Women’s Health Information

The Black Dog Institute launches a bipolar disorder website. It is said to be a new internet based education program that will help thousands of Australians who suffer from Bipolar Disorder.

Sydney’s Black Dog Institute, are the producers of this program which says that there are up to 5 percent of Australians that may experience Bipolar Disorder.

For those who maybe wondering what Bipolar Disorder is… it is described as a set of ‘mood swing’ conditions with the most severe form called… manic depression.

You can read more about Bipolar Disorder here.

Many families suffer considerably when their child or children leave home. The empty nest syndrome is something that is very real. I will endeavour to follow this story up with some information on the empty nest syndrome…

I’ll also try and find information on support facilities to help you through the tough times when you find that the house is empty and all your children or your child has left home…

Toni

Coping with a child leaving home.

On my daughter’s eighteenth birthday, she announced that she would be moving out after Christmas. This was a big shock, since she had just recently started a new job, that wasn’t even quite up to minimum wage. I wondered how she thought she was going to handle all her expenses.

I tried to get her to wait and save up some money to cover all of her expenses, but she was stubborn and thought she could do just fine with her part-time job. I knew she had to find out the hard way and already I had begun to worry about my daughter, feeling that empty feeling of my only child being out on her own.

On December the thirtieth she moved out. The feeling I had was one of loneliness, dread and worry. I constantly worried whether she was eating right, if she was safe, was she at home at a decent hour and how her job was holding out.

I wanted to rush to her house and order her back home, but knew that she was now an adult on her own. So I decided to be patient and not let her see me worry about her. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but knew in my heart, that just watching over her was all I could do.

I really shouldn’t have worried so much, since she began to drop by the house every so often, until it became an every day thing. She would come eat dinner, do laundry or borrow money; aggravating as that was since she had asserted her independence, I grabbed hold of every bit of time that I could spend with her.

I wanted so badly to tell her to return home and save up some money, but I’m just as stubborn as her and couldn’t bring myself to utter the words.

It wasn’t long before she lost her job and couldn’t pay her bills. She soon found out that she was pregnant and didn’t know what to do about the situation. She wanted the baby, but didn’t know if she was going to be able to take care of it financially on her own.

Watching her worry about her financial situation and her baby ate at my heart. She didn’t want help from her dad and I, so we just had to sit back and watch her struggle. It was heartbreaking and I didn’t know how to cope with my little girl becoming depressed.

During this time, her home was broken into several times and she was afraid to stay at home by herself. We invited her to spend the nights at our home on the couch and she willingly took us up on the offer. Although we wanted her home permanently, we knew that asking was only going to make her more stubborn to remain out on her own. It had to be her choice.

Finally I decided it was time for mom to step in and do something about her situation. I contacted her and sat her down for a long talk. I asked her to come home until she could get on her feet and the baby was born. No rules, other than common courtesy of a phone call if she was going to be out late, keep her room clean and have respect for her parents. I knew that she would need help with her pregnancy and I could help her get the help she needed. I wanted her home safe and I was willing to do anything to make her come home.

I think she finally understood that not only was I her mom, but her friend. I needed her, just as much as she needed me and the support I could give her to get through her first round of entering into the adult world. She asked for help in moving, learning how to deal with finances and finally admitting to us, that she was not ready for the world outside of her safe haven she called home.

I finally realized that the next time she moves out on her own, I will have to let her spread her wings and fly, in order for her to learn life’s lessons and become the competent adult I know that she will be.

Now she has been home for the past seven months, expecting her first baby and growing up a bit more before heading out into the adult world.

It will be hard to let her and the grandbaby go when the time comes, but I know that in order for her to be able to learn how to stand on her own two feet, I’m going to have to learn to loosen the apron strings a bit. I know in my heart, that if she needs me at any time, she knows that mom will be there.

Brenda

How much is a woman’s mental health and stability worth when the Australian Government and the Federal Health Minister Tony Abbot can only bring themselves to give to three services $300,000 to help with counselling when it comes to unwanted pregnancies.

In the past there was no counseling for unwanted pregnancies especially for the young girls who fell pregnant many years ago.

Surely after all the discussions on mothers and fathers coming forward when their children were taken from them should help make the decision easier for the ministers to provide not just more money for counselling for young women or for that matter any aged woman but proper counselling by organisations that have an open mind.

Abortion is an issue that if some women earlier in time had had the choice would have taken it. But of course many years ago a lot of women couldn’t afford an abortion which then ended in an unwanted pregnancy.

A pregnancy that would see the secrecy come out from charitable organizations where the women would go, they would arrive their pregnant and leave without a babe in their arms. They would leave with an empty heart; they would live and suffer for many years to come.

I am not a pro-lifer nor am I one that advocates terminating one’s life. But I believe that women should have the option. I believe that the woman should be allowed to make the decision for herself, depending on the circumstances.

The Government should be looking at counselling for women not just from the Pro-Life organizations but from organizations that offer a woman a choice.

Counselling should be provided for women who do consider an abortion. They shouldn’t be subjected to counseling that tells them they are going to kill their child. The counseling that was not provided for young women who had unwanted pregnancies many years ago should be given now to the very women who need help.

Abortion is an issue that needs to be considered carefully by all…

I am not a medical professional and have never claimed to be but… many need to consider what the affect on that woman would be if she did have an abortion or if she didn’t an abortion.

Why is she considering a termination?

Is the termination going to take place before the date where it is too late?

Is there a medical problem the deciding factor when considering termination?

Will the organizations that are providing the counseling support the woman or suggest that she is a killer because she has decided to terminate the pregnancy?

Will the organisations have an open mind and not turn the counseling session into a guilt trip where the woman then needs more counseling to overcome those issues?

Many women consider abortion for various issues, no organization is a knight in shining armour but they could at least be open to supporting the woman at a time when she need support rather than pressing their religious and their pro-life beliefs onto her.

Below you can see the news report that was last updated on the Australain ABC News Website: Friday, November 4, 2005. 7:40pm (AEDT)

Pro-life groups given pregnancy counselling funds

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott has announced $300,000 worth of funding for three organisations providing counselling services for women with unintended pregnancies.

Mr Abbott says the money is to provide practical support for women who find themselves in the situation of being pregnant unexpectedly.

The Australian Federation of Pregnancy Support Services, The Caroline Chisolm Society and the Foundation for Human Development will receive $100,000 each.

All three organisations are pro-life and have confirmed that they do not refer women for terminations.

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle says the groups are biased, religious organisations and will not refer a woman for an abortion, even if that is what she has asked for.

Senator Nettle says in the past few weeks, one of the organisations told a mother of a 13-year-old seeking advice on abortion that a termination is killing the baby.

“I think as Health Minister should be ashamed to be giving any money to organisations that don’t provide genuine counselling and don’t support women when they’re making a difficult decision,” Senator Nettle said.

“The Federal Government should not be funding any organisations that provide religious and biased persuasion under the guise of supporting women and providing pregnancy counselling.”