More often than not a person with a mental health problem actually has two mental health problems. Dual diagnosis is when someone who is diagnosed with a mental health condition is also misusing or dependent on substances. This is not uncommon. Often a person tries to lessen the severity of a condition, like anxiety, by […]
The pandemic has caused some major changes to the way we live and caused some major changes to our mental health too. Lockdowns and restrictions on our social lives have been tough going for so many people. In recent months the gradual uptake of vaccinations means an end in sight to lockdowns and other restrictions. […]
Alcohol continues to be the biggest addictive substance facing Australians. New statistics show that during 2019/20 alcohol was the most common substance-related issue people sought treatment for in the public health system during 2019 and 2020. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s annual reporting, a third of nearly 140,000 people who received […]
The Covid-19 pandemic is taking its toll on mental health. In some countries the rates of depression have doubled. More people are trying to access mental health support too. Health officials also warn that one of the consequences of the pandemic may be long-term impacts on the health and mental health of the population. People […]
New research from the Australian Alcohol and Drug Foundation reveals that one in five Australians ignore the harmful effects of alcohol. Young people especially remain unaware of the multiple risks associated with alcohol misuse. More than half of the 1000 Australians polled by the foundation in May 2021 did not know what a standard drink […]
Therapy is one of the most important parts of a residential program at Retreat South. There are many types of therapy to help us in mental health treatment. So, finding the right therapy or combination of therapies is important to you. A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed that between […]
Thanks to COVID, 2020 was a year like no other. For a lot of 2021 is a year like no other as well (except perhaps, like 2020). The lockdowns and stay-at-home rules changed so much for so many people. That changed a lot of things in our own personal lives. One of them was our […]
In the three years leading up to 2019, nearly a third of Australians surveyed had reduced their alcohol consumption for health reasons. Despite that, there was been little change in the number of people drinking at risky levels. In 2019, one in four people drank at a risky level. Australia’s National Health and Medical Research […]
Dual diagnosis is how mental health and alcohol and substance use is understood and the way it is treated. When someone has mental health issues and problematic drug or alcohol use the road to recovery can be complicated. Sometimes that mental health condition can lead to alcohol or other substance use as a way of […]