Workshops to treat depression and anxiety

A new mental health program aimed at helping people living with depression and anxiety is starting at Burpengary in March.

The eight-week program, called Dr Neil Nedley’s Depression and Anxiety Recovery program, will be held at the Burpengary Seventh Day Adventist Community Church.

Director and facilitator John Ward says the program follows scientific findings from Dr Nedley, an American physician.

“Dr Nedley completed a study 15 years ago that showed one third of people seeing a physician were also suffering from depression,” John says.

“He realised that was a lot of his patients, so he started looking at every study he could find that had been tried and tested on depression.

“He took those studies and developed this program based on the findings.”

John, who has a background in pharmaceuticals, attended the program 14 years ago.

Afterwards, he completed studies to become a director and facilitator, which he has been doing for 13 years.

How the program helps

John says the program is beneficial to people who are suffering from illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

“It’s estimated at least one in every 10 Australians is suffering from depression, and about one in five Australians are seeing a doctor but not being treated for their depression,” he says.

“At the first meeting we show a video that explains what we will cover in the coming weeks, and then we break up into smaller group therapy sessions which a facilitator will run.

“We have found a lot of people have changed their lives though this program. We have had people who have been really suffering from depression change their lives, and people who had severe anxiety become more confident in themselves.”

A free information meeting will be held at the Seventh Day Adventist Church at 132 Pitt Rd, Burpengary, on Tuesday, March 8 at 7pm.

The eight-week program will then be held every Tuesday night for eight weeks starting on March 15 and 7pm.

Phone 0459 660 170.