Winter 2010
Mental illness:
Susan’s story
Hayley breaks
anxiety’s grip
Keeping
minds well
contents
Features
Susan walks on
04
Breaking anxiety’s grip
08
Regulars
Hello03
Wordwise12
Wesley Mission News
14
Turning Points
16
Wesley Mission’s Services
18
Wesley Impact! Is the journal of Wesley Mission,
Sydney, and is a member of the Australasian Religious
Press Association. Articles from this magazine may be
reprinted with the permission of the editor.
Photography and illustrations: AAP; Ramon Williams/
Worldwide Photos; Luke Reynolds; John Leung;
George Doyle, Getty Images; ra-photos, iStock;
KrivosheevVs, iStock; Getty Images.
External text: We have gratefully used material from a
number of Christian news wires distributed by Ramon
Williams/Worldwide Photos as well as other media.
Editor: Graeme Cole
Writers: Trevor Dalziell, Gavin Hanbridge
Executive Editor: Rev Dr Keith V Garner,
Superintendent/CEO
Advertising: Trevor Dalziell
Art Direction: Fran Avon
Design: David Beattie, Marcelo Canizares
Production: Shelley Kirkwood
Printing: Rawson Graphics
Where stated, names and some details have been changed and/
or models have been used in photographs to protect identities and
maintain confidentiality.
2
magazine
04
08 12
“... we depend upon
one another for
loving support and
are called to reach
out to those in need.”
“For I will restore
health to you and heal
you of your wounds.”
Jeremiah 30:17
hello
In this edition of Wesley Impact! we feature Wesley Mission’s latest research
report, showing that at some point in their lives, seven out of 10 people suffer from
a mental illness or have a family member or friend who does. As a society, we
can’t hide from this alarming statistic. Despite its prevalence, most people don’t
understand mental illness, and this leads to unfavourable stigma and stereotypes.
Unlike physical health, mental health is not a topic easily broached, especially by
men. Healing starts with discussion and acceptance. Early intervention is vital.
As the Wesley Report, Keeping minds well: Mental health is everybody’s business,
shows, the longer people delay treatment, the more difficult the road to recovery.
People need to choose healing: they need to know the options and that appropriate
support is available. This Wesley Impact! contains stories of people who have
wrestled with their own mental health challenges, have sought help and found a
new path to follow.
Jesus brought his message of salvation. On hearing the message, many people
then chose to approach Jesus and be healed—and overcame any obstacle to
do so. They pushed through crowds, opened holes in roofs and cast off social
customs to reach him.
At Wesley Mission we care for the mental health of hundreds of people every day
through a range of counselling and hospital services. The message is clear to our
nation: like Jesus, we need to open our arms to those with mental illness. In him we
see acceptance, embrace fresh hope and a way forward free of stigma.
Rev Dr Keith V Garner
Superintendent/CEO
Wesley Mission
4
magazine
Susan Allan defies the stereotypes. She has a
serious mental illness, yet she looks just like
any other fit jogger you’d pass on the street.
Therein lies a story—a story of hope.
Life is hard, that’s how it goes
You’ve come this far, you’ve got to know that
You are, you are courageous
Walk on, walk on
“It’s just gone on so bloody long and I’m sick of it,” says Susan,
referring to the very serious bipolar illness she was diagnosed with
in her teens.
Yet as sombre as this sounds, Susan has taken to heart the
words of her favourite song, Melinda Schneider’s Courageous,
and continues to “walk on”. In so doing, she helps disprove the
stereotype that mental illness is a one-way ticket to despair and a
drug-induced, zombie-like existence.
If you can hold on even through the pain
Show up tomorrow, do it all again
Show up tomorrow, do it all again
Melinda Schneider’s song, sent to Sue by her sister, is her
inspiration. It gives her strength and she plays it regularly,
especially when she feels the need of “armour”.
magazine
5
Keeping minds well
At some point in their lives, seven out of 10 people
in NSW will experience a mental health problem, or
know someone who has.
It’s just one of the alarming findings of the latest
Wesley Report Keeping minds well: Mental health is
everybody’s business which was released last month.
The Wesley Report also revealed that
• Many sufferers delay seeking help, or don’t seek
help at all, often because of the stigma that still
surrounds mental illness. People are typically more
accepting of someone with a serious physical
illness than someone with a mental health problem.
• There is a need for more focus on the 15-25-yearold age group because this is the time when 75
per cent of mental illnesses begin. Ironically, it’s
also the time of life when most people have least
contact with the medical system.
In Year 12, Susan seemingly had a bright future. She was
school captain, and head of the debating team and student
council. Then she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
There is a family history of illness, and her uncle has bipolar
disorder. She believes that other family members suffer from
depression.
Bipolar disorder, once known as manic depression, takes
its victims on a bewildering and dangerous journey to the
extremes of human emotion. When they’re up, they are
confident, articulate and capable of extraordinary manic
activity. There were times when Susan was taking six exercise
classes a day and she crammed two years of a university
degree into 12 months.
When the power-kick is on, Sue loses the capacity to worry
about her public behaviour. Once, in such a mood, she
tripped into the city late at night to party by herself and ended
up at the Rape Crisis Centre.
A small part of Susan still thrills at the onset of a manic
attack because of the exhilaration and the feeling of being
able to achieve beyond expectations. “I go, ‘Yippee! Let’s
go!’,” she said. But over the years she has learned, if
possible, to brake hard.
“I know that the higher you go, the harder you fall.”
Susan can never hope for a normal life, but she tries.
“Prevention controls my life,” she says.
Then there’s the other side. In the backwash of a manic
mood, with depression set in, she has tried to commit suicide
several times.
Knowing the damage of manic moods and the consequent
slump of depression, she is angry about a TV program she
saw where bipolar disorder sufferers were asked whether,
if they could push a button and get rid of the illness, they
would: 60 per cent said no. “I’d certainly punch the button
and my family certainly would,” she said. “That kind of attitude
trivialises and glamorises the illness.”
Susan can never hope for a normal life, but she tries.
6
magazine
“Prevention controls my life,” she says.
Medication is essential but is a porous barrier. She finds that a
range of non-medicinal prevention is equally crucial.
Morning exercises are a must. “I know that if I don’t do
them, I will feel worse.” Diet: a high sugar intake is bad for
mood and sleep. She cannot tell whether there is a rational
basis for avoiding high carbohydrate foods but her instinct is
that it helps ameliorate the illness. Eating regularly is helpful.
“If I go for long periods without food—which is what I do
when I’m manic—it’s not good for me. When I’m depressed
I’m more likely to pig out because I don’t care what the
consequences are.”
Controlled breathing exercises and muscle relaxation are
good for anxiety attacks; also yoga, Pilates and massage—
everything that Susan can use to keep from going under.
An occupational therapist by training, Susan also works a day
or two a week with people with paraplegia.
Despite her efforts, it’s still touch and go.
So much depends on her inner strength because
relationships are difficult to forge and maintain when her
willingness to keep social contact is erratic and her behaviour
can unsettle and upset friends.
“They might ring me 15 times one month and I don’t reply.
Then, next month, I ring them 20 times,” she says.
She places very high value on her psychiatrist who, she says,
has the ability to demystify issues and calm her in a way she
can understand and trust—that kind of professional help is
priceless, she said.
When she has been desperate he has told her that she
should not punish herself for her illness. Instead, she should
see it for the gravely-debilitating burden it is.
“Pretend it’s cancer,” the psychiatrist has told her. “Would you
be going to work and expecting to lead a normal life if you
were very ill with cancer? No.”
Susan’s life is a constant exercise in monitoring her condition
in case she is starting to move into an uncontrollable state.
• People suffering mental illness identified family and friends as the first
“port of call” for help. This raises the question of how to best equip
these groups to better deal with the issues.
• There is a strong link between risk factors for mental illness and
the likelihood of experiencing a mental illness. These factors are
financial stress, work pressures, sleeping problems, traumatic
events and strong and persistent feelings of loneliness. Similarly,
a range of protective measures—such as exercise and a healthy
diet—were shown to have a positive impact on prevention and
management of mental illness.
• There is strong community backing for prevention measures such
as respite for carers and school-based education programs.
The report contains a number of recommendations for action,
including wider adoption of Wesley Mission’s award-winning
program Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) (www.mhfa.com.au) which
offers instruction to non-professionals on how to help someone
developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis.
The full report is available at:
www.wesleymission.org.au/keepingmindswell
“Family is a big thing—keeping them informed but also
maintaining independence—so that they understand where I’m
at,” she said. Her family becomes anxious when Susan abruptly
drops out of sight with one of her attacks because they do
not know what harm she is facing. When she is depressed
she becomes uncommunicative; during a manic episode she
is out on the loose and not thinking of anyone else.
“Wesley Mission takes a much more pro-active approach—
I have my own case worker, doctor and nurse, access to a
whole range of treatment options, and the encouragement
to explore what works best.”
Within the “safe haven” provided by the Wesley Mission
hospital, Susan has been able to test different medications
and counselling therapies.
Susan’s enemy is alcohol. Sufferers use drugs and alcohol as
In May this year, Wesley Mission released its most recent
self-medication to anaesthetise mental pain. For Susan, the
report into mental illness. Called Keeping Minds well: Mental
raw aftermath of a manic attack or depression can be blunted health is everybody’s business, (see story above) it carried
by drink. She grows to think that drink serves her better than
medication so she stops the medication and stops seeking
“There have been times when I’ve given up, attempted
medical aid. She said that her family, while having developed
suicide,” Susan said.
over the years an appreciation of her difficulties, still cannot
forgive her lapses into alcoholism: they feel that while she
some positive messages: that with proper care and positive
cannot help being a victim of a mental illness, she can
lifestyle choices, mental illness—even cases as severe as
exercise self-control and not become a drunk.
Susan’s—can be managed.
In 2008, Susan tried to get into an alcohol rehab program but
That message is a tough one to sell to the wider community.
was rejected by 16 different providers as they thought she
In the same report, respondents openly talked of how they
was too mentally unwell. This was frustrating because her
were more comfortable dealing with someone with cancer
substance abuse is a product of her mental illness.
than someone with depression. One woman even expressed
These days she attends Wesley Hospital’s alcohol and drug
day program. Prof John Saunders, an expert in substance
dependence syndrome, speaks as part of the program.
Susan said his presence is a testament to how well Wesley
Mission helps people manage substance abuse.
Sue was interviewed while she was at Wesley Hospital
undergoing group therapy for substance abuse and bipolar
disorder. She has also been in anxiety management, goalsetting and other programs.
She’s also turned to Wesley Mission on other occasions.
“There have been times when I’ve given up, attempted
suicide,” Susan recalls. “The last time was quite recently and
thankfully someone got me into Wesley Mission’s hospital.
the fear that her child might “catch” depression from her
teacher!
That’s why Susan’s example is so important. As severe as her
illness is, it is simply that—an illness, a chemical accident, not
a choice. She, and many other brave sufferers, are showing
that they can indeed “walk on”. Now it’s up to everyone else
to let them.
There’s a bigger plan that’s what they say
But you’ve still got to make it through today
You may be feeling scared, want to run away
But if you choose to look fear in the face
If you choose to look fear in the face
You’ll have better luck, better luck.
– Trevor Dalziell
“It’s been a huge help, a safe haven,” she says.
“Previously I’d been in and out of other hospitals and they
were horrible. Sure they make you feel safe, but that’s where
the treatment ends.
magazine
7
8
magazine
Hayley* remembers her “asthma” attacks … the
crippling tightness in the chest, the gasping for air,
the rising panic.
The symptoms were frighteningly real, except that
Hayley didn’t have asthma—she was in the grip of
an anxiety attack.
After months of grief, sorrow and anger, her
exhausted mind and body were sending her an
urgent message—get help!
magazine
9
In Wesley Mission’s latest research report, Keeping Minds
Well: Mental health is everybody’s business, (see a summary
on page 6) anxiety ranked second to depression as the mostcommonly reported mental health problem.
It can be triggered by a wide range of events, some obvious,
others not so.
In Hayley’s case the cause was cut and dried. Last year
the 20-year-old drama student was hit by the emotional
equivalent of a Mack truck. In the space of a week both her
father and her beloved pet dog were diagnosed with cancer.
Then, a few months later, a horrific car accident claimed the
life of her best friend.
“I was angry, tired and sad. I would cry at the drop of a hat
and it wouldn’t take much for me to fly off the handle,”
Hayley recalls.
“I felt helpless.” Hayley was caught in a vicious cycle.
“When I visited my parents we didn’t talk about any of the
cancer stuff. I didn’t want to worry them and, besides, they
were all suffering too. We just tip-toed around the issue and
distracted ourselves with the practical things that needed
doing,” she said.
They started to avoid Hayley and her “short fuse”.
Like many other people interviewed in the latest Wesley Mission
report, Hayley did not initially seek treatment for her anxiety.
“I was still functioning—studying, working part-time, helping my
mum and dad—but I was sad and anxious 24/7,” she said.
“I went to the doctor at one point and said I was anxious and
not sleeping but all I got was some sleeping tablets. They
helped me sleep but left me really groggy the next day.
“I obviously knew that something was wrong, and friends
urged me to get help, but I didn’t like the idea of going to see
a counsellor who was a total stranger. I was afraid they would
be very judgmental.”
It was her housemates who eventually changed her mind.
“They finally ran out of patience with the way I treated them
when I was angry. One of them gave me the number for
Lifeline,” she said.
Hayley called the service and they recommended she contact
Wesley Mission’s Face to Face Counselling team.
“As it turned out, having a stranger talk to me about my situation
was the best thing because she could offer me the perspective
of someone who wasn’t tied up in my problems,” Hayley said.
“I meditate each morning for 10 minutes, keep a diary
and find that going for walks really helps clear my mind.”
“Then I’d get back to my shared accommodation where I
had no role to play and the floodgates of tears and anger
would open.
“The best advice she gave me was that it was OK to feel what I
was feeling. If I tried to avoid those feelings and stay strong and
controlled, they’d just pop again later or in some other form.”
“Some of my friends were so supportive and caring but
they didn’t really know what to say to help me get over my
sadness and anger.
Hayley sees her counsellor regularly but also relies on a
number of other techniques to help her cope with her pain.
“All I really wanted was for someone to tell me that everything
would be fine, but I realise now that they couldn’t do that.”
Unfortunately, other friends were not so responsive. They told
her to “snap out of it”, advice she found deeply offensive and
uncaring.
“Another one told me that I should try to see the good that
could come from these tragic events. It was the worst thing
they could have said,” she recalls.
Hayley’s experience underlines the findings of the recent Wesley
Report (see Page 6) which shows that most people experiencing
mental health problems turn first to family and friends for advice
and support. It raises concerns about how people can educate
themselves to notice the warning signs and offer the best advice.
Meanwhile, Hayley’s caring friends were becoming
increasingly exasperated at the way she would take out her
anger on them.
10
magazine
“I meditate each morning for 10 minutes, keep a diary and
find that going for walks really helps clear my mind,” she said.
“I realise now that the grief never really goes away. You just
find a way to deal with it and find a place for it.
“I still don’t like it when people say to me ‘oh it’s been six months
now since your friend’s death so I guess you’re over it’.”
So does Hayley have any advice for others who might be
experiencing feelings similar to hers?
“I’ve got a friend who’s depressed but she won’t seek help
because she thinks it’s a sign of weakness,” Hayley said.
“If I can pass on one piece of advice it’s that there is no
shame in seeking professional help. It certainly got me
through a really difficult time.”
*Name changed
– Trevor Dalziell
Wise
counsel
Feeling tense, stressed and worried at certain
times is normal. Feeling tense, stressed and
worried all the time is not.
“When worry is prolonged and excessive, and begins to
interfere with our daily lives, it’s probably become what’s
called anxiety,” according to Ingrid Storm, Coordinator of
Wesley Mission’s Face to Face Counselling in Sydney.
“People are on high alert and can’t switch off. It can be
exhausting.”
According to the Australian Psychological Society, anxiety
is normally diagnosed when at least three of the following
symptoms have been present for six months or longer:
•
•
•
•
•
•
feeling restless and unable to relax
feeling tense
having sleeping difficulties
having problems concentrating
feeling irritable
feeling tired or exhausted.
“Counsellors also fill an
important void when a
person doesn’t have friends
or family they can open up to
about how they feel. It’s so
important to have someone
who’ll listen and understand.”
People who want to talk to a Wesley Mission
counsellor can call (02) 9263 5516 during office hours.
For urgent help at other times, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Other common symptoms include stomach upsets, racing
heartbeat, hot flushes, panic attacks and breathing difficulties.
“The trigger can be a significant life event, such as
unemployment, death of someone close, or relationship
breakdown. In other cases it can be that an individual has
a pre-disposition to being anxious and has learned ways of
coping that are not helpful,” Ingrid said.
“At first it affects people’s quality of life, such as being
constantly tired, but if it goes on long enough, it can start to
harm their physical health.”
So is anxiety the same as depression?
“People with depression tend to feel quite intensely sad
and hopeless. Anxiety is more about being mentally and
physically keyed up all the time—having a continuous loop
of worry running in their head. Some of the symptoms
overlap with depression, and anxiety can lead to
depression, but not always,” Ingrid said.
Below: Wesley Mission’s Ingrid Storm advises a
“reality check” with a counsellor for people who
think they might be suffering from anxiety.
Wesley Mission offers counselling in Sydney to many
people with anxiety.
So when does someone need to see a counsellor?
“We always say that if you’ve been struggling for some
time and it’s beginning to affect your quality of life and not
improving, despite your best efforts, then it is a good idea
to check it out with a professional,” Ingrid said.
“Sometimes it’s good to just get a ‘reality check’ to see
where you stand on the spectrum of anxiety.
“Unfortunately many people still won’t take that step because
they feel ashamed that they might have a mental illness.
“That’s sad because mental health is as important as
physical health and is really no different. You wouldn’t think
twice about going to the doctor if you broke your leg or had
a bad case of the flu.”
Wesley Mission psychologists and counsellors employ a
range of techniques and therapies with anxiety sufferers
to treat the emotional, mental and physical aspects of the
condition. These might include cognitive therapy, lifestyle
changes and relaxation methods.
magazine
11
wordwise
1 John 4
Called to care – with Rev Dr Keith V Garner
Mental health issues are close to the heart of Wesley Mission.
In our extensive program of service and care, mental illness
emerges frequently and, as our recent report indicates (see
page 6), is growing and demands fresh approaches.
A pastoral paper concluded “that understanding and
compassion create an atmosphere in which the healing power
of God can most effectively work”.1 Christian caring grows out
of our understanding of God and our experience of receiving
love and care in our own lives. God calls us to wholeness
which comes even through experiences of hurt and pain, as
we realise how deeply we depend upon one another for loving
support and are called to reach out to those in need.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from
God.” 1 John 4:7
When we talk about God’s love, we must not think it is a mere
quality he possesses; for what we mean by “God is love” is
that this is the essence of his being. We can only begin to
comprehend this, but we remind ourselves that God, who
reveals himself in scripture, is a God of love.
Six times in this letter the writer employs the words “Dear
friends”. This communicates pastoral and heartfelt concern
for the recipients. The sentiment applies in three specific
contexts:
12
magazine
It is a word for those who suffer
It is hard to feel positive when you are suffering. The Bible
recognises how real and severe suffering can be. Taking the
example of depression, the Book of Psalms contains much
worship and praise, but also touches difficult places, which
do not deny God’s existence but help us to call “out of the
depths”. (Psalms 6, 22, 69, 88 and 130)
There remain some expressions of Christianity which border
on harshness when dealing with mental illness—or anything
that does not stack up in terms of a positive and dynamic
lifestyle. Authentic faith will never do this, for at the heart of
Easter faith is a message of both cross and resurrection.
C S Lewis once wrote in a correspondence, “God who
foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go
through it, not without pain but without stain”.2
A word for those who care
In this epistle, a close relationship is drawn between loving
God and living out the life of love. As one writer put it, “a true
apprehension of the personhood of God should lead us to
change how we live and behave”.3
When I think of carers, I have in mind not just staff and
volunteers of Wesley Mission, nor professionals in other parts
of the field … but family and friends who journey alongside
:7-12
those who suffer. There seems no escape from feelings of
helplessness, but care takes on many forms and is exercised
with sensitivity and understanding.
The Johannine Epistles invite us on a journey of discovery,
bringing together our relationship with God and practical ways
we care, resisting any thought that they should be separated.
Jesus knew he needed time alone. If we are to help others,
we need to be aware of the limitations of our abilities and
gain strength. (Mark 6:31-32) Those who care need to
open ears, eyes, hands, lips, minds and hearts to God’s
compassionate love.
There is no area of our work where it is clearer that we need
to hold these two together than when we offer care to those
who suffer from mental illness. A cursory glance at our Bible
shows there is a wealth of material concerning people of faith
suffering overload in their lives. Elijah abandoned himself to
the point where he wished he was dead (1 Kings 19); we hear
Job protested at the unfairness of what happened to him (Job
3, 29, 30 and 31); and consider Jesus in the grief and anguish
of the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32 f.) and in the cry of
dereliction from the cross (Mark 15:34).
Jean Vanier is the Canadian philosopher and founder of L’Arche,
an international organisation which has created communities
across the world to help people with developmental difficulties
and those who assist them in sharing life together. He wrote:
We can all walk together in hope;
celebrating that we are loved in our brokenness,
helping each other,
growing in trust …
we believe that Jesus has called us together.
It is where we belong
and are called to grow and serve.4
A word for the Christian community
Some fail to show love to others and such an approach
has been described as “undesirable, indeed intolerable,
amongst believers”.5
We want to speak about the hope of Christ and the promise
that “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There
will be no more death or mourning, or crying or pain, for the
old order of things has passed away”. (Revelation 21:4) But
we must also demonstrate in our caring programs that those
who suffer in the realm of mental health are not only welcome
but have something unique to contribute. Many of us must
be involved in the public conversation to ensure that stigmas
in relation to mental health are addressed at all levels of our
society. God’s gift is one of positive acceptance and peace.
— Rev Dr Keith V Garner
1. Davies, Mark T and Matthews, David R, Meeting Depression
—A Christian View, Methodist Publishing House.
2. Lewis, C S, Letters of C S Lewis, Collins, p.219
3. Burge, Gary M, Letters of John: The NIV Application Commentary,
Zondervan, p.187.
4. Vanier, Jean, Friends of L’Arche, Atlanta 2010.
5. Smith, D Moody, First, Second and Third John: Interpretation
Commentary, John Knox Press, p.19.
magazine
13
wesley mission news
01. Good Friday in public focus
Hundreds flocked to Sydney’s Martin Place on Good Friday
to watch the re-enactment of the trial and crucifixion march
of Jesus.This signature event on Sydney’s Easter calendar
was performed by students from Wesley Institute, an
interdenominational Christian higher education institute
in Drummoyne.
As dancers, musicians and actors drew the captive crowd
into the performance at Martin Place, Jesus was sentenced
and beaten before beginning his walk along Pitt Street to the
Wesley Centre. Disciples, Mary and Roman soldiers were
dressed in period costume during the narrative.
Almost 1000 people watched the full-scale performance
of But for One Man at the Wesley Theatre immediately
afterwards. The play followed a group of actors as they
rehearsed for an Easter play and wrestled with the truth and
reality of Jesus.
Wesley Mission Easter events and the Rev Dr Keith Garner’s
Easter message attracted widespread media attention with
more than 100 media interviews, newspaper stories and
broadcasts during Holy Week.
02. Commuters get the message
Sydneysiders catching the train over the next few months will
see a new advertising campaign for Wesley Mission.
The organisation is highlighting the release of its recent
research report Keeping minds well: Mental health is
everybody’s business with large posters in several major
railway stations.
by mental illness”. Each commuter is used to illustrate the
common stresses that can trigger a mental illness. Wesley
Mission staff were the “models” for the poster.
Similar graphics are being used in print and TV advertising,
and there are also radio ads. Wesley Mission’s next research
report will focus on financial stress.
03. Greed, not God, caused crisis: Stevens
Reserve Bank boss Glenn Stevens opened up at Wesley
Mission’s Easter breakfast about his strong Christian faith.
The RBA boss elaborated on his faith in a keynote address
at the breakfast which drew an audience of more than 175,
including former Prime Minister John Howard and ABC
Managing Director Mark Scott, our honorary Treasurer.
Mr Stevens, a 30-year employee of the RBA, said he wasn’t
afraid to say he belonged to the Christian faith, despite his
high-ranking position. “Despite claims to the contrary, there
is a God; this is worth checking out,” he said. “It changes
everything.”
He did not agree with suggestions the global financial crisis
was a sign from God. “I think what we’ve learnt is something
that we knew or should have known all along, which is that
market economies are characterised by cycles, that human
behaviour is driven by alternately greed and fear, and that
therefore economic systems are occasionally prone to this
kind of instability,” Mr Stevens said.
The striking poster features 10 commuters at a bus stop,
with the poignant message “7 out of 10 people are affected
“It’s always been that way and it always will be, and we’ve
learnt that in some other countries, in a very painful way, yet
again. But it isn’t the first time and I rather fear that it won’t be
the last. Hopefully on future occasions the excesses before
the downturn will be smaller than they were this time.”
01. There was widespread media coverage of
Wesley Mission’s Easter program including the
traditional Good Friday re-enactment of Jesus’
trial and crucifixion
01. Debra Byrne (featured in our last Impact!)
led hundreds of worshippers in song at Wesley
Mission’s annual sunrise service at the Opera
House on Easter Sunday
14
magazine
04. Keith co-chairs homelessness team
Wesley Mission’s Superintendent and CEO the Rev Keith
Garner has been appointed Deputy Co-Chair of the NSW
Premier’s Advisory Council on Homelessness.
The Premier, Kristina Keneally, chairs the 10-person Council
which was set up in February and meets quarterly.
The Premier chose Wesley Mission’s Edward Eagar Lodge,
which offers emergency accommodation, as the venue for
the launch of this NSW initiative.
Dr Garner said he welcomed the opportuity for Wesley
Mission to make a contribution to the Council.
“I’m pleased that the Government is prepared to listen on
this important issue and that the Premier chose to make the
announcement, not in Parliament House, but in a place that
works with the everyday realities of homelessness,” he said.
“A lot of young people who need assistance either don’t
know about existing youth services or resist using them
for one reason or other,” Michael Wright, Wesley Mission’s
Coordinator of Newcastle Youth Services, said.
“This is a new and innovative mobile youth outreach service
in Newcastle and we’ll be going out to where the young
people are.”
The van will also visit schools and community centres during
the day.
Xstrata Coal is sponsoring the Street Smart program and
has made Wesley Mission one of its Corporate Social
Involvement Partners.
06. Tasmania holds suicide memorial
More than 150 people attended the inaugural Tasmanian
LifeForce Suicide Memorial Service in April in Hobart.
“I’m confident that this Council will not be just a talkfest. My
fellow members and I don’t want that and are committed to
try and deliver workable solutions.”
The service was held for people who have been affected by
suicide and live in its heartbreaking aftermath, and for the
community to reflect upon this serious social issue.
05. We take a smart idea to the streets
The concept of a service arose from discussions between
Wesley Mission LifeForce and Lifeline Hobart. Wesley
Mission LifeForce is a national suicide prevention program
that educates, empowers and resources communities in a
sustainable and ethical way. More than 15,000 people have
been trained through the program during the past 13 years.
There’s a smart new presence on the night streets of Newcastle.
April saw the first appearance of Wesley Mission’s van
promoting its Street Smart youth outreach program on
Thursday and Friday evenings.
Street Smart aims to reach young people from 12 to 25 who
don’t normally use mainstream youth services.
The van parks at prominent locations and a team is available
to discuss and provide information on issues including alcohol
and other drugs, mental health, homelessness, education,
training and employment, and relationships.
02. On track … Wesley Mission’s latest
advertising campaign around mental
illness includes striking posters at several
Sydney underground railway stations
”For every suicide death there are at least 10 immediate
family members and friends whose lives are changed forever.
This means there are many, many people in our society who
are left deeply grieved and hurting when they lose a loved
one,” Wesley Mission CEO, the Rev Dr Keith Garner, said at
the event.
03. Greed and fear drive economic
cycles, according to Reserve Bank of
Australia chief Glenn Stevens who spoke
at Wesley Mission’s Easter breakfast
04. Rev Keith Garner is assisting the
NSW Premier to shape Government
policy and programs on homelessness
as part of a new initiative
magazine
15
turning p ints
01. Criticism of asylum seeker policy
only subjects specifically excluded from the syllabus.
The President of the Uniting Church, Rev Alistair Macrae, has
condemned the Australian Government for re-opening the
Curtin detention facility in Western Australia. “Detaining people
indefinitely in the middle of the desert is inconsistent with a
humane approach to the treatment of asylum seekers,” he
said. “Curtin is an entirely inappropriate and shameful place to
be housing already vulnerable and traumatised people.”
In 2009, the NSW Board of Studies clarified its own policy,
advising that such theories of the beginning of the universe
“are not scientific, nor evidence-based”. As such, those
topics are not part of science assessments for the School
Certificate or Higher School Certificate. However, there is
scope for reference to biblical perspectives as part of wider
class discussions on science in NSW schools.
Rev Macrae had earlier criticised the government for
suspending the processing of protection visa applications
from Afghan and Sri Lankan asylum seekers. He pointed out
that this was a reversal of government policy, saying, “the
Government has up until now committed itself to the speedy
processing of protection claims because they understand that
indefinite detention is inappropriate”.
The acting executive director of the NSW Association of
Independent Schools, Michael Carr said, “our view is that
NSW independent schools must follow the Board of Studies
Curriculum, which dictates that Creationism cannot be taught
as part of science. Schools wishing to teach Creationism
must teach it as part of their religious studies”.
Rev Macrae highlighted the impact of indefinite detention
on the mental health of asylum seekers. “All of the evidence
and views of Australia’s most respected mental health
professionals, including Australian of the Year Professor Patrick
McGorry, attest to the devastating effects of mandatory,
indefinite detention on asylum seekers’ psychological state
and ability to fully participate in the community once they have
left detention to start their new lives.”
02. Creationism and the science class
The South Australian Department of Education has moved
to specifically ban the teaching of Creationism and Intelligent
Design as part of the school science curriculum. Christian
Schools Australia will campaign against this policy with its
CEO, Stephen O’Doherty, saying that the policy was too
harsh. He said Creationism and Intelligent Design were the
01. Going to the edges … Rev Alistair Macrae,
President of the Uniting Church in Australia, was
one of the church representatives who visited the
Christmas Island Detention Centre in February
16
magazine
03. Apology for Archbishop’s assassination
Thirty years after the assassination of Salvadoran Archbishop
Oscar Romero as he said mass, the President of El
Salvador has made an official apology for the involvement of
government agencies in the killing. In a country with one of
the highest homicide rates in the world, President Mauricio
Funes said the apology would be “a balm for a country that is
tired of violence”.
Much of Oscar Romero’s work involved traversing the
country, ministering to the rural poor. He later broadcast his
Sunday sermons on radio to reach the large number of farm
workers who believed they were unwelcome in the church.
In the 1970s, he received death threats as he began to
criticise the El Salvadoran government for its support of death
squads that attacked its opponents. The regime decided to
assassinate him after he delivered a message for government
02. In the beginning … the role of God in the
creation of the world has been defined as a
matter for religious studies in NSW and South
Australian schools rather than science classes
soldiers during a mass in 1980, saying, “in the name of God,
in the name of this suffering people, I ask you, I implore you,
stop the repression!”
As increasing numbers of people joined leftist militias to
oppose the regime, he played a key role in preventing wide
scale conflict. However, after his death a 12-year civil war
ensued between the US-backed army and the militias.
When the civil war ended, there was an amnesty for those
responsible for Romero’s murder. However, a former army
captain who helped plan the assassination has recently given
media interviews. This has resulted in renewed calls for others
who were involved to be prosecuted.
04. Easter: live and online
The telling of the Easter story has moved definitively into the
21st Century this year with a passion play being conducted
on Twitter. Called Easter (LIVE), the play involved seven
characters in Jerusalem, from minor disciples to bystanders,
giving their observations in the days before Jesus’ death.
The play was an initiative of three organisations in the U.K.
including the Evangelical Alliance. The play, which will become
an annual event, attracted 1000 followers on Twitter and 2000
members on Facebook. The Easter (LIVE) website received
2000 hits. The organisers are now preparing for an interactive
Christmas story called, The Natwivity.
05. Leading assistance to HIV sufferers
Forty religious leaders met in the Netherlands in March for
the High Level Summit of Religious Leaders on HIV. The aim
was to seek opportunities to take action on HIV. Discussions
with representatives from the Joint United Nations Program
on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) were part of the summit. Participants
03. Facing the risks of speaking out …
30 years ago Archbishop Oscar Romero
was murdered because he challenged
government oppression in El Salvador
04. Audience development …
thousands in the U.K. followed
the Easter (LIVE) passion play
on Twitter and Facebook
pledged “stronger, more visible, and practical leadership in
response to HIV”. Bishop Emeritus of the Church of Norway
said that “we are here to address important human and
spiritual aspects of the epidemic. And we will be doing so
with a sense of humility for the harm people have suffered
in the name of religion, but also with a confidence that faith
matters and that faith can make us proud.”
Also in attendance was the Rev Mark Hanson, Presiding
Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
He said, “our focus was ending the stigma and discrimination
for those who are HIV positive and who have AIDS”. In 2009,
the ECLA committed to raise US$10 million over three years
to fund its Strategy on HIV and AIDS.
06. The lines are now open
A group of Catholics at a small telephone messaging service in
Paris has set up a pay telephone line for Catholics to confess
their sins. Rather than talking to a person, callers are provided
with an “atmosphere of piety and reflection” and are able to
listen to prayers, music, and other people’s confessions. They
are also able to record their own confessions.
The creator of the service, Camille, said “the idea is to
confess sins which are not capital sins, but minor sins
directly to God”. Camille, who cannot reveal her surname
due to the threats she has received, was clear that the
service does not offer absolution for sins. However, the
Conference of French Bishops was critical, saying, “for the
Catholic faithful, confession has a sacramental meaning
and requires the real presence of a priest”. The bishops do,
however, support telephone services for isolated people.
However, they said, “it was unacceptable to allow confusion
over the notion of confession”.
06. Being there … churches face the challenge
of balancing the role of face to face ministry with
the capacity of 24/7 communications technology
to build rapport with people outside the church
magazine
17
wesley mission’s services
There are many traumatic events that can trigger and prolong mental
health problems. Wesley Mission provides a broad range of services
to help prevent and manage these.
Counselling
Foster care
Wesley Mission’s counselling is far-reaching, helping individuals
and families cope in a myriad of ways. We provide face-toface and crisis telephone counselling for depression, eating
disorders, abuse, alcoholism and drugs, anger, gambling,
financial problems, grief and loss, suicidal behaviour and
domestic violence.
Wesley Dalmar provides homes for children and young
people who cannot live with their families.
Suicide prevention
Youth services
Wesley LifeForce is dedicated to helping reduce the
significant rate of suicide in Australia. LifeForce works in local
communities, raising awareness about suicide prevention,
delivering seminars on the signs of suicide and how to
intervene effectively, and establishing local Suicide Prevention
Networks. These networks, set up across New South Wales,
are able respond to specific needs in their community and
deliver local suicide prevention initiatives.
It recruits, trains and supports foster carers. Wesley Dalmar
foster carers are mature and committed to providing a safe,
secure and loving environment for the children or young
people in their care.
Wesley Mission’s Youth Services help young people and
their families cope with the urgent problems facing youth
today—homelessness, alcohol and drugs, gambling and other
life-controlling issues that can lead to mental illness. By taking
a compassionate approach and respecting the worth of each
individual, we are turning young lives around. We do this by
offering counselling, case management, group activities,
drop-in centres, training, referrals and information.
Homeless services
When a person slides into homelessness, almost every other
problem in their life worsens—whether it’s substance abuse,
mental illness, relationship breakdowns or problems with the
law. Wesley Mission programs provide stability and security so
people can begin to address the areas in their lives that have
contributed to their homelessness.
Services include crisis accommodation, case management,
drop-in centres, assistance with food and independent living.
Respite for carers
Being a carer is a huge responsibility. Often this is in addition
to other family, work or community commitments. For some
carers their role can be exhausting or overwhelming; a trigger
for mental health problems. Wesley Mission helps carers
take time out for themselves. Our in-home and residential
respite services work together with carers to plan the respite
they need.
Help Wesley Mission extend
its work of caring for people
•
•
•
•
•
Volunteer your time and skills
Host a fundraising event
Commit to a regular donation
Leave a lasting gift in your Will
Introduce Wesley Mission to your
workplace or community group
Talk to us to find out more or to share your great ideas.
Call (02) 9263 5555 and help keep minds well.
Psychiatric hospitals
Wesley Mission’s hospitals in Sydney provide compassionate
care for those in need of psychiatric help. The goal is to
provide positive outcomes, not only for patients with a
mental illness but also for their family and carers. Combining
medication and therapy, the treatment programs include life
skills and support networks to ensure recovery is effective,
ongoing and enriching.
Child and family services
Wesley Mission’s Child and Family Services represent a
cornerstone of its care. Services are designed to increase
a family’s ability to effectively deal with a range of problems
through information on parenting, child development, local
services and groups, supported playgroups, outreach
services, early childhood resources including books and toys,
transition to school programs and other group activities.
18
magazine
Keep minds well
For more detailed information on the full range of
Wesley Mission mental health services visit
www.wesleymission.org.au/community_services/
counselling
“My wife has Alzheimer’s.
I’ve been looking after
her for two years.
I’m living a nightmare.”
Ken 65
Cares for his wife who has Alzheimer’s
Since Ken’s wife was diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s, the only time he gets to himself
is a trip to the shops. His whole life revolves
around her and often she doesn’t even know
who he is. Ken is one of the 77 per cent of
Australians affected by mental illness.
Wesley Mission’s respite services give
people like Ken a break. But for every
person we help, another is turned away
due to a lack of resources.
Help Wesley Mission keep minds well
Donate 1800 021 821
www.wesleymission.org.au/donate
220 Pitt Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
PO BOX A5555 Sydney South NSW 1235
PH: (02) 9263 5555 FAX: (02) 9283 1140
EMAIL: wesleymission@wesleymission.org.au
WEB: www.wesleymission.org.au
Wesley Mission is a part of the Uniting Church in Australia.