There’s a lot you can do for yourself when it comes to your mental health
Announcement posted by Escape The Blue 27 Apr 2015
Anxiety and depression are common in Australia. In any one year, around 1 million adults in Australia experience depression and over 2 million experience anxiety.1 Untreated, seemingly surmountable issues can appear insurmountable, leading to serious emotional and physical impairment with the sufferer often ending up in hospital. According to the National Review Of Mental Health Report (released 16.04.15), a nine-day stay in a hospital mental health unit costs the same as a community program supporting someone at home for a year.2
Events like R U Ok Day show how important and effective it can be to ask simple questions at a community level. Treating the cause instead of the symptom is not only a long term strategy, it’s also a more cost effective one.
One of the key recommendations from last week’s Review was to channel $1 billion of hospital funding to community health programs however Health Minister Sussan Ley said the Government will not accept the recommendation but instead set up a mental health reference group to respond to the review. So essentially their plan is to plan some more.
The federal government’s response to the review highlights how important it is that sufferers empower themselves. Changing a number of lifestyle factors can have a massive impact on someone’s health and happiness however it’s largely up to the sufferer – or their loved ones – to investigate what these factors are and how they can be implemented.
Escape The Blue founder Katia Haley knows only too well how important it is for presenting sufferers with options. At the age of 15 she was diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety and PTSD and worked with a number of specialists but it was an appointment with a naturopath five years later that had the most effect. She was educated on the impact small changes to her lifestyle could have on her overall mood and happiness and she’s proud to say she has now been medication and therapy free for over two years.
She launched Escape The Blue to help people just like her and at the end of May she will be hosting the first weekend retreat at Caves Beach Resort on the NSW Central Coast. Specialist facilitators will work one on one with attendees on nutrition plans, relaxation techniques, goal setting and life coaching, interspersed with delicious, nutritious meals and opportunities to enjoy the resort’s magical surrounds. Each attendee will have their own private suite.
The retreat runs from 4pm Friday May 29th to 4pm Sunday May 31st and costs $1597pp all inclusive. Spaces are limited to six people.
To enquire about availability for the May retreat or register for future retreats please email Katia – Katia@escapetheblue.com.au.
“I made the change and I can show you how you can too.” Katia Haley
Sources:
1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008) 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results (4326.0)
2 http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/