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Mental Health

Our mental health is just as important as our physical health - it impacts every aspect of our life Whether you’d like to get a better understanding of a mental health condition, learn about self-care tips or even how to improve your social and emotional wellbeing, we’re here to help.

How Therapy Dogs Help to Improve the Lives of People with Mental Illness

How Therapy Dogs Help to Improve the Lives of People with Mental Illness

Dr. Happy
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Did you know that just patting or stroking an animal can help to reduce stress and increase “feel good” hormones? According to Mental Health professional, Dr. Happy, "There are some “common” or “generic” factors that have been found to be associated with improvements in mental health and wellbeing; these are, enhancing the relationships and/or sense of connectedness in someone’s life, providing the individual with something to care for, and guiding the person to develop a sense of purpose in their life; or quite simply, helping them find a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Notably, each of these life-enhancing factors can be found in or attributed to “therapy dogs”. In his latest article for HIF, Dr. happy discusses how therapy dogs can provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, disaster areas, and to people with a range of health and mental-health diagnoses."
Category:Mental Health
How to Recognise Signs of Mental Health Problems in Your Child

How to Recognise Signs of Mental Health Problems in Your Child

Dr. Happy
By
The so called “negative emotions”, such as depression and anxiety, anger and frustration, are perfectly normal for both children and adults. At the same time, however, there’s a point when “normal” becomes unhealthy; when the intensity or duration of the distress begins to impact on that person’s ability to function or enjoy life, when it impairs their work or schooling or social interactions. So how do we determine when the line’s been crossed? In this article mental health professional, Dr. Happy offers his advice on the practical strategies we can implement if our children are showing signs that they're experiencing a number of mental health issues. 
Category:Mental Health, Raising Children
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Dr. Happy
By

As we say goodbye to the heat of summer, and begin to ease in to the colder and darker months of winter, some of you might be wondering why your mood is lower or why, in the past, you’ve felt sad and/or lethargic during this time of year. According to our resident mental health blogger, Dr. Happy, "The answer might be that you’ve had Seasonal Affective Disorder (otherwise known by its strangely descriptive acronym, SAD) this, in very simple terms, is a form of depression. More specifically, it’s a form of depression that’s related to seasonal changes.The reality is, that in Australia where our seasons are not really that extreme, there’s limited evidence for SAD. Nonetheless, there’s no doubt some people experience lower moods through the winter months" In this article, Dr. Happy describes the signs and symptoms to look out for and provides the best strategies you can follow to help improve your mood. 

Category:Mental Health
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Hospital Cover

No one wants to go to hospital, but if the worst happens, having Hospital cover can make a stressful experience easier and more comfortable. You may be thinking, “But why do I need private health insurance when we can have the public health system, Medicare?” Well, there’s a number of reasons why private hospital insurance is a better option than relying solely on the public system – one of the most important one being that your policy allows you to choose your own hospital and treating doctor. Plus, you’ll typically have a much shorter wait time for any elective surgeries that you may need in the future.

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