This week on The CheckUp, Dr Ross Walker reveals the best drug in the world that’s OK to take in high doses.
June 17, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Health – The best drug in the world
June 11, 2017 by 1 Comment
‘I didn’t sign up to be to be in the army’: The untold suffering of military spouses
“As a community, we’ve started to turn our thoughts towards veterans who die by suicide. But who is paying attention to the silent distress of military families?”
Psychologist Dr Gail MacDonell is an expert on the mental health of military partners. She is executive director of the Australian Families of the Military Research and Support Foundation. Over the last 20 years has worked with approximately 3000 partners. She is the wife of a veteran
Her body of research clearly lays out the detrimental impacts of military service on the mental and physical health of partners. In one eye-opening paper investigating the wellbeing of partners of Vietnam veterans, the 76 participants list an astounding array of negative behaviours in their wives including: hypersensitivity to physical stimuli like noise, anger, aggression, temper outbursts and mood swings, withdrawal and long periods of silence, manipulation, possessiveness and jealousy, nightmares, insomnia and verbal abuse.
In turn, the women go on to cite numerous mental and physical health issues they are suffering, seemingly as a consequence of their husband’s erratic and disturbing conduct — everything from gastrointestinal problems to cardiovascular disease, cancer and asthma.
The article relates the experiences of three spouses Olympia Yarger, Donna Reggett and Bek Harding as well as comments from Dr Stephanie Hodson, National Manager for Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS)
This article appeared in Brisbane’s Courier Mail byGinger Gorman, news.com.au June 2, 2017.
May 14, 2017 by 1 Comment
SMH Article – Australian Veterans Joining Forces In The Fight Against Military Suicide
This SMH article by David Wroe 13 May 2017 is a must read coverage of the fight against military suicide
……”Amid soaring concern about veteran suicide and rising dissatisfaction and criticism – some of it fair, some likely less so – of the Department of Veterans Affairs, thriving communities of veterans are self-organising online.”
“As the government and the military community searches for ways to reduce the rate of military suicides – which is up to double the rate of the community average in the case of younger veterans – there are calls for better co-ordination among veterans groups and also between them and the government.” …….
May 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Mental Health – The Unvarnished Truth About Veteran Suicides
…..”When we send people to war, we ask a select group of mostly young Australians to prepare themselves to kill or die to defend the nation. That is at the heart of the challenge of military mental health and suicide. The sense of responsibility, the comradeship, the tough internal culture, the mental preparedness, not to mention the experience of combat, can have lasting effects.
A groundswell of concern is being fuelled by revelations that the suicide rate among veterans aged 18 to 24 is double that of their peers in the general community. Among those aged 25 to 29 it is 1.5 times the national average for their age. Those figures, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare from November, are based on a tally of 292 certified suicides between 2001 and 2014. This total is regarded as conservative by most veterans groups, some of which counted between 70 and 80 military suicides last year alone.”
“For every suicide there are many more veterans of the Afghanistan, Iraq and East Timor era who have plumbed the depths but managed somehow to climb out of the hole and often gone on to form their own groups to help others. Invariably they describe moments that were, in retrospect, turning points but at the time could have gone the other way.”
May 4, 2017 by Leave a Comment
ADF INVALIDITY PAYMENTS
The Australian Veterans Alliance have had one of their member groups working on tax issues that impact our most injured Veterans incapacity benefit’s under DFRDB and MSBS. They have asked the question of the ATO as to why compensatory payments in the form of Invalidity Benefits paid to Injured members of the ADF post discharge, were not treated the same as other compensation payments in the community with regards to taxation.
The ATO made the decision that an ex ADF member who met certain criteria, could elect to treat a Superannuation Income Stream as a Superannuation Lump sum. As a result, many injured Ex ADF members were finally able to dig themselves out of poverty and be able to afford many things the general public take for granted.
From the 1st July 2017, all of this will change. The Australian Government has repealed the legislation that brings Injured Ex ADF member’s compensatory payments in line with their civilian counterparts. From this date, these injured ex ADF personnel will stand to lose 100’s to over a 1000 dollars a month. This means these very people that signed the dotted line to protect the interests of our nation, will no longer be able to meet mortgage repayments, put food on the table or be able to survive without relying on hand outs and extra welfare that is offered via Ex Service Organisations.
With the Governments efforts in trying to combat the effects of PTSD and mental health issues, veteran homelessness, the high rate of suicide and the overall wellbeing of injured veterans and ex service personnel, it is perplexing that they are willing to strip this money from such members, potentially exacerbating the issues mentioned.
With ANZAC Day remembers those before us that made the ultimate sacrifice, the government is forgetting about the current living generation of Veterans that are doing it tough. We now have two member groups working on a range of tax issues that are currently effecting our community.
If you want to know more about the efforts of the two groups, please check out the following Facebook pages:
PETER BURNS
COMSUPER – MILITARY ENTITLEMENTS:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1098180903529690/
BRADLEY CAMPBELL
ADF INVALIDITY PAYMENT – TAXATION TREATMENT: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ 1709523469074142/
4,789 Members
April 6, 2017 by 1 Comment
DVA MINISTER – IMPROVED SELF-HELP RESOURCE AVAILABLE
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Dan Tehan said improvements to an online resource for current and former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) would better help them manage stress.
Mr Tehan said the High Res website had been updated following user feedback to make it easier to use.
“The High Res website is a valuable tool that current and former ADF personnel can use to help them manage stress,” Mr Tehan said.
“Improvements to the website include a simple step-by-step guide to developing a personal action plan, tips for better sleep and self-help tools on controlled breathing, muscle relaxation, managing negative or distracting thoughts and emotions.
“Current and former ADF personnel are increasingly seeking digital support and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) is meeting this growing need through a range of mental health websites and apps.
The High Res resource can be accessed through DVA’s At Ease portal
7th March 2017
Media enquiries:
Minister Tehan’s Office: Byron Vale, 0428 262 894
Department of Veterans’ Affairs Media: 02 6289 6203
Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) can be reached 24 hours a day across Australia for crisis support and free and confidential counselling. Phone 1800 011 046 (international: +61 8 8241 45 46). VVCS is a service founded by Vietnam veterans.
April 5, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Ross Eastgate Analysis – Hierarchy must give answers on drugs push
The Australian Malarial Institute has conducted questionable trials into both mefloquine and tafenoquine with recorded adverse consequences to many who have taken them.
April 4, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Ross Eastgate – Actions ‘in due course’ add to pain of veterans
IT was never the intention of those who envisaged a dedicated system to care for Australia’s war veterans that those veterans would have to fight tooth and nail for benefits.
It quickly became very obvious during World War I that our young and emerging nation would need to care for thousands of young men, volunteers all, who had been grievously wounded in body and mind by their war experiences.
Visionaries like General Sir John Monash realised there was much more to that process than just ongoing medical care for those whose injuries were obvious.
The first pressing need was to bring the troops home at the end of the European war.
Monash was given that responsibility and quickly reasoned that they should also be given opportunities to ensure they returned to Australia better prepared for post-war life than when they left Australia.
Australia did not provide troops to the occupation army, so as they waited in British camps for a return passage Monash arranged for them to be taught useful skills, in some cases just to read and write.
This repatriation process as it became known was continued in Australia with returned veterans being given access to dedicated hospitals to address their medical needs and vocational training to allow them to re-enter Australian society.
Small pensions were made available to those who were physically or mentally unable to do so and provision was made to care for widows and orphans.
There was even a scheme to settle soldiers on the land on small holdings.
As with all good intentions, once governments and more worryingly bureaucracies became involved, the burden of proving they had a need shifted on to affected veterans.
For many that was a burden too great to bear and they chose to end their lives as the frustration of dealing with hard hearted bureaucrats and even harder hearted governments became too much.
Some things never change.
In August last year it was announced Townsville would host a veterans’ suicide prevention trial.
Several months later that trial has not yet started, nor have there been any obvious moves to identify people to conduct it.
On Tuesday the federal ministers for veterans’ affairs and health issued a joint media statement acknowledging receipt of the National Mental Health Commission’s (NMHC) review of suicide and self-harm services for veterans and members of the ADF.
“The Government will look closely at the recommendations in this review and respond in due course,” Veterans Affairs Minister Dan Tehan said.
“We will also release the full review to the public on Thursday (today).”
Those immediately impacted by veteran suicide including too many here in Townsville can tell the minister what they do not need is another report, they need action.
They also know they don’t need it in due course, they need it now.
They needed it last August, in fact they needed it well before then.
Every day lost considering reports is potentially another life lost.
That is too great a burden to bear.
March 28, 2017 by 1 Comment
Government Welcomes NMHC Review into Veterans’ Mental Health
The Government today received the National Mental Health Commission’s (NMHC) review of suicide and self-harm services for veterans and members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Dan Tehan and Minister for Health Greg Hunt acknowledged receipt of the review.
“The Government has a responsibility to the men and women who defend our nation and we are committed to addressing veteran and ADF suicide,” Mr Tehan said.
“The Government will look closely at the recommendations in this review and respond in due course. We will also release the full review to the public on Thursday.
“This review will complement other Government initiatives to tackle suicide.
“We have made mental health treatment free for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and drug and alcohol misuse conditions for anyone who has served one day in the full-time ADF.
“And last year the Government released the first-ever robust data on the incidence of suicide among past and present ADF personnel and more specific findings will be released this year.”
Minister Hunt said the findings and recommendations from the Review would be an important consideration in the rollout of mental health services.
“We’ve already announced the establishment of 12 suicide prevention trial sites across Australia – including one in the Townsville region that will have a focus on veterans’ mental health,” Mr Hunt said.
“The Commission’s report will be used as a guide to inform ongoing trial design and suicide prevention strategies developed and implemented.”
28th March 2017
February 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment
ALP Media Release – Minister Fails Defence Community on Mefloquine
Last year the Government said it sought to relieve the concerns of many in the ADF and ex-service community of the anti-malarial drug, Mefloquine. Their ability to deliver on this has been underwhelming.
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