In research undertaken for my book BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO, people who had been through a severe bout of depression told me that if they had their time over, they would seek expert help much earlier. How do you access that expertise?

Alarmingly, during a doctor’s initial six year university education, most institutions devote miniscule coverage  to depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses. However, the research firm Ultrafeedback surveyed 2434 Australians, and found that 26% of those surveyed had discussed depression with their GP in the last 12 months (second only to back pain with 33%).

To be fair, GP’s have a huge number of specialty areas to cover and many choose to focus solely on physical health. If you are really struggling emotionally it is quickly evident how important it is to have a well-trained GP with a caring manner. A good GP can be a lynch pin - integrating care involving other specialists such as psychologists and psychiatrists.

Understanding a GP’s Qualifications

There are GPs that are interested in mental health and study much more about it after graduation. There are some special Medicare item numbers related to mental health which all GPs can use and another set which are only available to GPs who have undertaken a certain amount of extra training. The most that is required of a GP to be accredited by Medicare to claim Mental Health item

numbers is 20 hours of specific training. This may be all the training your GP has had or they may have had much more.

A body called the GPMHSC accredits GPs for the special mental health item numbers. Six hours accredited training gives a GP a “Level 1” qualification. An additional 20 hours training provides a “Level 2” qualification. These levels of qualification allow a GP to claim or charge the special mental health item numbers. Most GPs do not display these qualifications but you can ask the GP or the reception staff whether the GP has Level 1 or Level 2 mental health accreditation. They should know the answer because of the item numbers they claim or charge.

Sources for finding a good GP

1. Family and friends – If you have a loved one who has had a positive experience interacting with a GP about depression or anxiety, ask them about the experience to see if the doctor might be right for you.

2. Postcode search on beyondblue website – On the home page of www.beyondblue.org.au there is a facility that allows you to enter your postcode. This will allow you to access a list of GPs and psychologists in your area that have a special interest in mood disorders.

3. Call your local General Practice Division - The Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) is the peak national body representing 111 general practice networks and eight state based organisations around the country. Go to www.agpn.com.au and identify your local division. Call and ask which local GPs have completed further studies in mental health.

Preparing for a mental health discussion

These suggestions are designed to maximize the probability of an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan. This will also allow the GP to determine if they are able to meet all your care needs or whether additional assistance may be required from a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Consider taking a loved one with you to assist in getting the most out of the visit.

1. Advise the receptionist that you would like to book a “long consultation” to discuss a mental health issue. If they don’t do this, it is unlikely that the practice is the right one for you.

2. Prepare to describe as succinctly as possible what symptoms you have been experiencing and for how long, the level of your disability as it impacts your home and work life, any triggers such as stressful events, the level of emotional support you have access to, family history of depression, and whether you are attempting to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.

Assessing the visit

Ask yourself:

1. Did the GP seem to care?

2. Did they ask the right questions to understand my situation?

3. Did they propose a preliminary diagnosis and outline a holistic treatment plan that you have confidence in?

If you can’t answer yes to all three questions, it would be advisable to explore other options.

A more rigorous diagnosis

Mood Assessment Program (MAP) – The Black Dog Institute has developed MAP as a tool to help GP’s and psychologists make more accurate mental health diagnoses. It incorporates nearly a quarter of a century of sophisticated clinical expertise in assessment, diagnosis and management planning for people with mood disorders (both depressive and bipolar disorders). Your GP or psychologist must be a registered MAP user and can then provide you with a unique access code to complete an online assessment. Your doctor will receive the report to discuss with you at the next visit. There is no charge for MAP. See www.BlackDogInstute.org.au

Graeme Cowan is the author of BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO: Helping your loved one overcome depression, which was SANE Australia’s 2009 Book of the Year. He went through a 5 year episode of depression which his psychiatrist described as the worst he had ever treated. He now speaks and consults about how to inspire the discouraged to bounce back and thrive. Over 40 free resources can be found at www.Facebook.com/BackFromTheBrink

Tags: anxiety GP, depression GP, depression treatment, mental health GP, natural depression treatment, overcoming depression

Theoretically Christmas is a joyous occasion but let’s face it, it can stress us out. Lots of presents to buy, too much food and alcohol consumed, and exercise ignored.

For some it represents seeing people that have been avoided all year. Not surprisingly, calls to helplines and charities go through the roof during the holiday period.

This can lead to us feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope. It can prevent us from experiencing the extraordinary benefits of a holiday. We can be consumed by what isn’t rather than what is.

Imagine if it wasn’t like that. Imagine if you returned to work in January full of zest and purpose.

Here are 3 proven strategies that can help.

Plan ahead

There are 3 main aspects to consider here, your finances, your wellbeing, and next year.

It is so easy to spend money we don’t have during this period: presents, parties, food etc. Credit card bills can mount up. Consider setting a total budget that you will spend for Christmas, plan how to spend it, and then record everything you spend. You may also consider non-monetary gifts like doing what a good friend of mine does who has a very low income. He writes a note to each of his family thanking them for something they have done for him that year that he has truly appreciated. They often say it is their favourite present. For the last 10 years my family has taken  a Kris Kringle approach for everyone over 18 – it is so much better to focus on buying one great present than try to second guess and buy something different for 12 people.

Wellbeing strategies can fall by the wayside when there are so many distractions. Plan one week ahead and work out when you plan to do some pleasant exercise (more later), activities and rest. If you don’t plan it in advance it won’t happen.

Next year: If it is too late to make changes this year, you can resolve that this never has to happen again, and write down what will be different next year.

Boost Mood

Your mood is largely within your control. Here are 3 things science says will boost your mood.

30 minute brisk walk (or equivalent) significantly improves your mood after 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours compared to those that don’t exercise (Mayo Clinic 2008). Exercise boosts energy, confidence, and sexual desirability (American Fitness, 19 (6), 32-36). Exercise 6 days per week. To ensure this happens, you must have a ritual and modest goals. A ritual is something you do every day, which prompts behaviour eg. Put a pedometer on when you brush your teeth in the morning, and record your daily steps when you brush your teeth at night. Why not buy a pedometer or download a smart phone app.

Rest well – we have forgotten how to switch off. We think it isn’t productive. A NASA study of 4000 of their employees shows that those that took a 30 minute nap or meditation after lunch increased their productivity by 35% and decision making ability by 50% (Power of full Engagement , 2005). Getting a good night’s sleep is like setting the reset button. From a health, appearance and wellbeing standpoint we need somewhere between 7 and 8 hours sleep each night for optimal benefits (Rath et al Wellbeing, 2010)

Why not go to your library and take out a few relaxation of meditation CD’s and see what works for you. Use your time off to build the critical skill of knowing how to let go.

Be grateful – Writing down 3 things you are grateful for each day stimulates a 6 month boost to your mood. (Seligman et al 2002). Why not buy a small note book to place near your bed for this purpose.

Difficult person plan

The thought of seeing someone that pushes your buttons can cause underlying unease or outright anxiety. Here are 3 things to keep in mind.

Plan for the worse – hope for the best. It is very, very rare for a leopard to change their spots. It is better to go into the situation with a realistic view of what to expect based on past interactions. At worst you will be pleasantly surprised. If you have spent a lifetime having difficulty with this person it is unlikely Christmas lunch will be different.

Avoid alcohol and controversial topics. Whilst having a few drinks is logical course of action when thinking about seeing this person, this is rarely the case. Alcohol can inflame the situation. If you feel compelled to have drink, why not intersperse each drink with water and limit yourself to 2.

Walk away. Your wellbeing is your first priority. Is this person really worth your angst. If you feel your agitation rising, just walk away. Find someone else to talk to. Help in the kitchen. Play with the dog. Go out to the garden. Ride into the sunset. It’s just not worth it.

I hope this may be of assistance. May the best in life and love and happiness be ahead of you.

Graeme Cowan inspires the discouraged to bounce back and thrive. He is an Australian based speaker and author of the BACK FROM THE BRINK book series.

www.Facebook.com/BackFromTheBrink

www.Youtube.com/user/Strive2ThriveTV

Tags: avoiding Christmas stress, Christmas anxiety, difficult person, holiday stress, overcoming depression, wellbeing strategies

For mental health week I think it is essential to celebrate our uniqueness. I am convinced that honouring our uniqueness in the key to a thriving life. At conception, we won the race from 500 million other sperm. It was the ultimate survival of the fittest. The more we strive to understand the unique elements of our DNA: our strengths, values and passions, and live them, the more effortless our lives become. There is an Indian proverb that says:

Relaxation is who I am; tension is who I think I should be

If we have a predisposition to depression, bipolar, or anxiety it should not define who we are. Sure we have to learn to manage it and be aware of our early warning signs, but there is no reason why that should define us or limit our contribution. Our strengths if developed and celebrated will always outweigh any weakness.

Discover and celebrate your strengths

If you haven’t discovered your top 5 strengths out of a possible 24 strengths, I can’t think of a better time to do it than for Mental Health Week. Martin Seligman and positive psychology movement have made a free assessment available to discover you strengths. They have shown that those people that use and constantly develop their strengths will have a much more fulfilling life than those who don’t. Discover yours now.

Brisbane seminar this Saturday - 7 essential strategies to beat depression for good

I have been often asked when I am presenting interstate. I do travel a lot but unfortunately it is usually for private conferences – not open to the public.

This Saturday October 15 from 2-5pm I will be presenting at the Relaxation Centre in Brisbane. For more information and to register.

In an endeavour to share what I have learnt for those who aren’t able to attend my seminars I have created the following:

BACK FROM THE BRINK Facebook Page

The BACK FROM THE BRINK Facebook Page allows me to share my thoughts on how to bounce back from depression and adversity to live a meaningful life. I have shared over 40 free downloadable resources under these categories:

· Anxiety

· Bipolar

· Carers

· Clinician Resources

· Diagnosis

· Facts

· Lifestyle treatments

· Old people

· Medical Treatments

· Wellbeing

Click the link. Click “LIKE”. Click “Free Stuff”

Let me know if you have any questions/comments/suggestions.

Strive2Thrive YouTube Channel

I have also created this channel to share some insights. Some of the videos on there include:

· Finding a GP that can help with depression

· What if you partner has depression

· Rituals for behaviour change

· Guiding principles to build resilience

· Depression treatments that really, REALLY work

Click here to check them out and subscribe to be advised of new additions. If you have a question you would like me to cover, please let me know.

RUOK?Day 2011

As a Director of RUOK?Day I was delighted with the coverage and impact we achieved this year. I will share more details of this in my next post, but we were delighted to learn that awareness of the day increased from 28% in 2010 to 68% this year. Over 2500 organisations participated in the RUOK?atWork program this year compared to 700 in 2010. More information soon.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: Bounce Back, depression treatments, mental health, natural depression treatments, overcoming depression, resilience

When “BACK FROM THE BRINK: Australians tell their story of overcoming depression” was launched in 2007, I was fortunate that it generated a lot of publicity and I found myself having contact with the general public through talk back radio, book signings, and talks. What truly surprised me was that about 70% of the people who spoke with me were the loved ones of someone living with depression – I thought it would be those with depression. I came to understand that these people were quite desperate to get quality information about how best to assist to person who was struggling. They were also struggling with their own mental health whilst trying to support someone else. That lead me to write “BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO: Helping a loved one overcome depression” which became SANE Australia’s 2009 Book of the Year.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Brisbane delivering a session called BEATING DEPRESSION TOGETHER designed for those with depression and their loved ones. It was once again reinforced how isolated and alone these loved ones feel.

I advocate four things to keep in mind when you discover that a loved one is depressed:

1. learn about depression types and effective treatments
2. help find competent professionals for them
3. It’s not your fault
4. Take care of yourself – you can’t sustain care if you burn yourself out.

I go into a lot of depth into each of these in BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO.

Where can depression caregivers get emotional support?

ARAFMI – Association for the Relatives and Friends of the Mentally Ill

This group has been around for a long time and from anecdotal feedback, it appears that its support groups appear to be more focussed towards those supporting someone with a chronic illness such as schizophrenia. In their resources section they do have a very good overview of legislation pertaining to carers. They have support groups and discussion forum – including “living with a husband with anxiety and depression”.

Carers NSW

There is a Carer’s group in each state – each with a separate website. This group is targeted to all carers – not just those with a loved one with a mental illness. Having said that, because mental illness is a significant area they have dedicated group focussed on the needs of this community. They have a good listing of information and resources for carers. They also have a 6 carer phases interactive course.

Partners in Depression

I really like what I hear about this group. My friend Lucy Brogden is the patron for the organisation and first brought it to my attention. It is run by the not for profit Hunter Institute of Mental Health and the development of the course was jointly funded by beyondblue. It has also received some funding from NIB Health Fund.

Their centre piece is the Partners in Depression Program.

Partners in Depression is a group education program designed to address the information and support needs of those who care for or love a person experiencing depression. It is a six session program run by two facilitators in community settings.  

The six session format of the program includes coverage of the following topics:

• Session 1 - Introductions and building awareness
• Session 2 - Insight to caring, understanding depression and its treatments
• Session 3 - The caring and support experience
• Session 4 - The support experience and introduction to cognitive behaviour therapy
• Session 5 - Suicidality, self harm and communication strategies
• Session 6 - Help seeking, support and resources and planning for the future

I really like the fact that it has been developed knowing the significant stress that is placed on a caregiver and it provides practical steps. They have developed a train the trainer model which means there are now a number of groups run around Australia.

What’s been your experience?

Have you tried any of these groups? What’s been your experience? Have you found other places to get emotional support? How do you sustain your energy?

Kind Regards

Graeme Cowan

Tags: back from the brink, depression, effective depression treatments, graeme cowan, natural depression treatments, overcoming depression, partners in depression, partners with depression

In the lead up to ANZAC  Day this year I had the opportunity to speak with a couple of veterans – one from WWII and one from the conflict in Afghanistan. Both confirmed that they had experienced a lot of stress when returning to Australia yet both said they found it very hard to talk with their colleagues about their anxiety.  Although I have never been into battle, I could closely relate to their apprehension of admitting a “weakness”.

While my wife slept beside me, and my young daughter was in the next room, I made the incredible decision to choose death. I didn’t even know what clinical depression was the first time I tried to take my own life. I was 31 years old and by all appearances had a successful life. I was married and had a one year old child and had recently moved into a new home. I had a successful career in sales and marketing but had just taken a career fork, moving into recruitment. Whilst I was enjoying my new role, I really hadn’t had enough time to excel at it, and I was accustomed to doing well at that to which I applied myself.

The uncertainty I was feeling about my career filled me with anxiety. I had continuous tension in my back that wouldn’t go away. Worse than the physical symptoms were the dark thoughts that wouldn’t go away. I saw myself as a failure and my self esteem plummeted. I would be wide awake at 3.30am, staring at the ceiling. I don’t know why I couldn’t reach out and tell someone how bad I was feeling – but I couldn’t. I felt that a man should be on top of life and vainly tried to think positive thoughts – but nothing changed. The early morning waking would leave me drained and hardly capable of working a full day, but I forced myself to keep going and the cycle of decline continued.

Since that momentous night 21 years ago, I have often reflected on why men find it so difficult to ask for help when they are experiencing tough times.

A lot has happened since then  – I’ve had other severe depressive episodes, been divorced, lost my job, written a book - BACK FROM THE BRINK, and now speak regularly on how people can bounce back and thrive from challenging times.  I’m now very grateful to lead a fulfilling and very happy life.

One of the most common questions that is asked at my seminars is “How do I get my husband/boyfriend/male to seek help when he so obviously needs it?”

The numbers don’t lie

Australian men have a life expectancy of 79 years versus 84 years for women.  They account for 78% of suicides, 77% of accidental drowning, 75% of motor vehicle accident deaths, and 67% of melanoma deaths, 67% of lung related deaths, 62% deaths due to cancerous tumours, and 61% of deaths due to heart disease. In the last year 25% of men haven’t seen a doctor compared with 10% of women.

Why is this so?

 It is clear that women are healthier than men, but why this is so is not clear. One of the most credited theories is that men have been socialized to self sufficient and encouraged by our culture to be tough. Many men believe that complaining of feeling ill or visiting the doctor is a threat to their masculinity or a waste of time, unless they are sick or injured.

In a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive of 1,100 men for the American Academy of Family Physicians, 58% of men said they were reluctant to see a doctor. When asked why the two main reasons were:

·         I only go to the doctor if I am extremely sick: 36%

·         I am healthy, I have no reason to go to a doctor: 23%

The problem with this philosophy is that little problems have the habit of turning into big problems if they are ignored.

Of the men, nearly 80% said their spouse/significant other influences their decision to go to the doctor.

How do we start to influence males to visit their doctors more frequently?

Guiding Principles

Be sensitive to the male ego. I remember my wife being totally perplexed and wondering why I had not discussed my absolute despair with her prior to making an attempt on my life. Accept that for many men it is very hard to talk about emotions and feelings of doubt and inadequacy. It is best to talk about behaviour rather than threaten his self-esteem.

Try multiple choice. If a man has difficulty discussing feelings, he may respond better to multiple choice. For example, ‘Are you feeling worried, sad or angry right now?’

Affirm his competence. Again, remember the male ego. You could say, ‘I have always been impressed with how well you have managed so many things’.

Structuring the conversation

Break the ice

Discuss the weather, friends, family etc in a private place – walking outside is ideal.

Non Judgemental Questions

For example, you could say, ‘I’m concerned about you waking up at 4 am and not being able to get back to sleep. What are the things that are causing you to lose sleep? Why does that worry you so much? What do you think can be done about it? Have you considered asking someone else for help/advice?’ If they are struggling to come up with answers, then this might be the time to suggest strategies or someone they could talk to.

Encourage Action

Remember that nothing happens until someone moves. If you have a regular GP you should offer to make an appointment for them (and accompany them if they are willing).If they strongly resist going to the GP you could suggest they do an anonymous online depression test at www.blackdoginstitute.org.au

Subscribe to the Strive2ThriveTV YouTube Channel

I have established a YouTube Channel that provides some further background to my research.

Some of the videos include:

1.       Resilience Guiding Principle One – The Moodometer

2.       Resilience Guiding Principle Two – Strive2Thrive Roadmap

3.       Resilience Guiding Principle Three – Taking Action

4.       Resilience Guiding Principle Four – Problem Solving

5.       What depression treatments really REALLY work

View Strive2ThriveTV

Join the BACK FROM THE BRINK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

At this page you will find free downloadable pdf resources (over 40 available), videos and a community that is happy to share ideas and resources to bounce back and thrive from adversity and depression. Ask me any questions.

Join the Facebook Page

When Adversity Strikes, What Do You Do?

This Harvard Business Review article by Paul Soltz, tells how our core stories are about what happens when human beings and adversity collide. From those moments tragedies unravel and greatness is spawned. Adversity both destroys and elevates. It both strangles and sparks life.

What is your relationship with adversity? What role has it played in becoming who you are, in forging your essential character and mindset? How has it influenced your optimism, energy, opportunities, relationships, health, performance, capacity, and leaps of faith? Can you think of any force that has been more profoundly formative? Read More

 As always, if you have a comment about any of these topics please respond to the blog.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Graeme Cowan is an International Speaker and award winning Author of the BACK FROM THE BRINK book series who educates people on how to bounce back from challenging times.  www.GraemeCowan.com.au

Tags: anxiety, depression at work, depression treatments, mental health speaker, overcoming depression, resilience speaker, work stress

Between 2000-2005 I went through, what my psychiatrist described as the worst episode of depression he had ever treated. Although I had experienced four major episodes of depression previously, this was by far the worst. During that time I was hospitalised 4 times and attempted suicide. I tried 23 different medications, underwent ECT (shock treatment) on 20 occasions, tried Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Acupuncture, Kinesiology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and participated in many other programs related to the treatment of clinical depression.

Generally there are thought to be 2 major types of depression, reactive – which occurs due to adverse circumstances, and melancholic – which seems to be more biological in nature, and can occur for no apparent reason. The latter was my diagnosis. Whatever  the cause,  I know it is impossible to describe the despair I felt.

After coming out of a 9 week stint in a psychiatric hospital in 2005, I began to walk regularly every day (even though I didn’t feel like it) and began having regular contact with family and friends who I had been isolating from (didn’t feel like that either). I also began taking a higher dose of a medication I had been on. Over the next  4 months, my mood lifted a little. A friend then encouraged me to do a meditation course. I had tried this when I was severely depressed, but found that I couldn’t concentrate. This time I was able to experience peace and this further lifted my mood.

 When I was at my worst, I yearned for stories of people who had been through what I was feeling and had come out the other side. Now that my mood had lifted significantly, I decided to prepare a book that told authentic stories of hope.

In 2007, “BACK FROM THE BRINK: Australians tell their stories of overcoming depression” was launched at the Black Dog Institute in Sydney. In it I interviewed people like the ex WA Premier, Geoff Gallop, Olympic Swimming Gold Medallist’s John Konrads and Petria Thomas, artist Margaret Olley, poet Les Murray, and 7 other everyday Australians. These courageous people told their stories with honesty and dignity.

The book launch lead to around 150 media interviews and book signings. What astonished me was that around 70% of the people who spoke to me during these events, were loved ones of the depressed person, desperate to know how they could make a difference. This lead to me writing “BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO: Helping your loved one overcome depression” which was awarded SANE’s 2009 Book of the Year.

Through the process of writing the books and afterwards, I interviewed over 5000 people, either in person or via surveys, to understand their strategies for bouncing back. This is what I’ve learnt.

When you are severely depressed there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I know from personal experience that you can reach a point where you TOTALLY lose hope. This emphasizes two things. It’s essential to act early and seek help before you slip below the water. The cargiver can play a critical role by providing much needed emotional support and encouragement.  Carers can often they feel pushed away, but they should be assured that this is the response of someone in great pain who is lashing out.

The mental health system is extraordinarily fragmented. There are resources out there, but it is incredibly difficult to find holistic solutions. For those trying to make sense of it when they are depressed, it is almost impossible. For a comprehensive list of helplines and mental health websites there is a free ebook at www.DepressionCarer.com

If you’re holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Mental health professionals are very well meaning, but in most cases, the communication between say a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist, community health worker, naturopath, hospital employees, etc, about your case is virtually zero. You may find that, for example, your psychologist recommends Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, your psychiatrist antidepressants, your naturopath St Johns Wart, a GP exercise. What complicates this further is that some health professionals are openly dismissive of the advice of others, leaving you wondering who to believe. Some fantastic GP’s play the role of a defacto case manager and help guide people through this maze. Unfortunately they are rare. If you do not believe your GP has good expertise in mental health,  go to www.beyondblue.org.au and do a postcode search to identify doctors that have a special interest (and training) in your area.

There are multiple tracks to the land of milk and honey  The term “depression” is used to cover a myriad of situations and symptoms. The vast majority of GP’s have a one size fits all approach which is usually just drug or therapy oriented. Everyone’s path to recovery is unique – there is no golden bullet. In my view and from what 5000 people have told me, you are best to follow multiple strategies. When I asked people who had overcome or managed their depression what worked best for them they listed the following 7 strategies: exercise, support of family and friends, psychological counselling, fulfilling work, meditation/relaxation, nutrition, and antidepressants. To see the details of the research you can download a free ebook from www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com

In summary, if my best friend experienced the symptoms of depression every day for two weeks this would be my advice to them:

1.       Immediately encourage them to see their GP (or help them find one with mental health expertise – see above).

2.       Encourage them to share what is happening to them with a couple of trusted friends/family members.

3.       Encourage them to begin walking (or equivalent) every day and offer to accompany them.

4.       Encourage them to set moderate goals for the next week for the above 3 areas - ask them what they think is realistic.

What thoughts/comments/questions do you have about this article? What advice would you give a best friend who you thought was depressed? Please reply to this post.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Graeme Cowan is an International Speaker and Author who educates people on how to bounce back from challenging times.  www.GraemeCowan.com.au

Tags: Bounce Back, graeme cowan, overcome adversity, overcoming depression, resilience

Once we get to 5 on the moodometer, I believe that we should start thinking about what we would like our ideal life to look like in 5 years. It is so much more productive to be focussing on what we do want, rather than what we don’t want.

There are probably 4 main components of this:

1. DO - What do I want to be doing?
2. BE - Which of my talents and character qualities do I want to be using?
3. WHO - Who do I want to be doing this with?
4. WHERE – do I want to be?

Over the last 6 months I’ve been doing a lot of reflection on this topic area. In December last year, I met Karynne Courts - www.valuesconnection.com.au - who for the last 10 years has been doing work with leaders to help them understand who their authentic self is, by having them complete a values inventory with them. I have also been doing a lot of work in the Positive Psychology space with the Virtues Inventory, which helps people to understand what their character strengths are. We had both also read very widely around the whole concept of helping people to discover a life of meaning. To cut a long story short, Karynne and I decided to run a pilot course of “Navigating a meaningful life by understanding your whYcode” with 15 people which ran over 8 weeks.

What is a whYcode?

We all have unique values, talents, qualities, and passions. Learning what these are isn’t always easy, and Karynne and I put our experience together to help people understand what is truly important to them. We face decisions every day – big and small – and we believe that when we face this “Y” (fork) in the road, that if you have good personal insight – i.e. understand your whYcode – this will help you make fast decisions that strengthen, rather than weaken you.

Career fulfilment is essential for our wellbeing

Having spent 12 years in recruiting and outplacement, I am aware of how few people work in a career that they would describe as fulfilling. When I did my original research for BACK FROM THE BRINK, I discovered that the 350 people I interviewed rated “fulfilling work” as the number 4 most effective strategy for overcoming depression – where “medication” was rated number 7.

The outcome of the pilot and shorter version I recently conducted in Chicago

Participants in the pilot course found it tremendously helpful to be able to identify their whYcode. For some people it was quite a surprise when they rediscovered what “lights their fire”.

Based on the feedback we received from the pilot course, Karynne and I further simplified the course which I presented at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance conference in Chicago.

A prominent US mental health blogger, Marcia Purse, attended the conference and she wrote:

“The highest point of all was the last event - keynote speaker Graeme Cowan’s “How to Bounce Back and Thrive in Challenging Times.” In the near future I’ll start challenging all of you with some of the things he challenged the audience to do and think about”.

Understanding your whYcode is absolutely essential to being able to bounce back and thrive in challenging times.

What do you think contributes to meaning in life?

Are work and your community activities important to you? What have you found helpful to find meaning in your life? Please share your experience by commenting on the blog below.

A free overview of the course

On Tuesday May 25 from 6-8pm, I will be running a free overview of this seminar at the City Fringe Meditation Space in East Sydney (see link below).

http://www.meditationspace.com.au/meditation_space/Program_May_2010.html

If this is of interest to you, it is essential you confirm your place immediately online at the link above - as there are only a limited number of seats that can fit in the venue.

Address 99 Crown Street, East Sydney 2010

voice-box 02 8011 4995 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting                  end_of_the_skype_highlighting

email  eastsydney@au.bkwsu.org

Web  www.mediationspace.com.au

We are located at 99 Crown Street in East Sydney, next to the City Gym between Stanley and William Streets.

For those people interstate or overseas – if you would interested in attending a course such as this, or have any questions or comments please respond to the blog.

New corporate site launched

I have just completed a new site – www.GraemeCowan.com.au – which is for organisations that would like to use my services to speak or consult. If you know anyone who may be seeking someone to speak on how to bounce back and thrive from challenging times, please direct them there.

I look forward to your comments.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: meaningful life, meaningful work, overcoming depression, passions, strengths, values

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

Tags: depression book, depression caregiver, depression carer, depression help, depression treatments, overcoming depression

I was very surprised when I did my original research for BFTB, that fulfilling work was rated as the fourth most effective strategy for overcoming/ managing depression. People with depression rated fulfilling work ahead of medication for example, which I’m sure would amaze many people.

FIFTEEN YEARS IN RECRUITMENT AND OUTPLACEMENT TOLD ME THIS WAS TRUE

When I reflected on the thousands of people I had tried to assist with their careers over those 15 years, I intuitively knew how important fulfilling work was to people’s mental health and self esteem.

If you look at the news section of my website - www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com - you’ll see that a number of stories have been published on this topic in the last week, due the the world financial crisis.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU ARE 0-5 ON THE MOODOMETER

If you are depressed, and aren’t capable of working full time, I would strongly encourage you to consider voluntary work. When I was recovering I worked as a volunteer at Volunteering NSW (I know similar organisations exist everywhere).

One of my jobs was interviewing people to help identify which skills they would like to use and then finding charities near them, that would enable them to use those skills. I had the pleasure of watching how long term unemployed and people with a mental illness would grow in confidence when they had the opportunity to positively contribute to a charity. These roles aren’t nearly as pressurized as full time work, yet still offer the benefits of social contact and providing people with a sense of purpose.

Check out www.govolunteer.com.au and http://www.volunteer.com.au/?cid=sk:main:au:nav:vol  to get an idea of the wide array of roles available.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU ARE 4-10 ON THE MOODOMETER BUT NOT ENJOYING YOUR WORK

My strong suggestion would be to do so form of assessment to help understand what skills you get most satisfaction out of using. There are many options out there but a really user friendly and practical one I have used myself is found at www.assessment.com- It is called a Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential (MAPP) You are asked to go through a questionnaire (takes about 15 minutes) and then you receive your report. There is a free version, but I found the best value one to cost about $US40. This report really resonated with me and gave me a great sense of career direction.

The report identifies your top 10 innately motivating skills but then importantly it then tells you which roles allow you to utilise them. How you go about transitioning to these new roles is too much to cover now, but knowing where you want to head is half the issue.

BLACK DOG INSTITUTE “MOOD DISORDERS IN THE WORKPLACE” WRITING COMPETITION

I have just been asked to be one of 3 judges to help assess the winners in the above competition. It is great this topic is getting some deserved profile. A book will follow on this subject, so keep an eye out for that.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this topic, please respond to this blog.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety in the workplace, black dog institute, depression, overcoming depression, stress, voluntary work, workplace stress

Last week we held the first of four web and phone based seminars on overcoming depression. It also differed from other courses on this topic as it was designed with both the depression sufferer and their caregiver in mind.

We had over 100 people participating from all over Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the USA which I was really very pleased with.

What really really works in overcoming depression

It was interesting running a session on this over the web as when you put depression into Google you get over 87,700,000 page impressions. Surely everyone can access anything they want to know. Unfortunately that is just the problem. Most people are so time poor and don’t know just where to start.

I also found this to be an issue when I was in the depths of my depression and just had a hunch that a session that covered 7 evidence based strategies shown to help beat depression would be valuable to some people.

From my perspective it was a little strange presenting to over 100 people without being able to see their response so I was very keen to do some market research after the event.

The information presented in the seminar was helpful

I was very pleased that 70% Strongly Agree and 30% Agreed with this statement.

There were suggestions made during the seminar that I could action this week.

Strongly Agree 60% Agree 40%

I was very pleased with this also as I truly believe that action is one of the main enemies of depression.

I found the telephone and web simulcast concept convenient

Strongly Agree 70% Agree 30%

It could be improved by:

Having more time for questions

Strongly agree 49% Agree 42%

One of the issues when people listened via the web is that they could not ask verbal questions. This was also compounded by me trying to cover too much in the first session. The technology does allow for written questions to be conveyed and based on the feedback, I have decided to cover the formal presentation in the first hour and then have 20 minutes of answering questions at the end.

All in all I was very pleased with this first attempt. Of course I will be very keen to get additional feedback after the end of the next 3 seminars but I am very hopeful that it will be a great medium for 2009 and beyond.

The next 3 sessions will cover:

Finding the right mental health professionals

Building a support network

Helping to prevent a crisis and sustaining the care

If anyone has any questions or comments regarding these seminars please respond to this blog or email me at graeme@IamBackFromTheBrink.com

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: beating depression, depression carer, depression phone and web seminar, depression sufferer, depression treatments, overcoming depression