DOWN MEMORY LANE
Treating mental illness My beloved grandfather was a WWI veteran – so gentle, rarely speaking and seldom smiling – who preferred to stay home with me while everyone else socialised at the local pub. I alone heard his traumatic war experiences. I now realise he suffered from PTSD – a condition then unknown. When a local 12yo committed suicide in the 1950s no discussion was allowed, his name only mentioned in whispers. Fortunately mental illness is no longer a taboo subject. In 2022 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated one in five adult Australians and one in seven youngsters aged 4-17 years experienced some mental disorder so it's no surprise it is a major issue for society. The National Alliance on Mental Illness in America estimated in 2022 that 46.6M people including 17% of children aged 6-17 years were facing mental challenges. “People see a
connection between mental health and overall wellbeing, our ability to function at work and at home and how we view the world around us,” said Dr. Christine Moutier of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This attitude change comes as mental health treatments now focus on community-oriented, holistic care. Past treatment was basically brutal, cruel, dangerous and often deadly. Skulls dating back 7,000 years show evidence of trephination to remove a small part of the skull using an auger, bore or saw, probably to relieve headaches or “demonic possession” as mental illness was often called. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed illness was an imbalance of “humours” in the body. This theory, revised during the Medieval Renaissance, treated mental and physical illness by bloodletting, purging and vomiting. Using leeches or cutting veins continued into Victorian
Regulated dog inspection program Sunshine Coast Council will be undertaking a regulated dog inspection program between 14 November 2023 and 13 November 2024. The purpose of this program is to conduct a compliance audit at premises within the region where dogs that have been regulated under the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 are being kept. The Act
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requires local governments to manage regulated dogs within their boundaries. The program will work to ensure animal owners are adhering to the mandatory conditions for keeping a regulated dog to reduce the risk posed by these animals. A copy of the program is available on council’s website. For more information contact council on 07 5475 7272 or mail@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
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sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
