JIE ZHU SID:440111311
More than 400 of motorbike enthusiasts gathered together to raise funds and public awareness of depression and suicide at Penrith leg of Black Dog Ride’s annual One-Dayer.
Black Dog Ride One-Dayer is a nationwide event held at 34 locations across Australia on the same day, thousands of bikers come together to revving engines in support of raising public conversation on mental health issues.
“Depression is a silent killer among communities, there are lots of people in communities are living with depression, but few of them have recognized the seriousness of depression”, said David Peach, the coordinator of the Black Dog Ride One-Dayer.
A 2014 national survey shows that around 2.1 million Australian have experienced depression and more than 6000 Australian depression suffers attempted to take their own life in one year. But only 39 percent of Australians view depression as a mental health issues.
Mr David said he can understand the reason why public fail to understanding the depression. Because feeling depressed and anxiety is that everybody experienced. It is normal reactions to the stress and difficulties in our life. But when the anxiety intensified, it lifted to an anxiety disorder that affected people’s life. “The blur distinction between normal everyday anxiety and anxiety disorders makes people confused.”
Mr David said the aim of Black Dog Ride One-Dayer is to getting people talk about the depression and suicide. “With things like this rolling to towns across Australia, people want to know what it is all about.”
“It is a good way to deliver the message that depression is a illness that need more focus and understanding”, he added.
Better Knowledge, better treatment
Jess Seigle, a depression suffer was introduced the Black Dog Ride after attempted multiple suicide last year.
Mrs Jess has been affected by depression for a long time. But she did not receive any professional treatment until last year. Instead, she turned to alcohol and drugs as a way to escape the depression, which has worsen her conditions. The intensely painful resulted from continual distressed promoted her actions to take her own life.
Extensive research has show that the delay to seek treatment is prevalent among depression suffers. Studies says only a few people seek professional help in a timely fashion although efficient treatment is available in Australian.
A national survey shows that only 28 percent of Australians attending specialists treatment services in the year of onset. Even when people do receive treatment, they typically wait for many years before seeking help. The average length of delay ranges from 8.2 years to 50 years.
Clive Jones, an associate professor of Psychology at Curtin University and a specialist on the treatment of mental health illness, explained that there are series of barriers faced by people with mood disorders when they take the first step to seek treatment. “One of the most commonly barriers is a fear of stigma associated with Depression. Patients often feel shamed about their depression and anxiety”, said Mr Clive.
Mrs Jess said she has realized pretty earlier that she was different from everyone else, but she did not tell anybody as she get a bit embarrassed. “ When I felt the depression come on, I just hid out in my room or just got into my car and drove for days.”
But her suddenly disappear has upset her families and friends. “ They have been gone through a period that they were scared as they think I was angry with them”, Mr Jess said. “ My illness made me endangered with my families.”
Until last year, her families and friends started to notice that she was struggling with depression. Instead of blame, her families try to understand each of her symptoms by reading a lot of materials.
“I was lucky that people around me are so supportive, they offered me patience and encouraged me to take step to seek professional help. I have met someone with mental health illness whose families did not support them and their husband and partners left them. I do not know how can I cope with my illness if I were in that situation”, said Mrs Jess.
Mr Clive also noticed this situation in his daily work. He said that families and friends understand and support is the most powerful thing to facilitate help-seeking.
Concerns about flaws of mental health system
Despite some patients have intentions to seek professional assistant, few of them obtain effective and adequate treatment.
In a national survey of 8841 Australians aged 16-85 years conducted in 2007, 17 percent of respondents met criteria of affective disorders. Of these, 67 percent of Australian adults have consulted a health professional for their illness, but only 30 percent of them received adequate “dose” of psychological therapy stated in Australian treatment guideline.
Mr Cliver said the mental health system is flawed. “In Australia, GP is the entry point of mental illness treatment. Patients with more complex and serve disorders will be refer to specialists by GP. However, this is rely on reach GP with sufficient knowledge in identification mental health issues”, Mr Cliver explained.
Further, he said: “patients with severe mood disorders normally are not able to work in general, many of them lost their jobs after diagnosing with depression. However, the occupational therapist that tailored to people with severe distress not covered by Medicare Benefits Schedule. Thus, it is impossible for them to afford the appropriate treatment.”
“When I was in public hospital, I see someone who give up treatment as they are not able to pay after they lose their jobs and their families’ supports”, Mrs Jess said.
“There are lots of things such as Black Dog Ride and lifeline that make we get better and better in understanding depression, but there is still a number of missing pieces in our mental health systems”, Mrs Jess added.
Key words:# Mental Health # Suicide # Depression # Black Dog Ride #Australia
Author: JIE ZHU Email: kenleyzhu9536@gmail.com
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