Presents..

..

Acknowledgement to Country

I would like to acknowledge and pay my

Respect to all Past & Present Elders of this great Country.

I would like to acknowledge the Australasian Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health (ACRRMH) for allowing me to use the Deadly Thinking Tool for my presentation today.

Much of the information in this booklet originated from the Australian Integrated Mental Health Initiative (AIMhi) NT over the past few years.

The artwork featured throughout has been created by ACRRMH Artist in Residence, Margaret Chatfield (M Henry)

Acknowledgement to ACRRMH

The objectives of this workshop are to:

•Learn the importance of yarning with family and friends•Provide some plans and pathways to help deal with social and emotional wellbeing issues for individuals, families and the community•Raise awareness and improve understanding of depressions, anxiety and suicide•Understanding change in your life and how it contributes to stress

The Kimberley Region

Who do you yarn to?

YOU

Worries That Take Away Strength - 1

Anxiety

• Can’t think straight• Feel dizzy• Worry about little

things• Think something bad

will happen / frightened

• Dry mouth• Heart beating fast• Can’t breathe

properly• Sick in the belly• Shaky• Legs feel weak

DepressionDepression

• Feeling sad• Can’t sleep or sleep too much• Can’t think straight• Feeling lazy and tired• Getting cranky easily• Nothing is funny anymore• Blame yourself, even when it is not your

fault• Prefer to be on your own• Weight change• Think about dying a lot

Suicide

S – Suicide Attempts

U – Unmarried / Single

I – Isolated Socially

C – Ceremonies, saying goodbye

I – Illness (physical or mental)

D – Drugs and Alcohol misuse

E – Events (loss, grief and stress)

Check for BACKGROUND risk factors…

Suicide

P – Plans for suicide

L – Lethal means chosen

A – Access to the means

N – No Hope for the future

Check for IMMEDIATE risk factors…

Suicide – Safe Plan

S – Support and supervision - a place to stay,

someone reliable to stay with them

A – Appointment time given for follow-up

F – Follow-up treatment arranged

E – Engagement with your plan (they think it’s a good idea)

R – Resolution or partial resolution of the crises (something has changed for the better)

There are five steps to SAFE PLAN…

Strong Spirit Within

Cultural beliefs and customsEmotional,

spiritual and social wellbeing

Mind

Centre of our being and emotions

Spirit from country

Spirit from within

Connection to country

Stigma – what is it?

What Keeps Us Strong - 1

Guided Imagery

Strong Mind – No Worries

No STRESS worries…

• Talk to others you trust• Don’t be too hard on yourself if you make

a mistake • Make special time just for yourself and

your family • Exercise a bit every day• Cut back on coffee and smokes • Eat better tucker• Take time to notice the nice things around

you• Take time to notice how your muscles feel

(tight or relaxed).

Strong Mind – No Worries

• Don’t stay up late if you feel tired• Try and get up at the same time

every day• If it is noisy outside - try ear plugs• Don’t sleep during the day• If you can’t fall asleep in your bed –

get up until you feel sleepy again• Don’t drink coffee or tea at night -

just have milk• Smokes will keep you awake• Grog will not give you a good sleep.

No SLEEP worries…

Strong Mind – No Worries

No GROG & GUNGA worries…

Grog – Eat first, try low alcohol drinks, have some water in between drinks, tell someone you want to cut back, decide how much you will have before you start.

Gunga – Think about all the good things that will happen when you stop, stay busy with other things you enjoy, when you decide to cut down- don’t smoke when the sun is up, plan for something else to do when you feel stressed, keep away from people who still smoke for a while.

Strong Mind – No Worries

No VIOLENCE & BLAME worries…

• Walk away• You won’t feel angry forever• Talk to someone who makes you feel calm• Do some exercise to burn up your anger• Try and think about why the other person is upset.

Strong Mind – No Worries

No FLASHBACK worries…

• Sometimes, you may see or hear something that has scared you over and over again. This is called a ‘flashback’ and is caused by ‘triggers’.

• You may feel just as scared as you were when it happened.• Work out what your triggers are and try to stay away from them. Grog can

make flashbacks worse.• Try to feel something close to you, grab hold of it and think about just that.• Think about 3 things you feel, 3 things you hear and 3 things you see.

Strong Mind – No Worries

No GRIEF & LOSS worries…

• You might feel – shocked, very sad, cry a lot, angry, alone, homesick for country. THIS IS NORMAL.

• You might think about what you did or didn’t do, and maybe feel bad about what you should have done. THIS IS NORMAL.

• You might hear that person talk or even see them, or they might visit you in your dreams. THIS IS NORMAL.

• You might feel angry at others or not agree with what others are saying. THIS IS NORMAL.

Wrap up

Support Available

•Emergency (police, ambulance, fire) 000•Lifeline 131114•Mensline 1300 789 978•Suicide call back service 1300 659 467•Sane Helpline 1800 187 663

Local Networks

•Your local Indigenous Health worker•Your local Doctor•Your local mental health worker•Your elders, family and friends.

The Deadly Thinking program is an initiative of the Australasian Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health

(ACRRMH). The material cannot be copied, reproduced of used without written consent.