THE GARDEN CITY GALA IS A BLACK TIE FUNDRAISER, HELD ON THE 5TH OF OCTOBER 2019, WITH THE AIM OF RAISING AWARENESS & MUCH NEEDED FUNDS FOR THE TOOWOOMBA HOSPITAL FOUNDATION & THE DROUGHT ANGELS.

Mission

The Garden City Gala's mission is to inspire people to recognise mental illness and take action against it, especially in the workplace. We want to keep reducing the stigma, help people seek treatment and see a clear path forward to recovery.

Introducing Our Recipients:

The Drought Angels

Drought Angels provide a unique service for which it is has become well known for within the rural sector.  Drought Angels is a small charity run by big hearts, who offer a listening ear, a warm hug and personalised support given to each family. They like to tell our farmers that this is not a handout but a Thank You. “Thank you for all you do to put the food on our tables because without you we would all go hungry”.

Through direct personal contact with the farmers, Drought Angels has earnt a reputation for providing personalised, heartfelt and discreet assistance. They help those who would not normally reach out but prefer to battle it alone, which can lead to severe depression and in some cases suicide.  One-on-one support aides in ‘breaking down the barriers’ of a proud demographic who quite often have never received a hand up. They can be the first generation of many who have to contemplate walking off the land and selling blood lines which have taken years to build up. These are the people of most concern and often forgotten.

The Toowoomba Hospital Foundation

The Toowoomba Hospital Foundation supports our community by helping to fund equipment, services and programs as well as staff development, research and scholarships for the Toowoomba Hospital, Baillie Henderson Hospital and Mt Lofty Heights Nursing Home.

 They are passionate about what they do, and every donation makes a difference to their patients, their families and the staff of hospitals. That's why we're proud to say that 100% of all donations and funds raised go to where it is needed — caring for you and your loved ones.

Depression:

Depression is a common medical condition. It can cause a low mood that doesn't go away and makes us feel very sad or withdrawn. It interferes with the way we go about our everyday lives and can make it hard to cope.

Some people describe it as being in a really dark place that's difficult to come back from. Others describe it as a numb feeling.

It's important to get help to manage depression. There are lots of ways to treat it, and you can feel better.

'What is depression | Black Dog Institute . 2017. What is depression | Black Dog Institute . [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/clinical-resources/depression/what-is-depression'.

Anxiety:

Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or worried. While stress and anxious feelings are a common response to a situation where we feel under pressure, they usually pass once the stressful situation has passed.

Anxiety is when these anxious feelings don't go away – when they're ongoing and happen without any particular reason or cause. It’s a serious condition that makes it hard to cope with daily life. Everyone feels anxious from time to time, but for someone experiencing anxiety, these feelings aren't easily controlled.

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. On average, one in four people – one in three women and one in five men – will experience anxiety at some stage in their life. In a 12-month period, over two million Australians experience anxiety.

Anxiety is common, but the sooner people with anxiety get support, the more likely they are to recover. 

'What is anxiety | Black Dog Institute . 2017. What is anxiety | Black Dog Institute . [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/clinical-resources/anxiety/what-is-anxiety.'

The Stigma:

People with depression and anxiety, and their family and friends, experience significant levels of stigma and discrimination. The stigma associated with depression and anxiety is complex – the level, type and experience of stigma and discrimination may be influenced by factors such as the condition itself, the age and gender of the person, culture, and the beliefs and language used to describe and explain mental health conditions. People with depression and anxiety report that the stigma and discrimination they experience may be worse than their mental health condition(s).

The stigma associated with depression and anxiety includes three components – problems of knowledge (ignorance or misinformation), problems of attitude (prejudice), and problems of behaviour (discrimination).  Improving one component may not necessarily impact on the other components. A comprehensive response to stigma is therefore needed, to address all three components.

There are different types of stigma associated with depression and anxiety. This includes:

• personal stigma ‐ a person’s stigmatising attitudes and beliefs about other people (“People with depression should snap out of it.”)

• perceived stigma ‐ a person’s beliefs about the negative and stigmatising views that other people hold (“Most people believe that a person with depression should snap out of it.”)

• self‐stigma ‐ the stigmatising views that individuals hold about themselves (“I should be able to snap out of my depression.”)

There is some evidence that there are improvements in the stigma associated with depression and anxiety. However, recent research indicates that it still exists, and it continues to have a significant impact on people’s lives ‐ the greatest impact is on personal relationships and employment

'beyondblue. 2017. beyondblue - Home . [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/'.