A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
When children are chronically anxious, even the most well-meaning parents can utter words that exacerbate, instead of alleviate, anxious feelings. Non-anxious parents have the benefit of time, wisdom, and reasoning on their sides, and this can lead to statements that unknowingly dismiss the child’s anxious feelings. It can be very difficult to watch a child [...]
The discomfort of loneliness is as essential to humans as thirst or hunger. A survival instinct, it kicks in reminding us to reconnect to the group when we become isolated. But new research, Australia's most comprehensive study of loneliness to date, reveals not only its prevalence, but its paradox; the lonelier people feel, the less [...]
Anxiety can be defined as ‘a state consisting of psychological and physical symptoms brought about by a sense of apprehension at a perceived threat’. Fear is similar to anxiety, except that with fear the threat is, or is perceived to be, more concrete, present, or imminent. Presentation The psychological and physical symptoms of anxiety vary [...]
The blurb on the back of the book had an enticing promise: "Take a few minutes out of your day and colour your way to peace and calm". After decades of grappling with acute anxiety, perhaps this mindfulness colouring book would be my magic bullet. I bought a pack of fancy pencils and got to [...]
Stigma marks a person as ‘different’. The World Health Organisation defines stigma as “a mark of shame, disgrace or disapproval which results in an individual being rejected, discriminated against, and excluded from participating in a number of different areas of society.” Unfortunately, stigma often arises when people who don’t have a full understanding of someone [...]
Like most teenage boys, Cam Adair played computer games. He would play the games – Starcraft: Brood War, World of Warcraft –with his cousin, or to unwind after school or hockey practice. "Then I started to experience a lot of bullying," the Canadian recalls. "And that bullying meant the gaming went from something that I [...]
Catherine* is a busy working mum of two pre-teenage children who both suffer with moderate cases of anxiety and depression. While trying to help her kids navigate the complexities of their feelings, she has asked herself in darker moments whether or not she is responsible for their issues. “I have had my own journey with [...]
Genevieve Lee expected her final year of high school to be stressful, but the 17-year-old realised the pressure had become too great when her behaviour changed completely. The vice-captain of Gilroy College in Castle Hill said she felt "so burdened with the pressure" of achieving good marks and pleasing her Fijian parents, it was causing [...]
Dating apps have taken the world by storm, but has the trend for swiping right or left to like or reject potential matches contributed to many people's unhappiness and low self-esteem? Following the end of her last relationship, Kirsty Finlayson, 28, did what many people do - she turned to dating apps to find love. [...]
At the biggest fighting game tournament in the world, Justin "Plup" McGrath experienced his first panic attack. Considered a favorite to win the title at the Smash Bros. Melee event at Evolution Championship Series in early August at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, McGrath was defeated right before the final, and he finished in third [...]
