Lived Experience Forum

[tyme]

On Thursday 23rd May 2024, we will be holding a Peer Group Chat on the topic of Holistic Health.

When it comes to mental health, we can often be bogged down focussing on deficits and what’s ‘wrong’ with us. Holistic health focuses on the multi-dimensional aspects of wellness. Let’s meet up to embrace the power that comes with looking at the whole person! 

The event start times across Australia are below:

This is currently held in Australian Eastern Standard hours:

WA: 5pm

NT: 6:30pm

SA: 6:30pm 

QLD: 7pm

NSW, ACT, VIC & TAS: 7pm 

For anyone unfamiliar with Peer Group Chats, each focuses on a specific topic and is guided by Peer Workers with lived experience of mental health issues and recovery, &/or caring for someone with complex mental health. A counsellor is also present as a moderator to help ensure a safe environment for individuals and the group. It is a space for us as peers to share our stories and experiences, and connect with those who are going through something similar. 

Peer Group Chats are hosted outside of the forums, using a platform called Chatwee. To join an Online Peer Group Chat, you will need to register for an account with Chatwee. On the night, follow this link and log in to your Chatwee account before the group starts.

Please see this FAQ for any questions you may have. For any issues on the night, please message the moderator of the group on the Chat platform. If you'd like to receive a reminder closer to the event, please support this post & we'll keep you updated.

Tagging  @Jacques @Snowie @Shaz51 @Captain24 @Eve7 @outlander @PinkFlamingo @Birdofparadise8 @Glisten @7cough9 @Oaktree @Appleblossom @Patches59 @WildFlower1 @Spritely @ButterflyWings @Tuiit57783 @Alonely 

[tyme]

When it comes to mental health, we can often be bogged down focussing on deficits and what’s ‘wrong’ with us. Holistic health focuses on the multi-dimensional aspects of wellness. Let’s meet up to embrace the power that comes with looking at the whole person! 

The event start times across Australia are below:

This is currently held in Australian Eastern Standard hours:

WA: 5pm

NT: 6:30pm

SA: 6:30pm 

QLD: 7pm

NSW, ACT, VIC & TAS: 7pm 

For anyone unfamiliar with Peer Group Chats, each focuses on a specific topic and is guided by Peer Workers with lived experience of mental health issues and recovery, &/or caring for someone with complex mental health. A counsellor is also present as a moderator to help ensure a safe environment for individuals and the group. It is a space for us as peers to share our stories and experiences, and connect with those who are going through something similar. 

Peer Group Chats are hosted outside of the forums, using a platform called Chatwee. To join an Online Peer Group Chat, you will need to register for an account with Chatwee. On the night, follow this link and log in to your Chatwee account before the group starts.

Please see this FAQ for any questions you may have. For any issues on the night, please message the moderator of the group on the Chat platform. If you'd like to receive a reminder closer to the event, please support this post & we'll keep you updated.

Tagging  @Jacques @Snowie @Shaz51 @Captain24 @Eve7 @outlander @PinkFlamingo @Birdofparadise8 @Glisten @7cough9 @Oaktree @Appleblossom @Patches59 @WildFlower1 @Spritely @ButterflyWings @Tuiit57783 @Alonely 

[tyme]

Hope to see you all there tomorrow!

[Andarna]

How do I join?

[Happylifelove]

This is really good, thank you...

[Patches59]

@tyme  thanks for the invite. Not sure if can make it tonight.

for some strange reason nothing showed up in my notifications, 2 weeks in a row

[MDT]

Won't be able to join the holisitic health chat but just wanted to throw in here that I like the idea of it. Also one of the reasons I will leave shift work.

thanks all - very important topic

[tyme]

Hey @Happylifelove @Andarna ,

We will be starting shortly. (7pm AEST)

Peer Group Chats are hosted outside of the forums, using a platform called Chatwee. To join an Online Peer Group Chat, you will need to register for an account with Chatwee. Then, follow this link and log in to your Chatwee account before the group starts.

Please see this FAQ for any questions you may have. For any issues on the night, please message the moderator of the group on the Chat platform. If you'd like to receive a reminder closer to the event, please support this post & we'll keep you updated.

Tagging members including our new membes: @Snowie @Glisten @7cough9 @Alonely @WildFlower1 @ButterflyWings @Spritely @Jacques @Ramman @Owlunar2 @Gwynn @Cocopuff @Jessica31 @Lila4 @Family1st @Mazzfitz 

[Andarna]

I can't find the post-group forum chat group page. Can you resend the link?

[tyme]

Hey hun, I'm about to send it. This IS the post-group forum page. I'll send through the questions and a brief summary of what was spoken about tonight. @Andarna 

[tyme]

Thank you to everyone who joined tonight.

@Snowie @Eve7 @Shaz51 @Squishy @Sabriel @Happylifelove @Patches59 @MDT @Captain24 @Glisten @WildFlower1 @Andarna @Alonely 

Here are the questions and a few rough notes from tonight (sorry if there are any spelling mistakes. I whipped the notes up during the chat!)

Q1: What aspects are important when considering one’s health?  All aspects of a person  Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs  Spiritual, emotional  Considering the context/environment/situation

Q2: What does a holistic approach to health mean to you?  All parts are intertwined  Can't focus on one part without affecting another  Mental and physical  Spirituality as well as the physical  Specialists only focus on one area, whether it be the physical or the mental health, and fail to see the whole person.  Some specialists recommend strategies or treatment but fail to consider whether the person can afford it.

Q3: Why do you think a holistic approach to mental health is important to consider?  We are more than the sum of our parts  Holistic approach considers the interaction of our parts which make us who we are  We are complex beings and cannot be separated from our environment  Many factors can add to the decline in health/MH  What works for one may not work for another  Emotional pain=physical pain  Work with the recovery goals of the person  Being told ‘panic attacks can’t hurt you’ can be very painful.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snAhsXyO3Ck

Q4: Can you think of any disadvantages of holistic health care?  Alternative treatments may counteract other treatments  “Holistic” may be seen as a buzzword without clear understanding  When people stop medication to turn to herbal treatments etc  Any attempt to say 'everything matters' is opening a slippery slope to 'everything matters, and so much so that we can't gain any control'  I get overwhelmed by getting multiple programs for growth and recovery across different issues and domains, and having no effective way to include and balance them.

Q5: What would you like to see more of as part of effective health care?  Accessibility  Affordability  More than just a number  Patient advocacy  Bulk billing  Understanding, compassion  Looking at the whole picture and not just the ‘presenting’ issues  empowerment

Q6: Can you share any examples of effective health care?  Effective case management  Compassionate nurses and staff  Someone giving relevant whole-person advice  Gentle explanations  When they listen  When they take time and not rush to move on to the next patient  Collaborate with other specialists  People who explain medical jargon

Q7: If you could give your treating team one piece of advice, what would it be?  Collaborative approach between specialists  See me as a whole person and not $$$ or a number  People don’t like retelling their story over and over again  Professionals only share relevant info and not everything about the person  That they do what they say

Here are some further resources we recommend having a look at:  1 What is a holistic approach?: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/psychosocial/principles/Pages/holistic.aspx  2 The whole person – Pat's story: https://www.nswmentalhealthcommission.com.au/journey/pats-story  3 Holistic and Personalise Care: https://healthsciences.unimelb.edu.au/recovery-library/domains/holistic  4: https://www.instagram.com/livedexperienceeducator/?hl=en