PART TWO. Reflecting on 2014 – The year that ADAVIC celebrated its 20th anniversary of its inception. My time as a volunteer for ADAVIC has been most rewarding. I am very pleased to be giving time each week to such a worthwhile, meaningful and important organization for the community. ADAVIC is a service that always lends a sympathetic, non-judgmental ear and offers an open heart to all people seeking advice and support for various mental health issues. As a support administrator on the ADAVIC Facebook page, I believe this support page is wonderful because of its accessibility and constant inspirational and positive messages to the community. We have followers from all over the globe and not just Australia. For many people online services are convenient, less intrusive and less confronting. Many people feel safe to contact the ADAVIC page who would otherwise not reach out for help and continue to feel vulnerable in life. It is such a nice feeling when a follower says “I don’t feel alone anymore” after having the courage to contact us and open up about what’s going on in their life. For me, volunteering for ADAVIC is not only essential experience for my counselling and psychology studies but has also been personally beneficial and fulfilling. I am grateful to have the opportunity to offer other people what I hold dear; simple acts of kindness, understanding, compassion, empathy and non-judgment. Shelley - ADAVIC Member and Volunteer I was fortunate to have the opportunity to complete a student placement at ADAVIC in 2012. The Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria provides support services to a wide variety of people in our community, including the friends, family and carers of those who are experiencing ongoing mental health issues. During my time volunteering, as a student, I gained invaluable experience in my application of core counselling skills. In turn, this ongoing phone support role at ADAVIC resulted in greater personal confidence, as well as clarity in my desired professional direction. The combination of passionate and dedicated team of staff and volunteers providing group support services, workshops and above all, ongoing phone support, makes ADAVIC a truly unique and vital service for the mental health community in Victoria. I found my time at ADAVIC to be invaluable in my own personal journey as a student to counsellor, with the whole experience confirming my desire to continue working in the mental health field. Jane Parkinson - ADAVIC Member and former ACAP Placement Student I have been a member of ADAVIC since 2001 when I suffered debilitating panic attacks. ADAVIC came to the rescue with information and support. I completed a course through ADAVIC and enjoyed the newsletters filled with information and great advice. The team, headed by Anna, works tirelessly to help people with anxiety. I am forever grateful and have supported ADAVIC since my recovery all those years ago. Well done on 20 years of service to the community and now, the world through Facebook. Congratulations ADAVIC. Helen OConnor – ADAVIC Member I started volunteering with ADAVIC as a support group facilitator in 2007. I thought I was pretty lucky to be offered this position by Anna (founder) and Nathan (head facilitator at the time), given my lack of professional experience. So in those early days of facilitating, while keen and curious, I was also shit scared (thanks to my anxious tendencies) about how I would perform, whether I’d be “accepted” and so on. Of course, I tried my best to push ahead, present myself as calm and collected, and remind myself I was there to learn. Fortunately, I had wonderful co-facilitators who were not only really supportive in helping me settle in and grow, but also excellent role-models in their own way. For example, I distinctly recall Nathan’s considerate and diplomatic approach, which always managed to balance different perspectives and defuse difficult group situations; Ben’s warmth, authenticity, and positive regard towards everyone, which often lead to much needed lighter moments; and Mary’s calm, maturity, and wisdom (only just yesterday was I reminded of Mary once highlighting how our experience is our most powerful teacher – how true it is!). Over the years, I moved across groups and worked alongside many facilitators of different backgrounds, personalities, and styles in facilitating – all of whom I had something to learn from. It was especially exciting seeing younger people starting up as facilitators (and getting their first experience of working in a supportive role), I guess because it reminded me of my own first steps, but also allowed me to share some of what I had learnt. I would need to write an essay to properly reflect on what I have gained from talking and listening to group attendees. Needless to say, it has been overwhelmingly positive. One thing that immediately comes to mind, however, is how courageous many people are in attending the groups, despite their anxiety shouting at them not to. I recall one instance when a new lady in our group spoke of how she had driven to the venue the week earlier, but was too anxious to come in, and therefore drove home. Naturally, she was really hard on herself at home, labelled herself a failure, and fed that idea she couldn’t handle her anxiety…but somehow, she mustered up the courage to return the following week, and not only enter the group, but also discuss this experience – naturally, pretty much everyone in the group could relate to and empathize with this struggle in terms of coming to the group or some other activity in their lives. For most of us, it’s not easy talking about our issues as well as accepting other peoples’ responses. However, the countless positive moments during the groups (e.g., the relief expressed when people realize they’re not alone, or the joy from having a bit of a laugh about anxiety) I’ve been lucky to have clearly proved to me it can be well worth it. Attending and facilitating in ADAVIC support groups has greatly influenced me. Personally, it’s helped me better relate to and deal with my own issues. I’ve also had lovely relationships with amazing people attending the groups, and especially ADAVIC volunteers (Nathan, Anna, Ben, Mary, Shary, Trace, Lee, Hayley, Heather, Emily and many more). Professionally, my group experience has been an important building block which lead to, and greatly shaped my training as a psychologist. I still facilitate groups (though now in a professional setting) and often draw on my experiences from ADAVIC support groups. Although I’ve read various books and attended lectures in anxiety, some of the most memorable, essential, and powerful things I know about anxiety come from what I listened to and experienced in the ADAVIC support groups. Dave - ADAVIC Member and Volunteer PART THREE CONTINUED TOMORROW
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 00:30:00 +0000
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