Visiting Rotarian, Lindsay Morgan, is a strong supporter of Beyond Blue, the Australian mental health and wellbeing support organisation. In the past 12 months, this organisation had noted a 42% increase in the number of contacts made to their 1300 224 636 number.
On Oct.17, Lindsay revealed his personal experience, which he convinced himself for too long was NOT a mental health problem. He fought against the advice of his GP, of a psychologist, of his wife and of his friends. The initial inkling of this situation arose when he suffered a heart attack. Rushed to hospital, he was saved, but his GP insisted that Lindsay would have psychological problems within ten years – if he did not already have such problems!
Lindsay began avoiding meetings and parties where he felt incapable of conversing adequately. He left his job. His body strength weakened and his memory suffered as well. Still, he did not acknowledge that he had a mental problem.
He suspected that he had been placed on a Suicide Watch by his GP. Eventually, he did accept that he needed to seek help to cope with his psychological problems. He ended his talk by saying:
“If you think you might have a problem, for God’s Sake go to someone! Don’t deny that you have depression!”
Mental health consequences cost Australia about $600 million per day and there are 9 suicides a day (7 men, 2 women).
- In any one year, one in four people will suffer from a mental health problem
- Shizophrenia is the most common mental illness
- One in five people are affected by depression
- Globally, 1.1 billion people have a mental health problem
- About two-thirds of those with obsessive compulsive disorder are women
- 200 Australians attempt suicide each day
- A tendency to anxiety can be inherited
- Half of all mental illnesses occur before the person turns 14 years of age
