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Tony Abbott: My Five Stages Of Grief

April 8, 2013 in Current Affairs, Humour, Politics

OK – let’s face it. Barring something unexpected, it’s almost certain that Tony Abbott will become the next Prime Minister of Australia. Some of you might be pleased with this, and I’m happy for you, but I can’t share your joy. I don’t always vote Labor, but I’ve never voted Liberal and nothing about Tony Abbott or the policies of the Coalition makes me want to change this. So, where does that leave me? I’m guessing you’ve all heard of the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. Well, I’m feeling that way about Tony Abbott. Denial It will be OK. Gillard [...]

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The Day My Father Died

February 28, 2013 in Anecdotes, Children, Family, Fathers, Mothers

Based on true events… It was a crisp winter’s day, the day my father died. He had been in palliative care for a few weeks, still in a coma that he would never recover from. It was school holidays, and I was at home with my mother. When the phone rang, my mother was told that my father would most likely not last the day. She took the news stoically, as she always did in moments of extreme emotion. Emotions were meant to be expressed in private, they were not for public display. I think that’s why she asked me to ride over to my [...]

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In defence of Elizabeth Wurtzel

January 11, 2013 in Books, Celebrity, Current Affairs, Mental Health, News, People

I have a battered-up copy of Prozac Nation stowed with a small but beloved collection of other books underneath my bed. It’s been with me since I was 15 years old and it’s never been far from my bedroom ever since. It never lived in the family bookshelf, where most of my other books end up gathering dust. For a while I even carefully hid it, fearing that a family member would find it and be upset, because when I was a teenager I felt that my depression always served to make everyone upset and was best stowed away like that, under [...]

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The Disaster Spiral

January 10, 2013 in Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Money

Around December every year, and a few times throughout the year if we’re honest, I tend to find myself caught in the disaster spiral. If you’re unfamiliar with the disaster spiral (lucky you!) it’s when you go from a rational thought that’s a little bit stressful to complete disaster in only a few steps. For me, particularly around the holidays, it goes like this: We have too many people to buy Christmas presents for. We have to pay for Stepdaughter to visit. We’re going to spend too much money. We don’t have any money. We can’t afford to go overseas. [...]

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Optimism is not a Cure for Depression

December 7, 2012 in Books, Children, Health, Mental Health, Parenting

What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing, you might say. Certainly, this book has a lot of good reviews smattered around the Internet. It’s written by qualified psychologists. I’m sure it has some good advice. I wouldn’t actually know; I haven’t read it. But when I stumbled upon it recently, I was infuriated – and all because of the title. Raising an Optimistic Child: A Proven Plan for Depression-Proofing Young Children – For Life. Well, ain’t that lovely. Apparently a debilitating illness that attacks one million Australian adults each year (1) could have been waved away, magic wand-like, if only their parents [...]

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A Break Up Taught Me How Strong I Am

October 15, 2012 in Dating, Health, Mental Health, People, Relationships, Self

If we’re to believe everything that books, magazines, movies and morose teenage love ballads tell us, a break-up is just about the worst torture that a heart-possessing human being can live through. So when my boyfriend broke up with me recently, I put down the phone with bated breath, waiting to be seized by the urge to write bad poetry on tear-smattered pages. I waited. The urge didn’t come. But hold up – I’m starting this story all out of order. Let’s go back to the beginning – the months before I was dating J. As 2012 rolled in I [...]

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RUOK Day: My Husband Is Suicidal

September 13, 2012 in Family, Health, Marriage, Mental Health, People, Relationships, Self

My husband is suicidal. That’s the first time I’ve said that out loud. I’m told it’s nothing I said or did, and there’s nothing I could have done. I blame myself anyway. We have been married for 6 years. We own our own home, we both have good jobs, although his is a little stressful. We have a dog, a cat, we like to eat out on Saturday nights. We have been talking about starting a family. Everything has been going so well. Our marriage is a good one, we have fun. We love each other. We both get on [...]

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Melancholy Is My Favourite Emotion

August 21, 2012 in Mental Health, Relationships, Self

Melancholy is sitting by yourself on a deserted beach on a grey winter’s day. Melancholy is a walk down a forest path on a misty morning. Melancholy is a warm blanket of emotion, a wordless silence, an endless moment in time. It is a joyful sadness, free of depression and pain. Melancholy is my favourite emotion. But it is a dangerous emotion. It is like standing on the precipice between life and death. It is like the gateway drug of emotions, leading you down the path of cozy sadness to full on depression. It needs to be treated with caution, and [...]

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Is There A Link Between Creativity and Mental Illness?

July 23, 2012 in Entertainment, Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health

Are all great artists, be it painting, writing, music etc. tortured, haunted, pained? Does this lead to a higher quality of work being produced? “My afflictions belong to me and my art- they have become one with me. Without illness and anxiety I would have been a rudderless ship.” Edvard Munch. I clearly remember the first time I saw ‘The Scream’  (painted 1895) by Edvard Munch. Why did that particular painting affect me so personally? Because I saw myself in the distortion, the craziness, the eeriness, the chaos. I sympathized with a human figure that was obviously suffering tremendously, but [...]

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The Contraceptive Pill and Your Health

June 25, 2012 in Celebrity, Children, Current Affairs, Entertainment, Health, Mothers, News, Parenting, People, Pregnancy & Birth, Relationships, Sex, Society

Kim Kardashian’s mother put her on The Pill just before her 15th birthday. This is what the reality TV star told Oprah Winfrey last week. The public’s reaction to this news was overwhelming positive – “good on Kris for taking care of her daughter’s sexual health” and “better she’s on birth control than pregnant at 15″ was the general response. And I agree. The fact that Kim could approach her mother about her sexual health is a good lesson for us all. Mothers need to be realistic and their daughters need to feel comfortable enough to ask these questions. Although today’s [...]

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