PANDA | Mental health service

PANDA

Phone: +61 1300 726 306

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25.01.2022 New parents often describe feeling like their body’s not their own any more. Baby cuddles are all very well, but sometimes a (koala) parent just needs a little space!

25.01.2022 In this month’s Survive and Thrive podcast, our host Alice chats to Deb about unexpected birth experiences, and looking after ourselves while juggling a newborn. Unexpected birth experiences can leave parents with a whole range of complex feelings. They might feel disconnected from what’s happening, or disconnected from their baby, other kids, or partner. Many women who give birth have something about that experience that stays with them or bothers them. That’s why it’s so im...portant that we talk honestly about these experiences. Find Survive and Thrive on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts: https://spoti.fi/3cgYGVg

24.01.2022 "There was a night, after lots of sleep deprivation and feeling this way, that I went in to try and settle my son. And I felt like I had this out-of-body experience, and I screamed my head off at him. It was totally out of character. I'm a very relaxed person. And at that point, I just remember I felt I was capable of doing anything, and that was really scary. That was the first time I'd really displayed the fact that I wasn't coping, and I think it was a turning point for me...." Thank you so much to PANDA Community Champions Dave and Dean for sharing their important stories. Image: Black and white photos of Dean and Dave are layered on a bright blue background with squiggles on it.

24.01.2022 'Weeks went by of me living in a daze where I was forgetful, quickly overwhelmed, exhausted, alone, and generally feeling inadequate.' Becoming a parent can be stressful. In fact, we know that many parents find having a baby more challenging than they anticipated.

23.01.2022 Meet our volunteers! Today we're introducing Community Champion Katy. Why do you volunteer with PANDA? "To share my experience with postnatal depression and anxiety to raise awareness, and mostly, to show other struggling parents that there is hope. I want people to know they aren’t alone and that they deserve help. I want to be seen as proof that things do get better, but that recovery isn’t linear and that’s OK."... What has been your proudest moment as PANDA volunteer (so far)? My fundraising event in 2018 Melodies for Maternal Mental Health where I wrote a song and performed it on the piano to raise funds and awareness for PANDA.

22.01.2022 "What happens if I don’t feel joy, peace and happiness during the holiday season?" Christmas and holiday periods come with a whole lot of expectation (a bit like early parenthood): family and friends, celebrating together, wishing the best for each other, sharing food, gifts, laughter and companionship. The reality is often nothing like this and the higher your expectations the more disappointment you might feel. For those who are spending time with family, past hurts can return and old wounds open. For others, being immersed in apparent ‘joy’ can increase loneliness and isolation with the pressure to ‘be happy’ contributing to anxiety.

21.01.2022 Volunteers needed for the DAISY: Depression and AnxIety peer Support studY. Have you experienced postnatal depression or anxiety? Are you living in Australia and interested in providing telephone peer support to new mothers at risk of postnatal depression or anxiety? Researchers from La Trobe University are conducting the DAISY Depression and AnxIety peer Support studY which involves volunteer mums who have previously experienced postnatal depression or anxiety offering mot...her-to-mother telephone peer support to mothers of young babies who are at risk to develop postnatal depression or anxiety. To become a peer support volunteer you will need to attend a 4-hour online training session to learn how to provide telephone support. To find out more information about the DAISY study or to express your interest in volunteering, please contact the DAISY study volunteer coordinator: Jessica Bee at: [email protected] or on 0468 414 165

20.01.2022 Meet our volunteers! Today we're introducing Helpline volunteer Simone. Why do you volunteer with PANDA? "Being a new mum or each time we have a new born is such a vulnerable time. I remember the feeling of enormity, the responsibility that came with their birth. Now, with my family growing up I really wanted to give back some of the emotional support I received when my children were babies."... What has been your proudest moment as a PANDA Volunteer (so far)? "Each caller I speak with, fills me with pride. To be part of an organisation that’s central focus is the support of parents in their baby’s first year of life. It’s just wonderful." Image: A close up photo of a smiling Simone.

20.01.2022 "The main benefit that you have with technology when you’re feeling lonely is the ability to reach out for help... Rather than suffering in silence, or being alone and not knowing what to do." New parenthood can be an isolating time as it is. At the moment, for many people, feelings of loneliness are even stronger. Technology offers a great way to stay connected with friends and family, to find supportive online communities and to seek help if you’re struggling. Image: An aerial photo showing city lights at night.

20.01.2022 A message from PANDA Community Champion Dave Edwards this Father's Day. "As dads we know there are going to be struggles, but sometimes those struggles are more than we can cope with. Our tendency can be to shut off and not let anyone know. We can also treat ourselves badly with negative self talk. ... This Father's Day, I want to encourage dads to reflect on our struggles and rather than conceal them, reach out for support."

19.01.2022 Today is National Sorry Day, which commemorates the tabling in Parliament of the Bringing Them Home report into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. We know the impacts of forced separation are still being deeply felt within First Nations communities, so on this important day we acknowledge the many people who are part of the Stolen Generations, and also their families, communities and supporters who continue to experience the ...impacts of dispossession and other trauma. Today we also want to recognise and sincerely thank those First Nations individuals and organisations who partner with PANDA to support the wellbeing of expecting and new parents from First Nations communities across the country. We are proud and grateful to be able to work with a range of First Nations and other partners to recognise and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures, and to continue to strive to improve health outcomes for expecting and new parents, their families and communities. #sorryday2021

19.01.2022 National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. To help you, Reconciliation Australia has compiled 20 actions for reconciliation. Learn more here: https://nrw.reconciliation.org.au

18.01.2022 In a year when so many people felt disconnected and isolated, the team at PANDA would like to thank everyone in our community who came together to work to support expecting and new parents and their families impacted by perinatal mental illness. With your help, and working together through the many challenges posed by COVID, we were able to achieve so much. Read about our impact in 2020.

16.01.2022 It’s World Suicide Prevention Day ; and R U OK Day today and it’s never been more important to check in with your family, friends and colleagues than right now. We know that people are really struggling. At PANDA we are hearing this from more parents, carers and health professionals than ever before. It's important to check in with yourself too. Today, take a moment to ask yourself are you going ok?. If you're worried about the way you are feeling, fill out PANDA's Mental Health Checklist.

16.01.2022 During this often stressful season at the end of an incredibly difficult year please try to remember that much of the time doing your best really is enough. Be kind to yourselves! For a list of services available to help throughout the holiday period visit: https://bit.ly/2WEcRvw

15.01.2022 Reach out to PANDA’s Helpline team if you need us. Our counsellors will be waiting to take your call from 9am (AEDT) Boxing Day!

14.01.2022 Throughout the year we receive a number of anonymous donations through Facebook. Because they are anonymous, we don’t know who these generous people are! But today we want to say thanks to all the people out there who donate through this platform, and to those who host events and encourage guests and others they know to donate via Facebook. To all those kind people, please know that your donations are incredibly important to us, and make a genuine difference in the lives of expecting and new parents experiencing perinatal mental illness. Thank you! Image: A brightly coloured illustration of a dad playing with his baby. He is lifting her up in the air. They are both wearing pyjamas and laughing. Illustration by Melissa Vallence Illustrations

14.01.2022 Content warning - suicide Did you or someone you know experience thoughts of suicide during pregnancy and/or the following year in Australia in the past 5 years? We're inviting women with lived experience of perinatal suicidality to share their experiences with us in a telephone or video interview to help us make sense of the unseen. Find more information here https://redcap.link/amzrb2jm... Please help us by sharing this post in your networks!

13.01.2022 At PANDA we hear many new parents tell us that one of the greatest challenges they face is knowing what is ‘normal’ and what is not. Living under COVID-19 makes it harder than ever to know if what you’re feeling is normal or is being felt by all new parents at this time. On our Helpline we are hearing that many new parents believe high levels of distress or unhappiness is a normal part of being a new parent in a global pandemic. A certain level of worry or low moods is normal..., but you don’t need to put up with it if it is affecting your ability to find joy in things you would normally enjoy, or if the difficult feelings last for an extended period. Even though many services are stretched at this time, they are still available to those who need them. Visit our hub for expecting and new parents for information about caring for your mental health when becoming a new parent under COVID-19, as well as a list of places where you can go if you need some support.

13.01.2022 Watch our video to find out why good enough parenting is actually great parenting.

12.01.2022 Thank you to the team at Baby Bunting for working hard to raise $90 000 for PANDA. Absolutely amazing stuff.

12.01.2022 Have you listened to PANDA's podcast 'Survive and Thrive' yet? Our first episode is all about worry and anxiety, with our guest Catherine generously sharing her story. Image: An illustration of a woman holding her baby while Google searching 'what's wrong with my baby?'. The baby is crying and there is a speech bubble above mum's head that says 'shh'. There is text on the image that reads: "After the birth they give you this child, and you really don't know what to do." - Catherine". Apple podcasts: https://apple.co/3pcfH7g Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3prgYrp Or listen on the panda website panda.org.au/podcast.

12.01.2022 Listen to the trailer now, then subscribe wherever you like to listen. Find out more at: www.panda.org.au/podcast Every episode, we’ll be speaking with a parent who has real experiences to share, and practical tips that they’ve learned from coming out the other side. We’ll also be dropping bonus content, with wellbeing tools and strategies that you can do in ten minutes or less, brought to you by one of our amazing PANDA counsellors.

09.01.2022 PANDA Week is a wrap! It was incredible last week to see individuals and organisations right across the country getting together to have conversations about perinatal mental health, hosting events and sharing information and stories highlighting why it’s important for those who are struggling to be able to ‘tell someone who cares’. In addition to all the ‘I care’ photos shared across social media, PANDA also featured in hundreds of media stories across the week, with over 400... items of coverage on radio and TV alone, reaching millions of Australians. We were pleased and proud to be able to speak on behalf of our amazing community to so many people. With another PANDA Week behind us, we want to thank everyone in our community for supporting our campaign and taking action to build a better system of care for expecting and new parents affected by perinatal mental illness See more

08.01.2022 Survive and Thrive is PANDA's podcast for expecting and new parents. In our first episode we tackle worry and anxiety and explore Catherine’s story. Listen to episode one now. Help us get the word out by reviewing and sharing with your friends. Apple podcasts: https://apple.co/3pcfH7g Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3prgYrp Or listen on the panda website panda.org.au/podcast... Image: An illustration of a pregnant woman looking a bit worried. There is text that reads "I think that worry is something completely natural and expected in the human experience. When I became pregnant it definitely evolved into a different sort of worry."

08.01.2022 Fill out PANDA's Helpline survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S622JQR Over the past six months the Helpline has been able to respond to a significant increase in demand due to COVID-19 and continue to deliver expert, caring and high quality services. We need to continue to flex and grow our services to ensure we are as responsive as possible to the evolving needs of expecting and new parents in these difficult times and we'd love you to help inform our model of care.

07.01.2022 We're excited to announce the launch of Survive and Thrive: PANDA’s first podcast for expecting and new parents. The good things, the exciting things about bringing a baby into your family get a lot of airtime, so we’re going to be talking about some of the feelings and changes that come with parenthood that maybe don’t get talked about enough. Every episode, we’ll be speaking with a parent who has real experiences to share, and practical tips that they’ve learned from coming... out the other side. We’ll also be dropping bonus content, with wellbeing tools and strategies that you can do in ten minutes or less, brought to you by one of our amazing PANDA counsellors. Listen and subscribe now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Coming soon to Google Podcasts and wherever else you like to listen.

07.01.2022 PANDA is looking for volunteer Clinical Champions! As the operator of Australia’s only National Helpline that supports families affected by perinatal mental illness, PANDA has developed a unique understanding of the mental health vulnerabilities of families in the perinatal period. However there are still many things we can understand better in particular, the perspective of those working within the health system. That is why the team at PANDA have identified the need to en...gage with Clinical Champions from across the country so they can join our Community Champions in the important work of building a better system of care for expecting and new parents. Register here: https://www.tfaforms.com/4844293 We do not want to increase the pressures faced by our valued health care providers, but we do want to provide opportunities to get involved in improving peoples’ experience of care. We would therefore like to offer health professionals an opportunity to broaden their impact and help us to build a community of passionate clinical leaders who work in the field of perinatal mental health, to help inform position statements, service planning, design and innovation, public health campaigns and parent and health professional resources. PANDA is committed to a society where perinatal mental health is valued and understood, and where stigma and systemic barriers to seeking help no longer exist. As a volunteer Clinical Champion, you can help us make this vision a reality.

05.01.2022 Today on the final day of National Volunteer Week we're waving to show our support for PANDA's voluteers! We want to acknowledge the time and dedication that our volunteers provide in supporting expecting and new parents to manage their emotional wellbeing. We also wish to celebrate volunteers everywhere and thank the friends and families who support them.

03.01.2022 Today the Federal Minister for Health Greg Hunt MP announced a funding commitment of $350,000 to PANDA as part of a generous new $5 million funding package for mental health services in Victoria. The package aims to enhance existing digital and phone services for specific groups that are experiencing significant challenges during the restrictions in Victoria, including expecting and new parents. Since the start of the pandemic, PANDA’s National Helpline has seen a 20% increa...se in calls, says PANDA CEO Julie Borninkhof. This has added a strain to our specialty services which were already in great demand. PANDA welcomes this increased funding from the Commonwealth Government of Australia to support expecting and new families, especially those in Victoria as they continue to struggle with the impact of COVID. This funding is seen as a significant investment in the mental health of parents and will ensure that PANDA continues to deliver targeted support via our National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline. This is especially important for our hardly reached communities and those who experience difficulty accessing services, such as those for whom English is their second language. The funding will also support health professionals working to support people in the perinatal period who may be experiencing mental vulnerability and illness through the secondary consultation role of our National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline. Other key organisations to receive funding include The Butterfly Foundation, Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA), Q-Life and Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) Yarning SafeNStrong helpline. More information here: https://bit.ly/2ZC4bHQ

03.01.2022 "Our aim was to write a song that would be a reflection of the collective voice of many women who have been through postnatal depression or anxiety. So, hopefully, other women who listen to the song might feel not so alone and hear their own story reflected in the song as well."

02.01.2022 Today marks the start of World Mental Health Month 2020 and this year more than ever we need to be working together to support the mental health and wellbeing of our communities locally, nationally and internationally! Take care of your mental health everyone! https://www.mhfa.org.au/Default.aspx

02.01.2022 I’d like people to understand that having postnatal psychosis or hearing voices is like having diabetes or cancer it’s an illness. I’d really like to have more conversations around our mental health, and particularly around hearing voices, which is such a taboo subject and it shouldn’t be. The more we talk and share and create open spaces to discuss it, the more people will seek treatment." A huge thank you to PANDA Community Champion Katie for sharing her story with SBS I...NSIGHT. Image: A close up photo of Katie's face. She has blonde hair and blue eyes and is looking off into the distance.

01.01.2022 We asked Dave, a dad who experienced his own challenges in adjusting to becoming a dad, to send a shout out to dads this Father’s Day.

01.01.2022 While COVID rates across the country continue to change, we know people are still feeling anxious about this global pandemic. We also know expecting and new parents feel especially vulnerable: it is understandable to feel a range of complex emotions about bringing a baby into the world right now. To anyone expecting a baby or with a new little one, mums and dads and anyone else, if you’re experiencing any feelings that worry you, you don’t have to suck it up. PANDA’s Helpline is operating today and across the holiday season. Or just talk to someone you know and trust. PANDA’s National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline 1300 726 306 Mon Sat 9am 7.30pm (AEST/AEDT)