Ponderings on sobriety, ADHD, anxiety & wellbeing
Learnings, podcasts, stories, hacks and useful info for you to tap into!
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HALT! and other silly season survival tips
Learning to build a solid foundation within ourselves that is anchored in knowing these truths is, for so many of us, one of the hardest things we do in life. And this time of year – amongst the fun and festivities - can bring forth old family wounds, grief, loneliness, difficult relationships and exhaustion that make it even harder to stay grounded.
So here are 3 tools for you to use over the Xmas period to manage stress, alcohol, family stuff or anything else that can impact on your sense of self:
Remember the HALT acronym – HUNGRY, ANGRY, LONELY, TIRED? It’s a super useful tool over this period (see more below) and for life in general.
Exploring the pros and cons of Mental Health Care Plans
So, you've probably heard about GP Mental Health Care Plans (MHCPs; sometimes also referred to as MHTPs for ‘Treatment’) as a way to access mental health services more affordably. They're often the go-to from GPs when you're considering mental health treatment and the type of support/practitioner they refer them on to. However, like anything, they come with their own set of pros and cons.
Many of us are not familiar with some of the implications of the MHCP - and to be clear this article is not designed to deter you from them in any way as they are invaluable for many. But it is important for all of us as health/mental health consumers to have all the information to enable us to make the best decisions for our particular circumstances and needs. So let’s take a look.
What to do next if you think you might have ADHD: diagnosis & treatment
An overview of ADHD assessment, diagnosis and treatment for adults in Australia. Plus some recommendations, tips and insights that I learnt along the way.
The Connection between ADHD and Alcohol - why it matters
Did you know that up to 43% of people with ADHD will experience an alcohol use disorder? No, neither did I until I got diagnosed in 2022, having struggled with alcohol for decades.
So, as it’s ADHD Awareness Month and Sober October, I thought I’d write about this in case it’s not something that’s come across your radar yet. The link with ADHD and all addictions is huge! 2-4 times more than the general population. And it’s not our fault, it’s the way our brains are wired.
What is ADHD? An introduction
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been in the news and social media a LOT over the last couple of years. But the reality is not ‘everyone is a little bit ADHD’ like we hear frequently. ADHD can be impairing across a heap of life domains. We take a look at what it is, the different types, what it impacts, and how it shows up in people's lives.
Why I go to therapy
None of us have it all worked out. Not your psychiatrist, your Mum, the inflluencer you follow who talks about mental health. We are ALL fallible humans who need support, guidance, help with our 'stuff'. That includes mental health professionals and those in the helping professions. Therapy gives us a way to process our emotions, our struggles, our challenges and to see things from a different and more helpful perspective. It educates us. It gives us more awareness of who we are. Everyone should do it, frankly.
What is a year of your life worth?
So many of us get caught up in the shoulds and what other people think, caught up in all these weeds of expectations. (I am certainly not immune to this btw). The perfection game - one which will we'll never win.
Then we drink to tolerate the intolerable. Lives that are not our own. Lives that are lived for the approval of others.
We drink to tolerate this disconnect between who we really are and why we're not being that person, stuck in jobs we hate, hanging out with people we really don't like that much, and maybe even in unhappy relationships.
It’s time to stop wasting your life.
Why 'progress not perfection' works to support lasting change
One thing I see amongst almost all my clients is that they're extremely hard on themselves; they're perfectionists and their inner critic game is really strong. I very much identify with this too.
They want to achieve allllll the things - stopping drinking (or taking a break), getting fit, overhauling their diet, maybe stopping smoking if that's in the mix, being more organised or productive, improving their relationships, stop working as much - and quite possibly a whole raft of other things.
But, if we want to set ourselves up for success, lets learn from what psychology and behavioural science tells us does work in making changes. A mindset of ‘progress not perfection’ is critical in making and sustaining the changes we want.
Team DSC podcast: addiction, ADHD and acceptance
Faye talks to Roland and Evie of Team DSC on the Disability Done Different podcast about her late diagnosis of ADHD at 48, and what she’s learnt since:
🧠 the overlap with addiction in terms of shame and stigma
🧠 why so many people with ADHD experience addiction of some kind
🧠 why the language we use about things that impact us is so laden and complex
🧠 why late diagnosis can be a tricky one to get your head around