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Posted by Sam McCurdy: Jack Kraan, Adam Ritzinger and Geoff Double At our Wednesday meeting, we had a very interesting presentation on mental health by Adam Ritzinger of the Black Dog Institute. His goal was to remove the stigma associated with mental health problems, Adam is a mechanical engineer who has worked in the trucking industry since graduating in the early 2000s. He is a devoted family man and father who lives with his partner, their two young girls, and the family's two miniature sausage dogs. Adam's own experience with mental illness included depression and anxiety, which he experienced in his late 20s and early 30s. This personal experience gave his animated presentation real meaning and urgency. His message was that "it is OK not to be OK"! 1 in 5 people will experience mental health problems at some time in their life and it will usually take them some time to identify that they have a problem. In Adam's case, he observed changes in his personality over a two-year period, during which he gradually became irritable, disengaged with his job, argumentative, confrontational and depressed. In retrospect, he continually made excuses for these feelings. Adam's advice is that anyone experiencing any of these changes to their personality for more than two weeks, should seek professional help. When he finally realised that this was not the real him, he decided to see a Doctor and was identified as having severe depression. The Doctor prescribed corrective actions, which included seeing a Psychologist, exercise and the use of anti-depressant medication. This started the road to recovery and a balanced lifestyle.
Mental health problems can include anxiety, depression, bi-polar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and more. Adam covered the main characteristics of depression, bi-polar disorder and anxiety.
The first step towards recovery from a mental health illness is recognising that there is a problem and seeking professional help. There should be no embarassment about having the problem, as it is "OK not to be OK"! Having identified his problem, Adam created a small support group that included his parents, partner, and a few friends, who regularly checked in with him on his progress. They also involved him in regular social events and exercise, such as weekly squash games. This enabled him to maintain a balanced life style that eventually led to his recovery. Overcoming these challenges, and assisting others in the community to do the same, is what drives Adam to volunteer as a speaker for the Black Dog Institute. |
On Thursday evening Jen Marshall, David Anderon, Geoff Double and myself attended a meeting at The Hill restaurant in Berwick for the Presidents and Presidents-Elect of the Clubs in South East Metropolitan Cluster of our Rotary District. 
District Assembly and Avenues of Service is on Saturday 22nd April from 9:00am - 5:00pm!
The Guest Speaker at our Club meeting on Wednesday 19th April will be Helen Comport, who is a Past President of the Inner Wheel Club of Berwick.