Statistics suggest that approximately one in five adults suffers from an anxiety-based condition of which a prominent feature is some form of worry. Approximately twice that number of people would worry on a regular basis. Therefore, worry is one of the most common forms of psychological distress. Some level of worry may be normal and productive. For example, worry can be productive if we are considering a very important issue where a potentially negative outcome is likely to happen if we do not take action and there is something which we can do about the situation.  By this definition of productive worry it may be healthy to reflect on concerns about our environment or our children’s safety or our health if there are signs that these things are under immediate threat. We may then be constructively motivated to do something to improve the situation. It helps if we are focused on a specific situation and are willing to accept imperfect solutions, taking into account what we can and cannot control. By contrast, worry will commonly not be helpful if we are ruminating about relatively minor matters or about situations which are not likely to occur or when facing circumstances which we can do little about. Worry may also be unproductive if we continue to ruminate excessively and expect ourselves to have an unrealistic level of control over our circumstances or expect ourselves to find an ideal solution to complex problems.

Dealing with addictions involves more than just willpower. It also involves having practical strategies which can assist a person to gain a greater return from their efforts in reducing or eliminating addictive behaviour. This blog aims to provide information and outline strategies which can be helpful in dealing with addictive behaviours.

There are many types of addictions including addiction to alcohol, cigarettes or certain other drugs. People can also be addicted to certain behaviours such as gambling and particular sexual behaviours including accessing Internet pornography. Sometimes addictions occur in the context of other mental health problems such as depression and anxiety disorders. For example, individuals suffering from psychological trauma reactions are approximately four times more likely to abuse alcohol and other substances. It can be especially helpful to talk to your general medical practitioner or other mental health professional when addictive behaviours are accompanied by other mental health problems.

The following is a revised version of an article published in The Geelong Advertiser “Education Guide” supplement on May 13, 2008. Chris Mackey responded to questions put to him by journalist, Margaret Linley, who edited the original article. Additional input has been provided by Laura Capitanio, Child Clinical Psychologist.

As parents we can struggle to know what is the right thing to do if our child encounters seemingly insurmountable problems at their school and is miserable and frustrated. Should we tell them to stick it out or do we transfer them to another school? Is there a right time to bail from a school or are we just teaching our children to run away from their problems?

Chris Mackey, Geelong psychologist, looks at some big issues and discusses way to tackle them.