62% from last year.

What makes this even more concerning is that in research undertaken for my book BACK FROM THE BRINK only 9% of people living with depression and anxiety disorders in Australia felt comfortable discussing it with their work colleagues.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that managers are very reluctant to initiate a discussion with someone who is struggling with depression and anxiety as they fear they “may open a can of worms”. This avoidance strategy couldn’t be more wrong with clinicians unanimously agreeing that the earlier an episode is addressed the better the outcome for the employee and the organisation.

The high rate of depression and substance abuse by lawyers is well documented. In the recent survey conducted for the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation, 35% of law students recorded High to Very High Kessler-10 Distress, solicitors scored 31%, barristers 17%, versus a general population of 13%.

It is beyond the scope of this article to propose long term solutions to this complex problem, but I would like to contribute some short and medium term strategies that can significantly improve people’s mood and performance in the workplace. Before discussing these recommendations however, I need to discuss levels of distress.

The moodometer

I find people can relate to the concept of a moodometer. A moodometer is marked from 0 - 10 where 10= when you are physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually thriving, 5= is when you are stressed. You probably aren’t sleeping well, are having headaches or digestive problems but are still hopeful of getting better, 0 = suicidal - you are relying on drugs to get through the day and have lost hope of improving. For the purpose of qualifying advice, 0-4 is red zone, 4-6 amber zone, and 6-10 green zone.

What happens when faced with adversity

Most people’s response to adversity is to slide down the moodometer. This is understandable, but our fulfilment and success in life is ultimately determined by how quickly we can bounce back from these challenges. The focus of my recommendations is for individuals in the red and amber zones (63% of solicitors versus 37% for general population).

I have been at the lowest levels of the red zone and it is a place of great despair. What makes it particularly dangerous is that when I was there, I had given up hope of getting better, and couldn’t remember being mentally healthy. My mind was cloudy and I had difficulty in making decisions as quickly as I once did. I mention this for those that may be feeling this way, because after some changes in my lifestyle, I now live my life almost entirely in the green zone. I firmly believe that you can not only bounce back to where you were before, but if you are open to the lessons presented in these challenges, you may come out the other side thriving. You have no choice but to act now – no one deserves to dread each day.

Rarely do things improve by themselves

For those in the amber zone, you may be tempted to keep hanging in there hoping that things will turn around by themselves – they probably won’t. You can’t keep doing the same thing and be hopeful of getting a different result. You are in survival mode and probably can’t see options available that may help improve your life.

No matter what you know intellectually, when you are going through hard times there is a strong tendency to believe that you are the only one going through it. I know I felt this way. Since I have told my story of battling depression in the work place so publicly, I have found that every person I meet has someone close to them with a similar experience. Believe me – you are not alone.

Short term action

If you have been feeling in the red or amber zone every day for two weeks, the first thing you should do is to see your GP, a psychologist, or counsellor from your EAP provider (if you have one). If you are reluctant to do that you should at least consider an anonymous self test for depression at www.BlackDogInstitue.org.au  If the test suggests you need to speak to a mental health professional then organise an appointment immediately.

Exercise is essential

The second thing you should commit to doing is at least 30 minutes exercise each day. This doesn’t have to be a marathon – a 30 minute brisk walk in a park amongst nature at lunch time is enough. When you walk try to be in the moment and observe the plants, birds, animals and insects along the way. If you prefer swimming, cycling, aerobics, or dancing, do that. Research by the Black Dog Institute has shown exercise to be the most effective strategy (with no negative side effects) for improving depressive symptoms.

Emotional support 

Your third strategy should be to share you situation with someone you trust. This could be your spouse or partner, family member, or a friend. If your low mood is impacting your productivity at work, I would also strongly recommend talking to your manager. They have mostly likely already noticed the changes and it is better that they are aware of the real issue and don’t dismiss it as just a performance problem. Besides, you will need their support and approval if you are required to take time off to see doctors and to exercise.

Follow guidance

It is important in the next 4 weeks that you follow your doctors advice, exercise 30 minutes per day 6 days per week, and plan to meet with loved ones at least 2-3 times per week. I found it helpful to sit down on a Sunday and plan when I was going to schedule these activities in my diary for the week ahead. If you don’t plan for it in advance – it won’t happen. You need to do these things even if you don’t FEEL like it. The opposite of resilience is rigidity.

Next week

In the next issue I will be covering the remaining 4 essential strategies for bouncing back from adversity and specifically focusing on medium term action plans. I will also be outlining what managers, team mates and organisations can do to assist someone who is struggling.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE

If you have any comments or questions about what has been outlined above please reply to the blog below. You only need to put your first name and email address (which isn’t made public) to register.

I look forward to your input.

Kind Regards

Graeme

From personal experience I know how hard it is to exercise when you are struggling with depression. On some days I was struggling to get out of bed and the thought of getting dressed and out the front door seemed like an impossibility.

I now know that having regular exercise is the most effective depression treatment

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t say that exercise is the only strategy to pursue - just the most important. It is not just me saying that - over 3000 people from both the Ultrafeedback and the Blackdog Institute survey results said the same thing. For a free copy of the most effective depression treatments research report please go to:

http://www.iambackfromthebrink.com/landing4.html

We don’t know exactly why this is so, but I have a hypothesis that it comes down to two main factors:

1. Exercise stimulates the feel good endorphins in the brain and also gets you out of the rut of being inside all the time.
2. Completing some task each day provides a sense of achievement.

It doesn’t really matter why it makes you feel better - just do what works.

So how do we start doing something so good for us that we don’t feel like doing?

Feelings aren’t facts is a www.grow.net.au saying and when we are depressed we often have to go against those lethargic and hopeless feelings.

It’s not a simple process, but let me share what I have found after talking with hundreds of people on this topic. I know there is something substantial in this as some pharmaceutical companies are already seeking to duplicate the effect exercise has on the body by creating a new pill to take!!!!!!!!!

7 thoughts on getting started

1. Find something you (or used to) enjoy doing - quite frankly it doesn’t matter what type of exercise you pursue - walking, jogging, dancing, cycling, rollerblading, swimming, treadmill, exercising the dog, cross country skiing etc - to be regular it is important to do something you enjoy.
2. Start small - a big mistake many people make is the belief they have to exercise for two hours each day to make a difference. When you are depressed you want “whisker goals” not “stretch goals”. If you are stuck in bed or watching TV all day - for the first week decide to put on your walking shoes and just get out to the letter box. Once you’re there you may decide to walk further but you don’t have to - all you have to do is get out to front gate. Alternatively, if you are stuck in front of the TV decide to put on a timer for 5 minutes and walk up and down on the spot until the timer goes off - you get the idea. If you are not as incapacitated by your depression set yourself a “just right” goal - not too hard not too easy. I started walking 15 minutes per day and then over a period of 4 weeks built it up to 40 minutes per day.
3. Just start - believe me just starting the exercise is 70% of the effort.
4. Resolve to exercise everyday but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t I started off exercising every second day but often couldn’t remember if I had done it the previous day or not. Believe it or not I found it easier to exercise 6 days a week and give myself Sunday off - what a pleasure it was to sleep in on those days. If you don’t make it everyday - don’t beat yourself up - we do far too much of that when we are depressed any way - just accept it and resolve to recommence tomorrow.
5. Consider exercising with a loved one or group Many people find it hard to exercise themselves but find it really difficult to let a friend or family member down. For some reason there is a greater commitment when it is with loved ones. The other benefit of exercising with others is that it also becomes a social activity which can help the problem of isolation.
6. Try to be in the moment when you exercise - observe flowers, plants, insects, birds, animals, noises, smells, etc when you are walking. Some people keep a walking journal and describe being relatively free of rumination when they are concentrating on what they are going to be writing about when they return.
7. Don’t be afraid to mix and match if you get sick of walking for example don’t be afraid to try something else like learn a martial art, or join a gym. Some people utilise a trainer to help provide the variety.

Be gentle on yourself - It is not how many times we stumble but how many times we get up and keep trying that will determine our fulfillment and sense of well being.

What has been your experience?

We have a wealth of wisdom amongst our members. What has been your experience with exercise? What have you found helpful to get over that lethargic feeling and start? How do you keep going when you get bored or don’t feel like it? Please share it by responding to the blog below. You only need to put your first name and email address (which won’t be published).

Kind Regards

Graeme

Research has shown quite clearly that for the majority of people looking for a therapist, the rapport he or she feels is influenced more by compatibility of personality, than professional qualifications, experience, age or gender.

This is not to say that the latter qualities are unimportant, indeed they are!

However, most would agree that: if you experience a strong aversion to a particular therapist, it is highly unlikely that you will want to engage in a working relationship with this therapist.

Good Therapy Australia, a not-for-profit health promotion charity, has designed a therapist profile page and directory search facility that maximises the chance of a “good match” between therapist and client.

Their website – www.goodtherapy.com.au – includes information on the various approaches to therapy. Educating one’s self about the different orientations can be helpful because what appeals to one person will not necessarily appeal to everyone.

While some therapists work primarily with dialogue – the session is essentially a conversation – others, who have trained in complementary modalities such as Art Therapy, Gestalt, Psychodrama or HeartMath; may incorporate therapeutic processes that engage us in a number of different ways.

These processes, often experiential in nature, enable us to become more aware of the emotional/physical/mental blocks that keep us stuck.

Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, or self-destructive patterns, what you ultimately find helpful will depend on your openness to moving beyond your present situation, and the quality of connection you create with your therapist.

To explore what is meaningful for you, you may want to participate in Good Therapy’s online surveys: Looking for a Therapist; The Therapeutic Space; Questions for Therapists.

http://www.goodtherapy.com.au/flex/surveys/253/1

Also, an article that addresses some of the issues relevant to Choosing a Therapist:

http://www.goodtherapy.com.au/flex/choosing_a_therapist_title/101/1

END OF ARTICLE

I think this provides some excellent insight and advice. I would also suggest asking the following questions after the first visit:

1. Did the therapist strive to fully understand your situation?
2. Did they outline a plan you had confidence in?
3. Did you trust them and feel positive about returning?

 A good GP can be a fantastic guide to a good therapist as they regularly hear the feedback of patients who have been referred. Another source of psychologists that have a special interest in depression and anxiety and are in your area can be found at www.beyondblue.org.au

My recommendation is that if your therapist doesn’t tick all the above boxes after your first visit you should find another. This is much easier said than done when you are feeling very low which brings me back to my first point, that you should seek out a therapist before it gets to a crisis situation.

What has been your experience in finding a therapist? Do you have any suggestions? What do you like best about a therapist? What do you like least?

Please add your contribution by responding to this blog. Your responses are anonymous as you just need to enter your first name and email address (which won’t be published).Your suggestion could really help someone else.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Article in The Economist June 27th, 2009 - Page 89

A friend recently made me aware of a very interesting article in The Economist.

The hypothesis

Randolph Nesse, a psychologist and researcher in evolutionary medicine at the University of Michigan, likens the relationship between mild and clinical depression to the one between normal to chronic pain.

Dr Nesse’s hypothesis is that, as pain stops you doing damaging physical things, so low mood stops you doing damaging mental ones - in particular, in particlar pursuing unreachable goals. He asserts, that pursuing such goals is a waste of energy and resources. Therefore he argues, there is likely to be an evolved mechanism that recognizes certain goals as unattainable and inhibits their pursuit - and he believes low mood is at least part of that mechanism.

The evidence

In a study published recently by Carsten Wrosch from Concordia University in Montreal he studied depression in teenage girls. They measured the “goal adjustment strategies” of 97 girls aged 15-19 years over the course of 19 months. They asked participants about their ability to disengage with unattainable goals and re-engage with new goals. They also asked them about a range of symptoms associated with depression, and changed over the course of the study.

Study findings

Their conclusion was that those that experienced mild depressive symptoms could indeed disengage from unattainable goals. It also found a remarkable corollary:those women who could disengage from the unattainable, proved less likely to suffer more serious depression in the long run.

Mild depressive symptoms can therefore be seen as a natural part of dealing with failure in young adulthood.

My take on this theory

As I have highlighted many times before, it is so difficult to make conclusive statements about “depression” as the term covers a multitude of conditions. Having said that, my gut tells me that there is something to this theory. I guess that comes from my own personal experience. On each occasion I have experienced a severe depressive episode, it has often been close to a downturn in the economy. I formally worked in recruitment, which is an industry very closely linked to the health of the economy and is also very accountable.

When I began missing my budgets, rather than blaming the economy, I tended to blame myself for not working hard enough. This also would explain why those with perfectionist personality traits are so vulnerable to depression - you can never achieve the goal of perfection.

It also reinforces my belief that when you are depressed you should set “whisker goals”. These are small attainment goals that put you on a path of “wins” that often have a positive impact on self esteem. It is also essential to celebrate these small wins so your brain knows that it is doing something right. A small celebration could be buying yourself a coffee, gelato, chocolate or your favourite magazine.

Your thoughts please?

I would be very interested for others to share their opinion regarding this theory. Please do so by responding to this blog.

Kind Regards

Graeme

www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com

With all our medical advances, why is it that the incidence of depression and anxiety is skyrocketing. The World Health Organisation says that depression is the most disabling disease in the Western World today, yet all mental healthcare specialists seem to talk about is “evidence based” treatments such as counselling and anti depressants. Whilst these strategies have been shown to be helpful for some people, if this was really cutting edge advice, why aren’t we seeing the incidence of depression declining or at the very least plateauing. This in no way seeks to imply that medication and psychological counselling don’t have their place in treating depression, just that we are not exploring all the variables

Having interviewed thousands of people who have battled with depression, I am convinced that there are some serious issues with the “evidence based” approach to treating depression. These can be summarised as follows:

1. The “evidence” is where the money is

Unfortunately clinical trials are very expensive to run so private funding will only be directed towards those areas where “investors” can see a return on investment. In the world of depression treatments, this means that the vast majority of funds are directed towards medication and psychological counselling interventions. This means that important lifestyle strategies such as exercise, emotional support,nutrition, relaxation, and fulfilling work are relatively ignored. Ironically these less discussed strategies can be much less costly to implement.

1. When you’re holding a hammer everything looks like a nail

The vast majority of depression treatment studies are undertaken by doctors or psychologists. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this per se, most of these studies are evaluating areas where they have expertise (which makes sense). This means that the comparisons are often looking in isolation at one drug verses another (or a placebo) or one psychological intervention verses another. Quite often meaningful advancements in areas can come from someone outside the established “paradigms”. I love the story of the little boy who came across rescue workers who had been struggling for 3 hours with sophisticated hydraulic equipment trying to dislodge a truck which had been tightly wedged under an overhead bridge.  After being encouraged to leave the site he quietly said “Why don’t you let down the tyres?”.

1. We are not just DNA

As human beings our bodies and minds are intricately linked. Depression treatments that focus purely on a “biological illness” are seriously limited. Much of the despair that exists in the western world today can be linked to loneliness, family breakdowns, excessive and unfulfilling work, and financial crises. Saying that depression is caused by low levels of serotonin is like saying teen pregnancies are caused by a sperm fertilising an egg – yes, but…. Depression treatments that fail to reconnect us with our passions and purpose are ultimately going to be short lived solutions.

What are the right depression treatments?

To find out what works best in managing or overcoming depression, we must ask the people who are living with depression what works best for them. In 2007 I asked just that, and their answers were (in order) exercise, support of family and friends, psychological counselling, fulfilling work, relaxation/meditation, nutrition and medication.

Coincidentally, the Black Dog Institute (BDI) –one of the pre-eminent mood disorder units in the world - also undertook a study directly asking those with depression what helped them most. Although there were some differences in the studies, lifestyle strategies were also shown to be extremely important. One of the authors of the published study, Professor Gordon Parker, who has been practicing psychiatry for over 30 years, has now started advising General Practitioners and their patients to exercise regularly to aid recovery.

If Professor Parker, who has published over 600 clinical papers and book chapters regarding mood disorders, can learn something from these results, perhaps we all can.  

I flew to New York on May 25 with the objective of finding Literary Agent to take on my book to complete US versions for the existing two.

On Wednesday I went to the first day of Book Expo America which was dedicated to authors. There were about 400 people there and they had some great seminars regarding how to plot your way through the publishing maze which gave some excellent insights.

We then had the opportunity to do a “pitch slam” with Literary Agents. Over here, publishers receive an average of 300 manuscripts per day and very rarely follow up any directly and rely on the LA’s to vet opportunities.

In “pitch slam” the 400 authors have 3 minutes to tell their story to about 50 LA’s with a view to getting feedback on their project and perhaps a signal of interest that could lead to the LA taking on their project. Before getting to NY I had done a lot of research to find out who would be the best LA’s to take on my project. I had targeted 6. Of the 6 I slammed, 5 expressed interest and my 3 top picks expressed very strong interest including one saying “I’m totally on board – don’t bother seeing any other agents”. I had emailed my top 3 LA’s prior to getting to NY with my new 3 minute keynote demo and I think this added considerable momentum (http://www.pineapplemedia.com.au/Cowan.html  )

I had another great day yesterday and by chance met with Judith Curr the Executive Vice President of Atria books which is a division of Simon and Schuster. Believe it or not she is an Australian who is now based in New York. She was the publisher of “The Secret” which has now sold 7 million copies. She asked me to post her copies of my books and follow up with her executive editor which is very exciting.

A key part of the US success will be getting on board the American celebrities to be interviewed in BFTB. BFTBToo is ready to go almost immediately but it makes sense to launch the 2 together.

On Monday we head to Chicago to see the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance to get their support (which I need for local credibility with the high profile people) for getting the project underway. I have already had email and phone contact with them and it is looking very good.

On Friday night Hilary and I went to “Jersey Boy” – a musical about Franky Valli and the Four Seasons. It was just sensational – real stand up, shout and cheer show. After that we strolled through Times Square which at 11pm was just jam packed with people – you feel guilty for going to sleep in this place.

Hope all is well back home.

Kind Regards

Graeme

I’ve just had some exciting news that “BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO: Helping your loved one overcome depression” has been named SANE’S 2009 BOOK OF THE YEAR which is very humbling and gratifying at the same time.

After the success of my first book, it quickly became apparent that the family members of those suffering with depression were often desperate themselves. This lead to me researching over 700 depression caregivers and their loved ones, to find out exactly what questions they wanted answered. I’m sure this was a major reason why the book was nominated. I would like to sincerely thank those who participated in the research and of course my parents, who had faith in me when I had lost faith in myself.

FROM SANE’s PRESS RELEASE

SANE Australia Executive Director Barbara Hocking says family members of people with mental illness play an enormous role in providing care and support for people living with depression, as well as other forms of mental illness.

‘Not only does Back From The Brink Too provide much-needed practical guidance for family carers and raise awareness of the key role they play in helping to manage mental illness, but it also works to reduce the isolation many families experience,’ Ms Hocking said.

‘We are delighted to present the SANE Book of the Year Award to Mr Cowan for his contribution to helping the community better understand the experience of mental illness and its impact on families and friends’

Graeme Cowan says of the Award, ‘I am honoured and humbled that SANE Australia has recognised my book. Only after recovering from my own depression did I come to understand the tremendous toll that my illness caused my family.  I would like to dedicate this award to my loved ones and the two million other Australians that support those living with depression and anxiety.’

END OF RELEASE

What is more gratifying than the award is regularly receiving letters and email from people saying that both books have been a tremendous help to them.

If you know someone who is trying to support a loved one with depression, you might consider forwarding this email to them.

Further details regarding the book (and purchasing facility can be found at: www.DepressionCarer.com )

I am heading off to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles on May 25 to meet with Literary Agents and two major US Depression organisations with a view to doing US versions of both books. The award couldn’t have come at a better time.

Kind Regards

Graeme

www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com