2010: Lets make this a mental health decade

18/01/2010

The new decade has opened and as we make or break our new years resolutions, mental health is still very much on the agenda. The flurry of news stories have covered issues ranging from; the resignation of a British MP citing mental health as a factor, the increase in youth depression to that of five times more than those of the same age group during the Great Depression and the guidelines for administering drugs to treat ADHD.

For hundreds of thousands of people in New Zealand mental health is an issue where stigma and discrimination remain prevalent in our lives.

Lets make 2010 the start of a decade where we make our individual effort to transform the way we think about mental health. With greater public awareness it is possible that we can improve our understanding of how to support people in our communities with mental illness, it is possible to seek help at an early stage and it is possible to find services that help people recover full lives.

By working together we can make some significant changes for the better. Lets make this a mental health decade.



Peter McGeorge.


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A Christmas Message from the Commission

21/12/2009

Christmas is meant to be a happy and joyful time, however for some it can be stressful and depressing.
It’s important that you find out what matters to you at Christmas and what you enjoy about it. Whether it is spiritual or religious, being with family or just taking a break from the everyday.
Either way make a list and start planning to make sure your Christmas is about the things you enjoy.

Given the tough economic times there are many ways to be more frugal, consider a simpler version of Christmas lunch this year and to avoid costly present buying think about only giving presents to the children or doing a Kris Kringle.  A Kris Kringle also known as a Secret Santa is when you pull out a name from a box/hat and you buy a present for that person only to a certain value.

However and wherever you celebrate Christmas this year, everyone here at the Mental Health Commission wish you a restful and peaceful Christmas and we look forward to connecting with you again in 2010.


Nga mihi o te wa kia a koutou, greetings to everyone.

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