for
February 2014
Published by:
Red Cross
PHaMs
14B Cambridge St
Rockhampton QLD 4700
Tel: 07 4922 0020
www.redcross.org.au
Welcome back to everyone from all the staff and volunteers at
PHaMs and Walali Neighbourhood Centre. We trust that you all
had a happy and safe Christmas and New Years.
Walali Neighbourhood Centre . This year we are
continue with choir on Monday afternoons. Tuesday
morning is Crafty Yarners then Diabetes/healthy living
group in the afternoon. Some new activities that we are
Australia Day
Celebrations
We’re back and kicked off
the new year with
Australia Day celebration
at Walali Neighbourhood
Centre last Friday 24th Jan.
It was great to see
everyone there enjoying
the awesome BBQ lunch
cooked by Mr Aussie
himself (Terry), followed
looking at running this first quarter include:
• Gym (basic level)
•
Yoga for beginners
•
Food Cents Program
So keep an eye out on our calendar for dates on start times.
Staffing at PHaMs
There have been some subtle changes to our staff line up for
the New Year. We have since welcomed to the PHaMs
program,
Seka Yasso (Support Worker), John Clayton (Case Worker)
We also welcome Shelly Green to the role of Peer Support.
Rockhampton and Merv Maisey Peer Support Emerald .
by home made lamingtons
that were heavenly,
Emerald news
cooked by one of our
Hello to all the PHaMs clients in Emerald and surrounding
newest staff members,
area. Our Case Worker in Emerald, Olivia Vorpagel, and our
Seika.
new Peer Support Worker, Merv Maisey, are the members of
The Walali Warriors came
our Emerald team working hard to support PHaMs clients
along and got us all in the
in the district. They have recently moved office from the
spirit of things with a few
Neighbourhood Centre to a new base at Centacare. The
favourite tunes and there
Monday activity group is still taking place at the
were lots of laughs with a
Neighbourhood Centre, and by all accounts is lots of fun. To
game of celebrity heads
find out more, ring Olivia on 0408 712 953, or the PHaMs
and Australia trivia.
office in Rockhampton 4922 0020.
Peer Support News
People with their own experience of mental health illness (Peers) can
directly contribute to the recovery of others. Meaningful peer
involvement is associated with innovative recovery-orientated
services internationally.
Peer Support this year has started up
again. There is our regular monthly Peer
Support meeting which is held at Walali
on the 1st Thursday of each month, 12pm
to 1:30pm. Also our regular Peer Group
Outings which will be held on the last
Friday of each month. For more
Other news from our first meeting
highlighted mental health support
groups available in the community. This
week we spoke of our local Grow group
and their meeting details, for further
information on this support group please
contact ph: 1800 558 268
information please contact Shelly Green,
PHaMs Peer Support on mob: 0428 039
Peer Group Social Outings
408/ 4922 0020 or drop into Walali at
The group this month decided for a
14b Cambridge Street, Rockhampton.
picnic in the gardens as our first social
Our first meeting of the year was a great
success and I would like to thank all who
attend as well as the staff and volunteers
for their help and support.
A suggestion was made that each month
we can highlight a mental illness and
then discuss it openly. Introducing it,
giving a brief clinical description and
perhaps a peers personal account of what
it is like living with it. This would then be
outing together, 28th Feb. There will be
lots of fun, laughs and support (maybe a
game of French cricket). Lunch will be
provided with a small cost associated of
$5. Please confirm your participation by
contact Shelly on mob: 0428 039 408 or
staff at PHaMs on 4922 0020.
Everyone is invited to participate as well
as offer suggestions for all Peer Group
meetings and social outings.
featured in the monthly newsletter. By
Our next Peer support meeting will be
doing this it sheds away the mystery and
the 6th March at Walali. Feel free to bring
hopefully the stigma which all of us
something to nibble and share off the
struggle with on a daily occurrence.
coffee table.
Dealing with my Diagnosis
MY ANGEL WISH
I wish I had loving angels that I
could visibly see
To guide me through
these emotional misguided
thoughts that lurk within my
mind
I would happily pay them a
penny each
For the inner peace I seek to find
But for now I will have to search
for the strength in me
To achieve what I am looking for
So..
I know my loving angels will
appear some day
To guide me through my
troubled world
And find a loyal trusting friend
or two
Then no longer will I live in
silence
All lonely sad and blue
Oh!!!..
Dear elusive angels
Do hurry!!!..
Answer my prayers
Don't leave me here within this
universe
Frightened and despaired
As I have no one around me
Especially "FAMILY"
That ought to care
I close my eyes now
Then say a little prayer
AMEN.....
Written by lil butterfly
A brief description by someone dealing with this as part of their
every day life.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) used to be called
Multiple Personalities. The one problem with this change
was they discovered that people who had this disorder lost
time and when they “switched” between personalities they
were unaware of what had happened during that
time. According to the International Society for the Study of
Trauma and Dissociation, DID is diagnosed in 0.1% of the
population, with women having five times the incidence of
men.
People with DID have very few close friends, support
workers and professional support people (psychologists,
psychiatrists) have difficulty dealing with DID patients
because of the number of personalities that the person
has. Inevitably people find it too difficult to deal with all of
the different personalities so they give up on the host
person. This leaves the host person alone and vulnerable. It
is not only outsiders that leave DID people family also find it
too hard to cope with the different personalities when a
person is unwell.
When a person “switches” between personalities they not
only lose time, they have no idea what has happened during
the time the personality has been out such as places, people
and clothes.
All about wellbeing
Anxiety
It is not unusual to feel anxious or panicky
when faced with a threatening or stressful
situation. But when a person feels worry or
panic so overwhelming they cannot live as
they usually do, they may have an anxiety
disorder. These disorders often involve
feelings of continual or extreme tension,
Diabetes/health living group
The diabetes & healthy living group
have begun their meetings again at
with the fear of, or actual, panic attacks,
Walali each Tuesday. Kicking off the
usually without an obvious cause. Anxiety
new month with the topic of “health
disorders are common and one in ten
fats, bad fats” . Next month (March) the
Australians will develop such a disorder in
group have selected to explore
their lifetime. More women are affected than
“Everything about sugars”.
men.
If you like to be apart of this group and
The causes of anxiety disorders are not
known but it is thought that severe stress or
trauma can be triggers. Some personality
types are at greater risk. Treatment may, but
not always, include medication as well as
or would like more information please
contact Shelly at Walali on 4922 0020 or
drop in on Tuesday afternoons 1pm –
3pm.
psychological therapies, avoidance of stress,
exercise and relaxation techniques.
Yoga group
Yoga group has begun at Walali
•
For more information visit:
Neighbourhood Centre. John will be
•
www.healthinsite.gov.au
taking classes every Thursday afternoon
•
www.sane.org.au
From 1pm – 2pm
•
www.anxietyonline.org.au
From beginners
to advanced
What's happening at
Walali Neighbourhood Centre
14b Cambridge St, Rockhampton
Ph: 4922 0020
February 2014
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
Body movement
@ 10.00am
followed by
Choir @ 1.00pm
Craft group
10.00am
Centre
Closed
Peer Support
meeting @ 11.30am
Garden Project @
10.00am
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
Body movement
@ 10.00am
followed by
Choir @ 1.00pm
Craft group
10.00am
Centre
Closed
Multi-cultural group
@ 10.00am
Garden Project @
10.00am
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
Body movement
@ 10.00am
Choir @ 1.00pm
Craft group
10.00am
Centre
Closed
Multi-cultural group
@ 10.00am
Garden Project @
10.00am
Diabetes/Health
living @ 1.00pm
Diabetes/Health
living @ 1.00pm
Yoga @ 1pm
Diabetes/Health
living @ 1.00pm
Yoga @ 1pm
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
Body movement
@ 10.00am
followed by
healthy lunch
Choir @ 1.00pm
Craft group
10.00am
Centre
Closed
Multi-cultural group
@ 10.00am
Yoga @ 1.00pm
Garden Project @
10.00am
Diabetes/Health
Living @ 1.00pm
Wandal community
gardens group
outings
External
Peer Outing
Botanical Gardens
Picnic
11-2pm