Lifestyle Services

Introduction

There is a lot of discussion about work-life balance – at least in developed economies. The implicit assumption is that we are working for too long and not getting enough leisure. But this is definitely a “first-world” problem – there are billions of people in the world today who can only dream of a 35 to 40-hour work week with an abundance of labour-saving devices to minimise the need to do useful work outside the office or factory.

So why are we witnessing a massive increase in mental health problems? Shouldn’t we all be so much happier than our poorer cousins? The most recent ABS National Health Survey estimated there were 4.8 million Australians (20.1 per cent) with a mental or behavioural condition in 2017–18. This was an increase of 2.6 percentage points from 2014–15, mainly due to an increase in the number of people reporting anxiety-related conditions, depression, feelings of depression, or addiction. If we exclude children and adolescents, the number is well over 30%. A concurrent issue is the increase in obesity and concomitant physical illness. At the same time, there has been a steady decrease in the size of families and the divorce rate is nudging 50%.

Causes and Treatments

The jury is still out on all the causes, and there is an ongoing debate over environment versus genetic factors as the dominant cause, but it is hard to avoid the conclusion that urbanisation – the movement of people from the country to the cities – and the adoption of a more sedentary lifestyle are, at the very least, major contributing factors. The massive increase in global population – 1.5 billion since the year 2000 alone – means that it is not feasible to consider a substantial reversal of the trend. There is simply not enough arable land and available water for everyone to live sustainably outside of cities.

The ill effects of cities manifests in two different ways:

Directly through things like workplace stress, bullying and loneliness; and

Indirectly through the loss of the support mechanisms implicit in an extended family or rural community

Most workplaces today have programs in place to minimise the extent of workplace bullying and harassment, and to provide support for employees reporting workplace or domestic stress.
Whatever the cause, there are three common treatments applied:

Prescription medicines;

Counselling, including “talking therapies”; and

Specialist support groups

It is generally recognised that a combination of all three treatments offers the best chance of success. But none address loneliness. The reality is that it is much easier to be lonely in a city of millions of people than it is in a rural community of hundreds. For some, though, the city is a welcome escape.

Addiction

Addiction is not a recent phenomenon. Addiction to alcohol, gambling or psychoactive substances are historically well documented. However, increasing levels of personal income and the availability of leisure time, have made it easier to become addicted. Unethical individuals and amoral enterprises, driven by greed or the relentless pursuit of profits, have used powerful tools of persuasion to exploit human frailty.

The two-edged sword

It is ironic that the thing that has driven much of the increase in personal productivity and income – digital technologies – has also been a significant driver of mental illness. This has been acknowledged by the medical community and online gaming addiction and social media addiction are now recognised as treatable forms of mental illness. Online bullying is an increasing problem.

How many friends is enough?

It is generally recognised that the sustainable size for a group of people is somewhere between 60 and 150. Beyond that number there is not enough time for the personal interaction necessary to sustain relationships. So those claiming to have to have hundreds or even thousands of “friends” on social media websites in reality have maybe tens of acquaintances, many spectators, and only a handful, if any, of real friends – people you can trust and share your feelings with, and who will help you through difficult times. In fact, they are lonely, but too distracted to notice.

Prevention is better than cure

It is usually much harder to treat illness than it is to prevent it occurring in the first place. Vaccination is the best example of that. It works by priming the immune system to respond quickly and effectively to specific infections when they are encountered. The best way to “vaccinate” your mind against mental illness is through diet, exercise, meditation, reading and self-awareness. They all have positive physical health benefits as well. We have access to an extensive repository of resources and from time to time publish helpful hints and advice on how to stay well.

Early detection is vital

Like most illnesses, the sooner you take action to remedy a mental illness, the easier it is to treat. There are two kinds you need to be aware of:
Episodic: where the illness manifests randomly and in different intensity,
Enduring: where the symptoms are present to a greater extent nearly all the time.
As soon as you suspect you may be suffering, or be predisposed towards, a mental illness you should contact a qualified medical practitioner. We can work with your preferred GP to provide ongoing support and counselling.

Help others to help yourself

When you need a cure, self-help is a really important part of it. And one of the best ways to help yourself is through systematically monitoring and analysing your own behaviour.
My Complete Diary – five aspects of living, published by our Director of Lifestyle Services, Chrystal Benson RN, is a self-directed tool that encourages anyone to develop insight into how health issues impact their lives and then readjust behaviours, habits, and patterns to improve well-being.
One problem that many people have with counselling or medical services is that it is difficult to remember important things that have happened since your last visit. My Complete Diary helps you to have a much more productive session and helps your counsellor to identify patterns and triggers.
It is generally acknowledged that helping other people in a less fortunate situation than yourself can bring benefits to both parties. There are many community organisations that could use another pair of helping hands, and at the very least, you get the opportunity to meet caring people.

How we can help

We don’t prescribe medication or offer the services of psychiatrists or other medical practitioners. What we do offer are skilled and qualified people who can provide individual counselling and therapy and can offer you good advice. We also conduct group therapy sessions which can help you to realize that you are not alone and can enable you to benefit from the experience of others in similar situations as yourself.
Interacting in person with others is what makes us human. So, we conduct regular meetups where like-minded people can relax and enjoy leisure activities such as playing board games and meet people in a non-threatening environment.