Bulletin Book Reviews
Making Australia Happy DVD
By Dr Anthony Grant MAPS, School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW
Reviewed by: Aaron Jarden (pictured)
Making Australia Happy is a happiness experiment; specifically the challenge to make eight “miserable Sydney-siders” lastingly happy. Charged with this task are three happiness experts: leading the way is coaching psychologist (Dr Tony Grant) who specialises in the new field of positive psychology; second is expert mindfulness coach (Dr Russ Harris); and lastly physiotherapist and physical health specialist (Anna-Louise Bouvier). The overall aim of the experiment is to see if the techniques offered by these multidisciplinary perspectives can increase happiness in a lasting way, and then to further see if happiness can be passed on to the community, and then spread outward across Australia. Dr Grant sums this challenge up as “taking the science of happiness on a test drive from the laboratory to the suburban streets”.
The documentary is presented in an engaging format, with the series consisting of three one hour long, made for TV, episodes. However the experiment itself is an eight week ‘happiness increasing’ program in which eight volunteers have their happiness measured via a range of psychological and biological tests and scans in order to track their changes and transformation over the eight weeks. All eight individuals are looking for greater fulfilment and meaning in their lives, and are pushed to their emotional and physical limits, discovering that the road to happiness is tough, but rewards for their efforts can be immense.
The defining feature of the eight week program is that it is solely based around already empirically proven techniques that individuals can apply to their lives that have been shown to increase happiness. Throughout the episodes the three experts frequently cite research studies underpinning the value of the exercises undertaken. Some examples of the techniques and exercises employed include practising random acts of kindness, eating mindfully, writing an ideal obituary, focusing on ‘three good things’ that happened that day, learning the importance of posture on wellbeing, writing gratitude letters, understanding the benefits of approach goals compared to avoidance goals, learning to forgive and let go, meditation and diffusion, using character strengths, being altruistic, having a nutritious diet, and social and community connectedness and engagement. From these tasks, each week the participants are set exercise plans and other homework as they focus on exercises that are thought to increase their happiness levels.
Some of the key take-home messages highlighted in the documentary are that pleasure is not lastingly fulfilling but rather a short term fix, most people don’t know what makes them happy, it takes hard work and individual responsibility to become happier and change is difficult, and there is usually a need to address core fundamental negative issues (i.e., change is not always about focusing on the positive side of life). All-in-all a very inspiring documentary that leaves the viewer moved and excited about possibility of obtaining increasing lasting happiness.
For more information, see the Making Australia Happy documentary website
PDF review Making Australia Happy
One step at a time
Claire Anderson
Published by: Kukupa Press
Eight days at Outward Bound in the Marlborough Sounds are what Ironman Claire Anderson says turned her life around.
“To this day I am happiest when I’m living by the words I wrote down at Outward Bound,” she reveals.
Claire was shipped headlong into years of depression and suicidal behavior following unwanted sex with a man she had trusted. Her story is a bit long-winded, and extremely detailed, but it no doubt reflects the experience of countless hundreds of young people who have a tenuous understanding of who they are and what they really want from life.
Her struggle to identify and live by her own values was partly a result of her cameleon-like childhood – her father was a bank manager and the family was uprooted every three years or so, allowing Claire to drop her troubles behind her without developing any coping mechanisms other than altering her personality to suit the new peer group around her.
In time, many years after the rape, Claire was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and her story details how she came to deal with this and the slow painful realisation that the answers to her existence lay within her and no one else. She received a lot of help along the way from friends and a wonderfully supportive family. Claire also writes about therapies that helped with her recovery.
After her life-changing experience at Outward Bound – to which proceeds of Claire’s book are dedicated – she set herself some pretty hairy goals! One of them to become an Ironman.
Claire's Ironman journey helped her rediscover the belief that she had had as a child and teen, when she was an accomplished cricketer, that she could do anything she set her mind to.
Claire has taken time to explain in detail her journey from childhood floundering and youthful instability to adult composure and satisfaction. If you are struggling with your identity or life purpose and perhaps unable to get over a past trauma, you may relate to Claire’s story. If you are a keen sportsperson, too, this will strengthen the appeal.
Reviewed by: Susie Hill
Medical writer
All Blacks Don’t Cry
John Kirwan
Published by: Penguin 2010
A prominent and revered figure at the dawn of the professional age of rugby, John Kirwan seemed to live a charmed life. Nobody knew, though, that behind closed doors ‘JK’ was living a life of tormented fear, suffering from regular panic attacks. Afflicted with depression for many years – including those as a high-profile sportsman – Kirwan was able to survive by reaching out and seeking help from those closest to him.
Depression was not something that Kirwan ever thought would happen to him. In fact, when it happened, it took him years to acknowledge it. Like many people, he forced his dark feelings and fears to the back of his mind and just pushed on in life, even though every day was a superhuman struggle to seem normal. Mostly, he was afraid – terrified of what he might become, what he might do, and terrified he would lose all the things he loved about his life.
“Finally I did what I should have done right back when my panic attacks began: I reached out to the right people; I acknowledged I had a problem, and with that acknowledgement came the first steps on my journey to wellness. Most importantly, I found hope - a sense that things can and will get better. Holding on to hope was how I got through depression.”
Through sharing his experiences, including narrative from friends and family, John’s motivation is to help others find hope - a sense that things can get better. He stresses that it is really important to know there are mental health professionals in the community with expertise in helping you deal with depression. They will help you to develop effective coping strategies and help you work towards becoming well. These strategies will depend on what works for you as an individual and may or may not include antidepressant medication.
The last section of the book is a question and answer session between Kirwan and a clinical psychologist about some of the issues relating to depression.
Reviewed by: Jill McCardle
Information officer, Mental Health Foundation
Borderline personality disorder: personal journeys of recovery, inspiration and hope. Journeys of recovery stories: Alison and Bethany
Edited by Roy Krawitz
Internal agony, unremitting distress and emptiness, anger, frustration, fear, inadequacy and danger.
So many negative words and phrases came out at me from this innocuous-looking 51-page, A5 soft-cover booklet. They flew at me and battered me about for days – how could people I know and love have suffered, and some continue to suffer, like this on a daily basis?
How could no one ever have told me before what is it to experience borderline personality disorder? It is not for want of asking - but I feel I have been left out in the cold to: embrace, support, forgive, , give and apologise for, without much background, any foresight or comprehension of why I am having to do this.
This booklet is a pocket rocket for people like me who should not only know that recovery is possible, but that better understanding and, therefore, better support is also achievable. It has started me on a reading quest of my own.
Editor Waikato DHB psychiatrist and therapist Roy Krawitz intended the booklet to be read not by the likes of me but, primarily, by people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) who were already engaged in therapy, in that it may contribute to their recovery.
Krawtiz’s introduction speaks to the importance of finding and maintaining hope – something former All Black John Kirwan has firmly implanted in the minds of Kiwis through his highly visible and laudable depression campaigns. Krawitz also tells us there is now a robust research base showing that treatment of BPD can be effective, and that this “detached scientific research” is complimented by the two personal stories of recovery in the booklet – both showing that a hopeful stance is realistic.
Known as 'Alison' and' Bethany', the two women briefly share an overview of their illness and what worked for them in their recovery. For Alison it was dialectical behavior therapy in a community public mental health service, and for Bethany it was treatment integrated across a community, crisis and impatient public mental health service.
One story for me was particularly grueling and I was relieved to see that finally such an unhappy life could be turned around so successfully once the right diagnosis, care team and treatments had been identified. Her reunion with family was especially gratifying.
Krawtiz says he thinks clinicians, family and friends may find the booklet “morale boosting”. For me, it was a personal journey of discovery, for others let’s hope it’s another step towards recovery.
Copies are available from Carole Kennedy, phone 07-834 6902, kennedyc "at" waikatodhb.govt.nz Cost at time of printing, $2.
Reviewed by: Susie Hill
Medical writer
I’ve Had It Up To Here: From stress to strength
By psychologist Gaynor Parkin and journalist Sarah Boyd
This is an easy, light read ideal for providing a range of practical stress management tips.
Published by the Consumer NZ, the book is useful for those of us who are feeling stressed due to the pressures of everyday life and are looking for ways to make life easier. The good thing about it is that it acknowledges the pressures that people face juggling work life and home/family life.
The book provides tools and tips on how to deal with the juggling act, including lifestyle changes, developing a calmer household, improving time management skills and developing action plans.
Easy to read and well structured, I’ve Had It Up To Here provides a selection of ways in which we can manage stress and build our resilience. Some of the tips provided are around lifestyle choices and are quite simple, such as eating well, keeping active, maintaining connections and getting good quality sleep.
The authors also discuss the need to take charge of our thinking in order to reduce our stress levels - a component of stress reduction that is so important yet not usually addressed. Learning how to take charge of thinking is a highlight of the book. The power of relaxation and tips on parenting and building resilient children are also explored.
The end of the book asks readers to complete an action plan to record the actions they would like to take, including timeframes for these actions. The further help section is specific to New Zealand and highlights a number of psychologists, healthy eating, parenting and relaxation resources for those who have identified the need for more support.
Reviewed by: Angela Culpin
Mental Health Promoter, Youth
Living With A Black Dog
by Matthew Johnstone & Ainsley Johnstone
Living With A Black Dog is an easily accessible guide on how to support someone with experience of depression while looking after yourself and your own mental wellbeing. It is written by a couple, Matthew and Ainsley Johnstone, where one has experience of depression while the other has taken the caregiver role. As such the book has a very personal feel, but before creating the book they also interviewed many other people who have supported loved ones through periods of depression and this shows in the wide relevance of the content.
The comical illustrations in this picture-based book offer a refreshingly light-hearted approach to a serious subject, and the practical advice contained in its pages is straightforward and includes tips on recognising the symptoms of depression as well as how to manage it. One shortcoming for New Zealand readers is that the organisations and websites listed in the back of the book are Australian, which makes them a little less relevant.
Some readers might prefer something a little more weighty and in-depth but this isn't really the aim of the book. It is more a quick reference guide for suggestions on such matters as good things to say and do, things to avoid saying or doing, and tips on self preservation when coping with the depression that a loved one is experiencing.
Ultimately Living With A Black Dog's message is one of reassurance, reminding people that while there can be times of frustration working together to overcome depression can also lead to a deeper bond.
Reviwed by: Carrie Briffett
Communications Officer, Mental Health Foundation
The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems
by Ronald D. Siegal, PsyD
With chapter titles such as "Befriending fear: Working with worry and anxiety" and "Entering the dark places: Seeing sadness and depression in a new light", The Mindfulness Solution is indeed a book of everyday, practical suggestions for relating to our own experiences. Siegal says that to our detriment, we often live in our thoughts, "...more often thinking about life than experiencing it. But missing out on the moment-to-moment richness of life isn't our biggest problem. Unfortunately, our thoughts frequently make us unhappy".
Comprehensive yet simply written, the first few chapters outline this idea: that as humans, instead of embracing the ups and downs of life, we tend to try to construct our lives by maximising pleasure and minimising pain. This inevitably leads to emotional suffering, as we try to get rid of painful emotions and forget painful experiences. Not only that, we end up filtering out much of life's richness. Siegal asserts that mindfulness is a way of helping us embrace, rather than resist, our experiences.
A particularly interesting chapter of The Mindfulness Solution focuses on the relationship between sadness and depression. One of the central ideas of this chapter is that sadness is something we usually try to get rid of, but that in avoiding feeling our sadness, we usually also cut ourselves off from feeling joy. We cannot experience one without knowing the other.
Siegal argues that one part of what happens in depression is an emotional 'deadness' - instead of the usual ups and downs of emotional life, we have nothing. Therefore, it is the practice of being able to connect with and feel the difficult emotions of sadness, or fear, or anger, instead of resisting or avoiding them, that works to prevent us becoming stuck in depression.
Siegal goes on to outline formal and informal mindfulness practices for seeing sadness and depression in a different way, as well as short "life preservers" exercises. These practical suggestions are offered at the end of each topic covered. So, whether worry, chronic pain, intimacy, bad habits or aging is something you would like to work on your relationship with, The Mindfulness Solution is a great place to start.
Reviwed by: Sarah Doddrell
SPINZ Resource Development Coordinator, Mental Health Foundation
Low-cost approaches to promote physical and mental health: theory, research, and practice
Edited by Luciano L'Abate. (2007)
This is a useful text for those involved in health promotion and related research and who want to clarify conceptual thinking about the place and effectiveness of physical and mental health promotion.
The book argues the need to make a clear distinction between health promotion and prevention. As the title suggests it points out the opportunities that promotion programmes provide due to their low cost, lack of bureaucracy and possibilities to significantly influence outcomes for large numbers of people. Such programmes are agued as an essential 'upstream' element to improve overall health and reduce ballooning care costs in the secondary and tertiary health domains.
Physical and mental health approaches to promotion are detailed, with chapters dedicated to descriptions of specific programmes and the analysis of their effectiveness. Having physical and mental health promotion included in the same book is very relevant with the increasing evidence reinforces the symbiosis between the two. Areas explored are diverse including nutrition vitamins and herbal medicines; exercise, mindfulness and expressive movement; creative and expressive writing; relationships and spirituality.
The examples are mainly from North American but there is sufficient diversity and creativity in the programmes described to capture the imagination for possibilities in New Zealand.
Reviwed by: Hugh Norriss
Director of Policy & Development, Mental Health Foundation
Stepping out of the shadows: Insight into self-stigma and madness
Edited by Dr Debbie Peterson and Sarah Gordon
Foreword by Judi Clements, CEO Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
Contributors: Dr Debbie Peterson, Mary O'Hagan, Sarah Gordon, Dr Lynne Pere, Anne Helm, Vito Nonumalo, Dr Dean Manley, Ivan Yeo, Sarah O'Connor, Dennis Duerr, Niki Smith, Ruth Jackson and Alex Barnes.
Stepping out of the Shadows is a book of articles, essays and personal accounts about the effects of the self-stigma associated with mental illness. It has a worldwide audience and is the first book of this kind to be published on this topic.
I strongly recommend that if you have a chance and inclination to read this book - please do so. It is a must for those of us working in the mental health and addictions sector anywhere in the world.
It is an absolutely moving collection of personal viewpoints and insights interspersed with research findings/ linkages on the topic of self-stigma and madness. Of particular note is the Discrimination Intervention Model as presented by Dr Debbie Peterson and Alex Barnes for the first time on a world stage.
It is a well-written, well-edited collection of writings. Sometimes it is difficult to read - not in being too wordy or academic, but in the way that some of the stories reflect very personal instances of tremendous physical, mental, psychological and spiritual anguish associated with self-stigma and madness.
Readers are left with the sense that the authors who have shared their experiences and have survived to relate their expertise and learnings to us, are no less than profoundly inspirational.
With the articles written by Dr Lynne Pere, Vito Nonumalo and Ivan Yeo, for the first time on this topic from tangata whaiora/ people with lived experience who are not from the dominant culture in this country, there is also highlighted focus on cultural realities, constructs and perspectives on this kaupapa of the indigenous people of Aotearoa, Pacific/ Samoan and Chinese/ Malaysian people in a far more in-depth way than ever seen before.
It is an eloquent melding of discourses from those stalwarts of the consumer movement in Aotearoa New Zealand to the leaders of today and tomorrow. Congratulations to all those involved in bringing thsi book to light and for articulating hope in recovery that radiates from all corners and pages of this book. Nga mihi aroha nui ki a koutou katoa nga kaituhituhi.
I feel privileged to have read this landmark world-first taonga.
Ia Manuia lava. Mauri Ora!
Reviewd by: Tuiloma Lina Samu
Like Minds Like Mine Liaison - National Programme, The Mental Health Foundation
