Domestic Violence (DV) affects everyone... if you are victim to DV, remember that others around you suffer too... take action to keep yourself safe!

Before you read, I just want to share a quote with you that I read somewhere... "The standard you walk past is the standard you accept."  I do not accept that some people (victims) are lesser of a human being than others (perpetrators).  I accept that we are all equal.  I hope that you do too regardless of whether you are a perpetrator, a victim or a bystander.  Civilisation has come too far to go backwards. 

The Australian government is really putting in a lot of resources targetting domestic violence.

• Police are better resourced and, hopefully, are also experiencing changes in workforce culture as well.  One often hear stories about police ignoring domestic incidences or being insensitive when questioning the victim which makes it difficult for victims to speak about DV. 
• DV support services are getting increase funding from what I hear. 
• The campaign about stopping DV is also recognising that there are male victims too (see http://www.oneinthree.com.au/overview/)  -- apparently, 1 in 3 DV victims is male. 
• There is also recognition that victims from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds may be unable to speak up for themselves for a variety of reasons (e.g., high dependency on the breadwinner, being unable to understand how to seek help, unable to speak to anyone due to language difficulties, some degree of tolerance within the cultural context).  Thus, if you are able to access an interpreter, please try to find an interpreter of the same gender.  In my experience, if the gender is not matched and if the issue of DV is not spoken about, the interpreter may not interpret accurately or the victim may be guarded.
• Remember that DV does not just mean physical violence, it can also take other forms such as verbal, psychological etc.  If you are a victim, do not think that things will get better.  Just seek advice and help.  If there are children in your household, remember that they are also victims and it is unhealthy for children to live in such volatile situations too.  Seek help so that you can all better function as a family unit. 

Regardless of where you work or where you encounter DV, please remember that DV is not an issue between the perpetrator and the victim.  There are also others in the equation such as children, neighbours et cetera.  Importantly, if we do not stop the DV in this generation and not role model what is appropriate and acceptable, it will be difficult for subsequent generations to do so.  Let's all play a part -- to help the ones directly affected so that those indirectly affected (from a distance or otherwise) can look towards the future.

Stats from http://www.domesticviolence.com.au/pages/domestic-violence-statistics.php to demonstrate the prevalence and severity of violence against women: 

• On average at least one woman a week is killed by a partner or former partner in Australia.¹
  
  
• One in three Australian women has experienced physical violence since the age of 15.²
  
• One in five Australian women has experienced sexual violence.²
  
• One in four Australian women has experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner.²
  
• One in four Australian women has experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner.³
  
• Women are at least three times more likely than men to experience violence from an intimate partner.⁴
  
• Women are five times more likely than men to require medical attention or hospitalisation as a result of intimate partner violence, and five times more likely to report fearing for their lives.⁵
  
• Of those women who experience violence, more than half have children in their care.⁶
  
• Violence against women is not limited to the home or intimate relationships.  Every year in Australia over 300,000 women experience violence - often sexual violence - from someone other than a partner.⁷
  
• Eight out of ten women aged 18 to 24 were harassed on the street in the past year.⁸
  
• Young women (18-24 years) experience significantly higher rates of physical and sexual violence than women in older age groups.⁹
  
• There is growing evidence that women with disabilities are more likely to experience violence.¹⁰
  
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience both far higher rates and more severe forms of violence compared to other women.¹¹
  
• Intimate partner violence contributes to more death, disability and illness in women aged 15 to 44 than any other preventable risk factor.¹³
  
• Domestic or family violence against women is the single largest driver of homelessness for women^14_, a common factor in child protection notifications¹⁵ and results in a police call-out on average once every two minutes across the country.¹⁶
  
• The combined health, administration and social welfare costs of violence against women have been estimated to be $21.7 billion  a year, with projections suggesting that if no further action is taken to prevent violence against women, costs will accumulate to $323.4 billion over a thirty-year period from 2014-15 to 2044-45. ¹⁷

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For more details, please visit Australia's ABC for more information - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-06/fact-file-domestic-violence-statistics/7147938

If you need help, please contact your local police who can link you with the right services.  Not everyone needs the same level of help.  Some may need a refuge, others may have relatives who can help.  Search online for resources wherever you are... 

Treatment for clients with intellectual impairment

Often people think that those with intellectual impairment (II) or other disabilities do not need psychologists.  There are also people who think that all psychologists are the same.  This is like generalising to say that all vehicles are the same (e.g., no difference between a sedan, a 4x4, a van, a truck etc) and they are made for the same purpose. 

Alright, in my career, I have found the following myths to be common:

1.  People with II or other disabilities are not sexual beings.  This myth interestingly is commonly subscribed but is inaccurate.  In fact, a lot of people with II or other disabilities do have sexual drives and urges like others without II or other disabilities.  It probably shows in different ways.  For instance, they may lay close to each other or rub against each other fully clothed because they do not understand sex or variations of sex the way other people understand it.  Nevertheless, they are sexual beings.  They seek it but are probably not as good at concealing their tracks. 

2.  People with II or other disabilities are homosexuals.  Homosexuality is still taboo in conservative households (be it cultural or religious).  A lot of people with II have limited choices in relation to accommodation.  If they are dependent on government-funded support, it is likely that they are sharing a home with a few others with II or other disabilities of the same sex.  It is interesting to note that family members are terribly stressed to find their relatives having sex (in not the strictest sense of the word) with other cotenants.  [I find it interesting to note that I rarely see these family members when I want them to come in to discuss important aspects of care for their relatives because these family members are always too busy to travel.  However, they always have time to call me to let me know their displeasure of their relatives have "sex" with other same sex cotenants.]

3.  People with II cannot or do not learn.  This is false.  I remember having a discussion with parents of a young adult with II.  They were disappointed in him because they think that he would be unable to learn new simple things.  I made them aware that he was able to successfully push their buttons to avoid certain activities.  I also reminded them that he was able to provide a convincing account of his days while in their care.  I reminded that I was not trying to teach him something complicated and that we can use different techniques to teach him.  And yes, if you are wanting to know the outcome, we were successful in teaching a new set of routines with patience, dedication, ongoing repetitions and chaining (backward and forward) plus a lot of other behavioural strategies. 

You think that you are reading a list of 10 myths...  Sorry...  I can only think of the three major ones at this time of the night. 

Now, these myths are important to know because of the implications in the practical world.  Based on the third and final point, I want you to know that if you are looking for a psychologist to work with someone with II or disabilities, check that the psychologist has experience working with this population.  This is much like some psychologists specialise working with young people while others specialise working with adults or addictions etc.  Working with someone with II or disabilities require a different skill set.  Certainly, there may be some overlaps in skills relevant to working with the general population.  However, the therapy geared for this population is not based on lots of talking...  Ask what your psychologist plans to do with the client to bring about the changes.  If you do not get a clear answer when talking to this psychologist over the phone, call the next one. 

Hope this helps. 

Anti-Bullying...

Bullying can take place in many different forms...  It can take place anywhere...  It can destroy lives...  It can lead to the lost of lives...  It is becoming more rampant, more subtle and more difficult to police...  The landscape of bullying has changed over the years to currently also include cyber bullying... I think that this is a big social issue and would, over the course of time, like to bring you the perspectives of learned scientists and helpful professionals.  Of course, we can also learn a lot from the perpetrators and victims of bullying. 

Adjustment Disorder

As the name suggests, an adjustment disorder is a psychological presentation in the context of significant stressors.  From time to time, we will all have something that we need to adjust to.  For instance, children transitioning from kindergarten to primary school, primary school to secondary school etc.  For adults, there are transitions from one work environment to another; one relationship to another relationship or no relationship; from being a wife to also becoming a mother etc.  While most people may struggle minimally, there are also others who may struggle very hard in the face of identical or similar challenges. 

The question is... What is a primary distinguishing difference between an adjustment difficulty and adjustment disorder?  In general, the difference lies in the ability of the individual to function as normally as possible.  For someone who is experiencing an adjustment difficulty, the individual is still able to function close to normal (e.g., still able to function in school, work, family, home etc).  As for someone who experiencing adjustment disorder, this individual may be unable to care for self, unable to perform academically or meet work targets, gets into conflicts regularly or socially withdraws etc.  In general, people with adjustment disorder may also present with low mood, anxiety or conduct issues. 

Psychologist vs Psychiatrist

Hi, today we discuss which mental health professional you should see... a psychologist or a psychiatrist.

Basically, this typically depends on the mental health issue you are experiencing (assuming you have a mental health issue) and the degree to which your level of functioning deteriorates as a direct consequence of the issue.  For instance, if you are mildly or moderately depressed without thoughts to suicide or self-harm, a psychologist may be able to help you by finding out what the issues are and help you using psychological interventions.  However, if you are severely depressed with thoughts to suicide or self-harm (plus experiencing psychotic symptoms), a psychiatrist may be able to prescribe some medication to moderate the depression before psychological interventions can begin. 

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialise in the treatment of mental health issues.  Thus, they are knowledgeable about the medical and pharmacological aspects of treating mental health issues.  Some of them are also trained to deliver psychotherapy.  On the other hand, clinical psychologists are psychologists who also specialise in the treatment of mental health issues through thorough clinical assessment and psychological interventions.  

Most people think that psychiatrists are better than psychologists.  There is some truth to this but it is not entirely true.  There are some mental health issues that a psychiatrist is simply better trained to deal with such as schizophrenia because pharmacological interventions are needed especially when the person is very unwell.  However, there are other mental health issues that a psychologist is better trained to deal with such as general anxiety. 

Hope this helps!

Psychology is a social science NOT a (physical) science.

Hi, I am not sure what and how much you know about psychology.  I think that it is important to make it clear that Psychology is more of a social science than a science.  Why do I think that this is an important point to make?  Everything you will read subsequently about diagnostic criteria and formulation hinges upon your understanding that Psychology is a SOCIAL SCIENCE.  It is not an exact science.

Let me illustrate this...
In mathematics, we learn that 1 + 1 = 2.    And, 1 - 1 = 0. 
We also learn that 1 x 1 = 1.  Plus, 1 / 1 = 1. 
In order to solve more complicated mathematical questions, we need to first learn the numerical value of each number.  Next, we need to learn the mathematical function of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  The reason why 1 x 1 = 1 and 1 / 1 = 1 lies in the mathematical function of multiplication and division.  We cannot change these functions or values.  We may change the symbols we use, however, if we know what the values mean and how the function works, we can all universally arrive at the same answer. 

When it comes to physical science like chemistry, we know that 2H2 + O2 --> 2H20.  We cannot change this fact.  We also know that in physics, Force = mass x acceleration.  Again, we cannot change this fact. 

However, in psychology, why is it that in a family of three biological siblings, one sibling suffers from anxiety and the other two siblings do not?  They may share the same DNA but their psychological makeup and personal experiences are different.  Why is it that two people were involved in the same car accident, yet one suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder while the other one does not?  We don't know why.  We may be able to explain this as resiliency or other reasons.  We can also use the Stress-Diathesis or BioPsychoSocial aetiological models to explain why one individual suffers from a mental illness and why another individual does not.  However, can we know for certain?  Not at all.  But based on the available research, mental health professionals can definitely make an educated guess. 

Thank you for reading.

ICD vs DSM vs CCMD

Hi, today we look at where the diagnostic criteria for disorders come from. 

• ICD stands for the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.  The ICD is published by the World Health Organisation.  The mental health component of the ICD is the product of effort from mental health professionals worldwide.  The ICD is currently in the 10th Edition.  Thus, many call it the ICD-10.  There is an Australian Modification (AM) version of the ICD which has normative data for the Australian population called the ICD-10-AM. 
  
• DSM stands for the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of mental disorders.  The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association.  It is largely used in America.  It is currently in it fourth text revised version, thus, the DSM-IV-TR. 
  
• CCMD stands for the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders.  The CCMD is published by the Chinese Society of Psychiatry.  It is largely used in China and is currently in its  third edition.  

In all these manuals, there are varying diagnostic criteria for the same disorder and also different terms of the same disorder.  In addition, you will find that there are some presentation that are considered a disorder in one manual but not in other manuals.  Regardless, always remember that even though you can obtain the diagnostic criteria of the mental disorder on the internet, the interpretation of the criteria must only be carried out by a trained and skilled professional. 

What I want you to remember is that the role of mental health professionals is not to stick a mental health disorder label.  Remember that if we cannot name the issue, we cannot resolve the issue.  Thus, the accurate diagnosis of the mental health disorder (if present) certainly helps in terms of understanding the incidence and prevalence rates; prognosis; and application of evidence-based treatment relevant to the mental health disorder.

Thank you for reading.