Turning the wheel for support

By MELISSA NEL

“Keep their minds occupied.”

That is the advice of the professional counselors at the Sadag give thousands of people consults them about problems regarding their depression and anxiety.

Miss Fatima Seedat, a counselor at Sadag, made an example of advice she would give someone who is struggling with self-mutilation. “Instead of cutting yourself, we would advise you to go put your finger in the freezer. You can also go outside and scream. That produces the same emotions as it would you cutting yourself.”

Seedat said the Sadag hotline gets calls from patients who are: lonely, suicidal, and experienced anxiety because of a crime that took place.

After being counseled on the phone, patients are referred to face-to-face counselors.

Seedat said it is very helpful to know about mental health issues. “My job is rewarding not only because I can give advice to people from different background and situations calling the hotline, but I can also give information to a family member on how to cope with a certain problem.”

Una Hammond of Jubilee Live church in Parow previously suffered from depression and is now a support group leader.

Hammond said it is a major step for a victim of depression to just get out of your house and talk to someone that went through the same emotions you did. “As a support group leader I understand the symptoms of what patients go through, because I went through the same thing.”

Her current group consists of eight people from Belhar and Bellville. “I had a group of 25, but there are those who feel they are strong enough to go on their own. I see them individually.”

For advice regarding depression or anxiety, or to learn on how you can become a support group leader, call the toll-free Sadag hotline at 0800 70 80 90.

When most of us think of eating heathly we tend to think of the food pyramid that we all learnt about at school, protein, fiber, fat, fruits and vegetables and so on but did you ever stop to think about the colours of our food?

No, didn’t think you did. Well, each food colour is rich in its own nutrients and come with their own benefits, for example red foods. Red foods are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your body’s cells from smoking, second hand smoke, the sun and so on. By doing this, the antioxidants in red food provide protection from cancers and age-related diseases like Alzhiemers.

Red foods like tomatoes are rich in the nutrient lycopene. It’s also found in other red foods such as watermelon. The biggest benefit of lycopene is that it can lower your risk or developing prostate cancer. Eating lycopene-rich foods regularly may also help people who have prostate cancer by preventing it from spreading, as well as keeping tumors small. For women, it may also lower your chances of developing lung, breast, and stomach cancers.

Red foods to eat

Red apples                   Red grapes

Raspberries                Cranberries

Cherries                        Strawberries

Watermelons              Beets

Red potatoes              Red onions

Radishes

Angelique Petersen and Angela Mketo- Grade 11 learners from Immaculata High who are members of the Heart and Stroke Foundation S.A’s Heartcore team during a presentation on World No Tobacco Day at Gatesville Community Centre.  As members of Heartcore, they are anti-tobacco activist and ‘No-smoking’ champions who are involved in various awareness campaigns at local schools. They are passionate about raising awareness of the dangers of smoking and are keen to help reduce the high numbers of teenage smokers in the Western Cape. (photo, Sithembiso Magubane) 

World No Tobacco Day

On 31st May each year WHO celebrates World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce consumption. Tobacco use is the second cause of death globally (after hypertension) and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide. 

The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2010 is gender and tobacco, with an emphasis on marketing to women. WHO will use the day to draw particular attention to the harmful effects of tobacco marketing and smoke on women and girls.

The World Health Assembly created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and its lethal effects. It provides an opportunity to highlight specific tobacco control messages and to promote adherence to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Tobacco use   is the number one preventable epidemic that the health community faces.

 Health effects of smoking among young people

Among young people, the short-term health consequences of smoking include respiratory and non respiratory effects, addiction to nicotine, and the associated risk of other drug use. Long-term health consequences of youth smoking are reinforced by the fact that most young people who smoke regularly continue to smoke throughout adulthood. Cigarette smokers have a lower level of lung function than those persons who have never smoked. Smoking reduces the rate of lung growth. 

Good morning all. Trust we are all in a good mood. If not, just smile. So says the Buddha anyway, and he should know. He was a very wise man. No matter what happens he says, just smile. It will make you feel better.

Doctors and psychologists will confirm that when you smile, your brain responds by flooding it with endorphins, which are your happy hormones. Your muscles will relax, blood will flow freely, carrying oxygen to your brain enabling you to deal squarely with challenges.

Your brain will do whatever the body wants and vice versa. In other words, if your thoughts are filled with fear, tension, anger, bitterness etc, your body will create a corresponding behavior.

In other words, you can train your brain and your body to behave positively. All it takes is a little awareness about how you respond to certain things. Take money for instance. Do you become tense whenever money is discussed? Do you go into spasms of fear when you reach the end of the month and you cannot pay your bills?

Why don’t you try relaxing instead? This will prevent unhappy hormones from blocking your ability to find a solution. In order to deal with issues you need to be in a resourceful state, ie, have a clear mind to be in an empowered state.

You need just five minutes in the morning and five minutes before you fall asleep to train yourself as follows:

1. Close your eyes
2. Breathe consciously in and out to the count of ten. Breathe gently, not hard. Don’t force anything
3. Try to listen to the silence for a minute or so.
4. Become of aware of tension in your body and take your awareness to various parts of your body starting with the head and working all the way down to your feet.
5. As you work through each area, breathe in, relax, breathe out, relax and continue until you have worked through each part of the body.

As you become more aware of your body, you will become more aware of your thoughts and how they influence your reactions, physical responses and behaviour.

If you want to work on a specific issue work through steps 1 to 5, then sit quietly listening to your thoughts. Often you will find that the urge to do something comes to the fore. If that doesn’t happen, sit in silence, then ask a question. Don’t force anything.  You may find that you will sleep soundly thereafter and in the morning a solution will present itself or you may get the urge to go some place without knowing why. This is your subconscious guiding you. Just go and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Don’t be disappointed if nothing happens. Sometimes one simply needs to cultivate inner silence in order to confront one’s own issues before anything happens. Don’t live in expectation of grandiose schemes suddenly falling into your lap. Rather keep practicing and getting to know yourself. You are the only one who can find solutions to your problems. Look within, confront your own fears.

I can’t emphasize enough that practice makes perfect. By degrees you will find your life changing. Coincidences will take you down a path you have been unable to negotiate before, or you may suddenly take up a satisfying hobby that may lead to a career.

Your mind holds the key to your entire potential. You are the cause and effect of all that happens in your life.

Respond to this post if you want to know more.

 Recommended reading: Buddhaism, Meditation, positive thinking

S.A. Depression and Anxiety Group pleads for backing

By MELISSA NEL

Thousands of South Africans suffering from depression could have a new worry within the next few weeks as the organization Sadag might go under.

Counselors at the organization that acts as an Agony Aunt who is just a phone call away, therefore pleaded to major companies such as MTN and Vodacom to adopt the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag).

Miss Fatima Seedat, one of the registered counselors at Sadag, said they got a hard knock from recession and are finding it difficult to pay for everything.

 “Though our hotline is free, but we do get charged for the calls.” Seedat said, adding that they also send out free brochures and handouts to people who call for advice concerning mental health issues.

She said: “We would like a big company to adopt us so that we can continue with our service to help mentally ill people and to spread awareness of mental health.”

Whoever adopts Sadag will also get free marketing for the company. “We will change our name by referring to the company that adopted us first,” Seedat said.

Seedat explained the organization’s income is currently generated from a speaking-book for people who do not want to or cannot read. This educational tool has pictures in it where you press and it talks back to you.

She said this book is informative and has various themes such as mental health, HIV, malaria and TB.

Seedat also said Sadag gets an income for advertising prescreened drugs of pharmacies.

CLEANER GREENER SAFER BONTEHEUWEL

Dear School Managers.

Subject: Bonteheuwel Schools Clean Up Week 2010

The Bonteheuwel Environment Forum would like all the Bonteheuwel Schools to participate in the abovementioned week. The Forum will provide the black bags for the schools and learners to clean up schools. The teachers will provide supervision of the learners whereupon Bonteheuwel members will also assist with picking up of papers. The aims of the project is create awareness amongst learners not to litter and about the 2010 World Cup .The schools will each receive a soccer ball as souvenir and also media coverage. For more details contact: Wilmot 073 2148 407

When: 12-16 April 2010

Where: Bonteheuwel Schools

Time: 8h00-10h00

Yours in Sustainable Development

F. Khan @ 084 2437 014

More than 4 years ago, Arthur opened a modest fitness center in Bracken Street, Bonteheuwel, and began a tradition of commitment, passion and dedication. At Bracken Street Gym you’ll find all of the latest cardio and strength training equipment along with a dynamic group exercise program that includes classes like yoga, mixed martial arts, muscle endurance training and pilates. Our gym is built to help people realize their goals and find their inner strength. We combine the most diverse amenities in the industry with the best personal training to deliver the ultimate fitness experience. Today more than ever, people are looking for strength. Whether it’s the strength to be a better parent, the strength to overcome diabetes or the strength to be a better athlete – strength comes in many forms. At Bracken Street Gym, we recognize that everyone has their own strength – our job for over 4 years has been to help them find it. For more details or want to join the gym, contact instructor Arthur @ Tel. 021 694 2096