Day: January 18, 2024

Self-talk What is self-talk? Self-talk is the way you talk to yourself, or your inner voice. You might not be aware that you’re doing it, but you almost certainly are. This inner voice combines conscious thoughts with inbuilt beliefs and biases to create an internal monologue throughout the day. Self-talk is important because it has a big impact on how you feel and what you do. It can be supportive and beneficial, motivating you, or it can be negative, undermining your confidence. What is negative self-talk? Negative self-talk is when your inner voice is excessively negative, sounding more like an

What is self-harm? Self-harm is defined as the act of someone hurting themselves intentionally (on purpose). Most people who self-harm aren’t attempting suicide. Self-harm can be a way to express or control distressing thoughts or feelings. Self-harm can cause more damage to your health and safety than you may have intended. What signs suggest someone may be self-harming? Self-harm may go unnoticed by others. Many people who self-harm do so in private and may not seek help. Self-harm may include behaviours such as: cutting, burning or hitting yourself participating in risky behaviour abuse of drugs or alcohol Signs that someone may

What is self-esteem? Self-esteem is the way we think about ourselves and the value we place on ourselves. We all criticise ourselves from time to time, but if you often think badly about yourself or judge yourself negatively, you may have low self-esteem. You may not know the cause of your low self-esteem, but there are steps you can take to improve it. Self-esteem is different to self-confidence. Confidence relates to a person’s ability in a particular area of their life. A person can be very confident about their particular abilities, but still have low self-esteem. Achieving confidence in a

Epilepsy What is epilepsy? Epilepsy is a long-term brain condition where a person has repeated seizures (fits). It is thought to affect about 3 in every 100 Australians. Having just one seizure is not considered to be epilepsy — about half the people who have one seizure never have another seizure. Epilepsy is not one single condition. There are a range of different conditions that can cause seizures. Seizures usually last 1 to 3 minutes. If someone has a seizure that lasts for more than 5 minutes. If you see someone having a seizure, you can go to Epilepsy Action Australia’s seizure

What is a seizure? Seizures are caused by sudden and uncoordinated changes to electrical signals in the brain. This can cause temporary (short-term) changes in behaviours, feelings, movements (such as sudden stiffening and jerking of the arms and legs), or a loss of awareness or changed awareness level. When should I call an ambulance? Call triple if: a seizure continues for more than 5 minutes a second seizure quickly follows the first the person doesn’t respond for more than 5 minutes after a seizure stops the person has been injured the person is swimming or in water at the time

Flu (influenza) What is the flu? Influenza (the flu) is a viral infection affecting your nose, throat and sometimes your lungs. What are the symptoms of the flu? The symptoms of flu may include: fever dry, chesty cough headache tiredness chills aching muscles limb or joint pain diarrhoea or upset stomach sore throat runny or blocked nose sneezing loss of appetite When should I see my doctor? If you are otherwise fit and healthy, there is usually no need to see a doctor if you have flu-like symptoms. But you should see your doctor if you or your child have flu symptoms and: are

What is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)? Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes according to the season. People with SAD have symptoms of depression or mania at roughly the same time each year. SAD usually develops in autumn and winter, then disappears in spring and summer. In some people, the symptoms develop in spring and early summer. What are the symptoms of SAD? Symptoms usually start out mild and get worse as the season progresses. When the season changes, people normally become completely well again. Symptoms of SAD in winter include: lack of energy sleeping too