For many Australians, alcohol feels as much a part of our culture and barbecues and weekend sports. But even occasional drinks can affect us more than we realise. On this edition of Wellbeing, Dr Luke Martin, a Beyond Blue psychologist looks at the issues around alcohol and mental health.

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Today on Wellbeing we are talking with Phoebe Sanders, a student counsellor at The University of Newcastle's Wollotuka Institute. The Wollotuka Institute supports indigenous students with academic, cultural and emotional well-being needs in a culturally safe way. Phoebe describes herself as an Indigenous ally who lives, works and plays on Awabakal and Worimi country. 

In this episode Phoebe talks about her role at The Wollotuka Institute, the support that Wollotuka provides, its importance to the university journey for indigenous students, innovative programs it has available to indigenous students, some of the mental health journeys she sees in indigenous students as a student counsellor, and how she would like to see universities all over Australia embrace similar models to The Wollotuka Institute.

"Having a culturally safe space for our students is really important. Many students may not have felt comfortable going to the main student counselling service, so The Wollotuka Institute is a culturally safe space."  -- Phoebe Sanders on this episode of Wellbeing 

We would love to hear from you! If you would like to suggest topics, give us feedback, or just say hi, you can contact us on [email protected]

Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins
Wellbeing website: https://www.2nurfm.com.au/wellbeing

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This week on Wellbeing is the last episode in our six part series on depression. We are joined by Dr. Drew Ramsey and we are discussing depression recovery through diet. Drew Ramsey, M.D. is a psychiatrist and is a leader in Nutritional Psychiatry having authored Eat To Beat Depression and Anxiety in 2021. He is also an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.  He is pioneer in the Nutritional Psychiatry field having, along with his team, offered the first Nutritional Psychiatry Clinician Training program to mental health clinicians whereby they learn evidence and clinical methods to effectively use nutrition in their work. Other books he has authored concerning food and mental health include the award-winning cookbook Eat Complete: The 21 Nutrients that Fuel Brain Power and the bestseller 50 Shades of Kale. He has done TedTalks on the subject and been featured in CBS, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and now The Wellbeing Podcast.

In this episode, Dr Ramsey talks about his book, how the food we eat impacts our mental health, how the western diet doesn't promote good mental health, the similar impact better diet has to that of antidepressants, steps in how to change your diet over time, how gut health and the brain interact, the types of foods that promote good mental health and the impact processed foods have on mental health.

"What happens with foods is that over time, if you're missing certain nutrients you're going to have a lot more inflammation, but you're also just not going to be able to make some of these basic building blocks you need for mental health." - Dr Drew Ramsey on this episode of Wellbeing 

Tune in the new year for more Wellbeing

We would love to hear from you! If you would like to suggest topics, give us feedback, or just say hi, you can contact us on [email protected]

Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins
Wellbeing website: https://www.2nurfm.com.au/wellbeing

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This week on Wellbeing we talk with Dr. Dan Tomasulo about depression recovery through positive psychology. This is the fifth instalment in our series on depression. Dr Tomasulo is a counselling psychologist, writer, and professor. He holds a PhD in psychology and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. His most recent book Learned Hopefulness, The Power of Positivity To Overcome Depression was released in 2020. The book focuses on the idea of hope and positivity, and how those two concepts can play a part in recovery from depression. Dan's passion is Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology focuses on how our strengths and cultivating our best selves can lead to meaningful and fulfilling lives.

In this episode, Dr Tomasulo talks about his book, what hope is, how hope can help one overcome depression, in a fast moving world how powerful time just stopping is, what is happening in the brain pathways when both depression and positivity are occurring and how they differ, how people of different ages interact with hope and positivity, and the use of positivity psychology in recovery programs.

"Psychology has pretty much followed the medical model where we try to eliminate what's problematic in the hopes that that'll make you feel better, but really, not being depressed is not the same as being happy. If I take away all your depression, that doesn't guarantee you'll be happy. You've got to do the things that bring happiness to you." - Dr. Dan Tomasulo on this episode of Wellbeing

Tune in next week when we talk Dr. Drew Ramsey about depression recovery through diet

We would love to hear from you! If you would like to suggest topics, give us feedback, or just say hi, you can contact us on [email protected]

Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins
Wellbeing website: https://www.2nurfm.com.au/wellbeing

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This week we are talking with a person who has journeyed with depression, Katie. This is the fourth instalment in our series on depression. Katie has been suffering with depression since early in life and today she shares how it has impacted her life and now in the present where she is at in that journey.

In this episode, Katie talks about how depression impacted her as a young person, how it affected her relationships with school friends, how it impacted her life and caused a lot of isolation, the quality of services available to help those with depression, the stigma around depression, how peers can help those going through depression, and her strategies in managing her depression.

"It was very isolating really because my friends, they were all going off and doing things and  started going out to parties, stuff like that, I just didn't feel able to." - Katie on this episode of Wellbeing 

Tune in next week when we talk with Dr. Dan Tomasulo about depression recovery through positive psychology

We would love to hear from you! If you would like to suggest topics, give us feedback, or just say hi, you can contact us on [email protected]

Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins
Wellbeing website: https://www.2nurfm.com.au/wellbeing

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This week on Wellbeing we are talking with John Brogden AM about his journey with depression. This is the third instalment in our series on depression. John is best known for being the leader of the opposition in New South Wales from 2002 to 2005. He entered politics in 1996 when he was just 27 years of age and quickly became leader of his party in NSW at the age of just 32. Despite his success, John had been hiding another massive part of his life, his depression. It looked like John would lead his party to victory in the 2007 election, however this was not to be, and due to certain events John would resign from his position in August 2005. The day after his resignation, John slit his wrist in a suicide attempt. John thankfully survived that attempt and has since become a mental health advocate, and was the chairman of Lifeline. He is here today to share his journey with depression and how today he manages it.

In this episode John talks about his entry into politics, when depression started becoming a part of his life, the way mental health was viewed in politics while John was in office, what was going on with him mentally when he attempted to take his own life, how to talk to people going through suicidal thoughts about those thoughts, how going to rock bottom mentally has allowed John to appreciate his life more, and a bit about lifeline. 

"In a game like politics you're looking for hundreds, thousands, millions of people to vote for you, so you're out there propositioning all the time only to stuff up and only to let people down and feel so ashamed, which is how I felt. I then got to this position and I got there incredibly quickly and that position was that there is a way out of this problem, I've got this problem, my way out is to kill myself." - John Brogden AM talking about his struggle with depression on this episode of Wellbeing

Tune in next week when we talk with another person about their depression journey.

We would love to hear from you! If you would like to suggest topics, give us feedback, or just say hi, you can contact us on [email protected]

Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins 
Wellbeing website: https://www.2nurfm.com.au/wellbeing

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This Week on Wellbeing we are joined by Betty Kitchener and Prof. Anthony Jorm. This is the second instalment in our series on depression. Betty is a former nurse and now internationally recognised mental health educator, having held appointments at Australian Nation University, University Melbourne and Deakin University. She received an order of Australia medal in 2008. Tony is an Emeritus professor at the University of Melbourne's School of Population and Global Health. They are husband and wife and in 2000, together developed the teaching program called Mental Health First Aid. The training teaches people how to offer initial support until appropriate professional help is received, or until the crisis resolves. Since its formation, Mental Health First Aid has become an international teaching tool used in the mental health field. They are both here today to share their perspectives on depression, Tony from his clinical perspective as a professor and Betty from her personal perspective having gone through depression herself.

In this episode Tony and Betty talk about what depression is, the types of depression, how it feels in the people who have it, the prevalence of depression, how to approach talking about depression and self-harm with those going though like thoughts, and the formation of mental health first aid.

"At the milder end of the continuum, people use self-help methods, and these can be very helpful; for many people that will be enough to bring their mood back to a more usual level."  - Prof. Anthony Jorm on this episode of Wellbeing 

Tune in next week when we talk with someone who has gone through a depression journey 

We would love to hear from you! If you would like to suggest topics, give us feedback, or just say hi, you can contact us on [email protected]

Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins 
Wellbeing website: https://www.2nurfm.com.au/wellbeing

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This Week on Wellbeing we are beginning a 6-part series on depression. It is estimated by the WHO that 5% of adults suffer from depression, making it a common issue in society. In our first instalment, we are talking with Conjoint Professor Kay Wilhelm from UNSW. Prof. Wilhelm has published work on the relationship between the serotonin transporter gene, life events and depression onset. She has been part of the UNSW's School of Psychiatry since 2012.

In this episode Prof. Wilhelm talks about what depression is, the types of depression, the onset of depression, why depression is more common in women than in men, how the COVID era has impacted depression rates, the connection between anxiety and depression, self-medication in those with depression, and the supports available. 

"There is a later peak of depression which is sort of a later onset which is around sixties, and whereas the younger group (of people with depression) have more to do with genes and their childhood experience and developmental stages but people who get depression for the first time, which I say in capital letters, in the fifties, sixties, and seventies, there often is a medical cause underlying that." - Prof. Kay Wilhelm on this episode of Wellbeing

Tune in in a week when we talk with Prof. Tony Jorm and Betty Kitchener about depression 

We would love to hear from you! If you would like to suggest topics, give us feedback, or just say hi, you can contact us on [email protected]

Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins 
Wellbeing website: https://www.2nurfm.com.au/wellbeing

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This week on Wellbeing we talk with school students about student wellbeing. This is a topic we regularly talk about on Wellbeing, but it usually from an educator's perspective and not the students themselves.

In this episode, the students discuss what student wellbeing is, what it means to them, the importance of good mental health, what a teacher's role is ensuring student wellbeing is met, how well schools are doing in approaching student wellbeing, common struggles students go through during their schooling life, and the positive impacts a teacher can have on a student's life.

"Mental health is basically what gets you through everything in life and if you have bad mental health then its like what can you really do?" - A student on this episode of Wellbeing

Tune in in a months time when we start a six part series on depression

We would love to hear from you! If you would like to suggest topics, give us feedback, or just say hi, you can contact us on [email protected]

Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins

Wellbeing website: https://www.2nurfm.com.au/wellbeing

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This week on Wellbeing we are discussing Lipoedema with Kristin Osborn. Lipoedema is a condition mostly found in women that results in enlargement of the fat cells in the legs. It is estimated that 20% of the female population have the condition. Despite this, it is often misdiagnosed as obesity, leading to constrained mental health in those with the condition. Kristin has the condition herself and has specialised in the field for almost two decades through her Newcastle Lymphoedema & Lipoedema Clinic. She was the Australian Patient & Therapist Representative at the Lipoedema World Congress in Germany in October 2023.

Along with her clinical work, Kristin has authored a book called The Lymphatic-Friendly Diet. In this book Kristen aims to assist others battling a lymphatic condition, and she shares the recipes that have helped her become healthier and happier and allowed her to manage her Lipoedema.

In this episode, Kristin talks about what Lipeodema is, why it starts, how it impacts people's mental health, its onset, how family can help those with Lipoedema, the difficulty in non-specialists detecting the condition, her 2023 trip to Germany as the  Australian Patient & Therapist Representative at the Lipoedema World Congress, Lipoedema in males, how those with Lipoedema can manage the condition, and surgery for Lipoedema.

Tune in next week when we talk with two students about student wellbeing in schools.

We would love to hear from you! If you would like to suggest topics, give us feedback, or just say hi, you can contact us on [email protected]

Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins
Wellbeing website: https://www.2nurfm.com.au/wellbeing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.