HOLISTIC CARE HELPING VETERANS WITH PTSD

By Sarah Waters

Events such as Anzac Day have increasingly prompted conversations about the mental health of veterans and what help is available to them.

General Manager and Psychologist at Byron Private Treatment Centre Jenny McGee has extensive experience working with veterans who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions that have resulted from their service.

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In addition to evidence-based therapy for PTSD including, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Ms McGee said a holistic approach has profound benefits.

“What does happen with PTSD is that people are triggered by situations – people, places, sounds, smells and they can often be on high alert or hypervigilant where the whole nervous system is alerted, looking for danger and wanting to keep themselves safe and other people safe,” she said.

“For example, hearing a loud sound and thinking that they might be back in that dangerous situation and going to extremes to protect themselves and other people.

“Or it might manifest as irritability and the inability to engage socially like they might have once done.

“About 30 per cent of veterans with PTSD also suffer from addictions with alcohol and substances as they try to medicate their distress and symptoms.

“What can be additionally helpful for people is not only the evidence-based therapy they might undergo, but also to be in a green space and restful environment where they are able to allow the body and the physiological, high nervous system arousal to be lowered.”

About a third of the residents at Byron Private Treatment Centre are veterans, of all ages, who have served in different conflicts, sometimes generations apart.

General Manager and Psychologist at Byron Private Treatment Centre Jenny McGee has extensive experience working with veterans who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Some of them are Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who have experienced PTSD from domestic service.

Ms McGee said veterans are encouraged to go to the beach daily, see the sunrise and connect to the natural cycles in nature.

“Research shows that exposure to nature can lower stress hormones, lower blood pressure, improve the mood and reduce the risk of developing other psychiatric disorders, like depression and anxiety,” she said.

Daily outdoor activities including swimming, surfing, bushwalking and even equine assisted therapy, are sustainable practises all servicemen and women can incorporate into their lives.

Research has also shown the Mediterranean diet improves symptoms of depression and stress.

While peer support in a mixed group therapy setting can help with the transition back into civilian/community life.

Ms McGee said the impact PTSD has on the nervous system, including irritability, avoidance behaviours and intrusive memories or dreams, are the same symptoms soldiers experienced in WWI when it was referred to as ‘shell shock’ or ‘battle fatigue’ in WWII.

However, there has been a radical shift in how the community and society understands mental health, including the need to offer really supportive treatment.

“I think even our stigmatisation of different conflicts and different veterans has changed.

“And we’ve moved much more largely to really acknowledging the service that men and women have provided for Australia.

“With evidence-based treatment and support, people can overcome PTSD.

“Sometimes it might last for over a year, but people can heal and also repair Relationships,” she said.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that can develop in response to a single, or repeated exposure, to trauma.

A number of events have the potential to cause PTSD, including threat of death, serious injury, viewing or handling human remains and seeing someone badly injured or killed.

If you need support, please contact veterans and families counselling service provider Open Arms on their 24-hour phone line: 1800 011 046 or visit here and they can connect you with counselling services in the community.

The Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) also funds treatment for veterans.

For more information please visit here or visit here.

SIDEBAR:
The Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme report by the Department of Veteran Affairs states almost half (46 per cent) of the transitioned ADF were estimated to have met criteria for a lifetime anxiety disorder, and one-quarter were estimated to have met criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). When compared to the general population, only four or five per cent of people might experience PTSD in their lifetime.

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More help available to women experiencing domestic violence

By Sarah Waters

Critical funding will soon be available to all women in the Northern Rivers, and right across Australia, who finds themselves in a situation where they are experiencing domestic violence and need to escape.

Last week, the Federal Government announced it will invest $925m over five years from mid next year to permanently establish the Leaving Violence Program (LVP).

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This will allow women escaping violence to access up to $5000 in financial support along with referral services, risk assessments and safety planning.

Intimate partner violence is a problem of epidemic proportions in Australia, with a quarter of all Australian women having experienced it in their lifetime.

Prime Minister Albanese declared violence against women to be a ‘national crisis and national challenge’ after the alleged murders of 28 women at the hands of men this year.

The Federal Government also announced it will introduce a suite of online measures to prevent children and young people accessing pornography and to tackle extreme online misogyny, which is fuelling harmful attitudes towards women.

It will also introduce legislation to ban the creation and non-consensual distribution of fake pornography.

Creating and sharing sexually explicit material without consent, using technology like artificial intelligence, will be subject to serious criminal penalties.

In addition, a new phase of the Stop it at the Start campaign will launch in mid-June and run until May next year.

Intimate partner violence is a problem of epidemic proportions in Australia

It will specifically include a ‘counter-influencing campaign’ in online spaces where violent and misogynistic content thrives, to directly challenge the material in the spaces that’s being viewed.

Federal member for Richmond Justine Elliot, who is also the assistant minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, said the scourge of violence against women is a national crisis, and a national shame.

Ms Elliot said the $925.2 million investment ensures that victim-survivors of domestic abuse are supported to make choices about leaving relationships and can build a better life for them and their children.

“We know how vital this program is. Based on the uptake of the current trial, it is estimated the Leaving Violence Program will support approximately 36,700 victim-survivors each year, right across the nation,” she said.

Through the government’s Housing Australian Future Fund, 4000 homes have been provided for women and children impacted by domestic and family violence.

While, the government has committed another $100 million towards the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program, which provides grants to fund the building, renovation or purchase of new emergency accommodation for women and children experiencing violence.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online here, or text 0458 737 732.

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit  here.

The Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre provides the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service for free.

This local service supports women and children who are experiencing family violence or domestic violence.

The centre has a specialist worker to help Aboriginal women, and it can also help women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

For more information visit here.

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Crazy Cow comes to Casino

By Samantha Elley

If Kristy Gill had her way, she would cook 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“I used to advertise on Facebook and made cakes for my friends and family,” she said.

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From there, Kristy opened the Riverview Café in Coraki but when the opportunity came up for her to move her business to Casino, she took it.

And Crazy Cow Café was born.

“I figured it was a good name to suit the beef capital,” she laughed.

After a lot of hard work to get the business up and running, Kristy opened her doors on Tuesday last week.

“We do lots of take home meals for people who don’t have time to cook, so they can take them home and put them in the freezer,” Kristy said.

“We do honey chicken, fried rice, home made lasagne, spaghetti bolognese and sausages and veges.”

Crazy Cow Cafe

The café also serves up hamburgers, chicken wraps, salad sandwiches and all the deep fried favourites.

“We will eventually do pizzas as well,” said Kristy.

“We will be looking into gluten free cooking with our cakes and slices and we have lactose free milk for our coffees.

“We try and cater for everyone.”

With her five youngest kids in Casino Public School, only a walk away, Kristy knows she will have no problems with young helpers in the shop after school.

“My five year old has already asked if he can come and help,” she laughed.

“I hope he continues with that same attitude as he gets older.”

The Crazy Cow Café is located at 117 Barker Street, next to the Commonwealth Bank.

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