Blog

The wait will be over for Year 12s and their families on 14 December, when the HSC 2023 results are released. How to reframe big feelings with Dr Jodie.

December is a full-on time of year for most of us. Our calendars fill up fast with parties, presents to buy, food to make, family to visit — and all while wrapping up work projects in time for the holidays (if you’re fortunate enough to have one).

When you hear someone refer to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), what comes to mind? Unhelpfully, the stereotype and social media memes often focus in on extreme neatness or a phobia of germs, without acknowledging the many ways OCD can present itself in a person’s life and the distressing and debilitating impact it can have. OCD is so much more than being a ‘clean freak’ and can present in often unrecognised ways.

World Mental Health Day 2023 on Tuesday 10 October is a day that empowers and inspires all of us to talk about and raise awareness of mental health issues around the world. It also celebrates the 75th anniversary of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and World Mental Health Day 2023.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. You’re overcome by intense emotions because something feels too stressful or too hard to handle. You’re snappy. You can’t concentrate. You want to shut down. Overwhelm is utterly uncomfortable, like you’re buried, drowning, completely defeated. No one wants to feel this way.

In Australia, around 15% of people aged 16–24 experience an anxiety disorder each year. From school exams and friendships to TikTok, these influential years can have a big impact on one’s mental health. As the parent of a teenager or young person who may feel anxious, it can be tricky to know how best to support them. In this article, Dr Jodie Lowinger, clinical psychologist, creator and author of The Mind Strength Method, and founder and principal of The Anxiety Clinic, provides a guide for parents.