H O U S I E - Picking Up The Peaces · 2010. 3. 22. · THE CHRONICLE, Tuesday, March 9 2010 - 18...
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THE CHRONICLE, Tuesday, March 9 2010 - 18 email: [email protected] community news HELLENIC CLUB OF CANBERRA HELLENIC CLUB MEMBERS ONLY ph: 6281 0899 hellenicclub.com.au for the information of members and guests E O U S I ACT H 09/00008.1 H GREAT PRIZE POOLS! ALSO FREE PARKING & COMPLIMENTARY TEA AND COFFEE PHONE RECEPTION ON 6281 0899 FOR FURTHER DETAILS From $39.95m2 RRP RUN OUT SALE, NEW MODEL COMING SOON! SAVE UP TO 40 % STOCKS WON’T LAST! NO PREMIUM, EVERYTHING GOES AT RESERVE PRICE FROM $370 Custom Kitchen Design Available Unbelievable Price $2050 Address 9-21 Kendall Ave, Queanbeyan (Canberra area) Tel 02 6297 0499 / 02 6297 6688 Fax 02 6299 0499 Trading hours Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30 / Sat-Sun 8:30-2:00 UNITED AUCTIONS QUEANBEYAN SHOWROOM FROM $275 FROM $200 FROM $137 FROM $75 FROM $38 SL Model: Economical “L” shape kitchen incl. 10 cabinets with polyurethane doors and 2 ps of granite benchtops. 10-01334/3 Picking up the Peaces president Laurie Drake, Karen Toscan and founders Kate and David Tonacia. Picture: Elesa Lee Support for PTSD sufferers By .................................................... Katina Curtis PEOPLE who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) now have somewhere to turn. Picking up the Peaces is a local volunteer-run group that was set up in 2007 to raise awareness about PTSD and reduce the stigma that surrounds it, particularly among ‘‘uniformed’’ services. Now Picking up the Peaces has started a monthly support group, with the first barbecue meeting held a fortnight ago. President Laurie Drake, who has PTSD as a result of his time serving in Vietnam, said there was very little support for PTSD sufferers and there was a huge stigma attached to the mental illness. ‘‘I had it for something like 30 years before it was diagnosed and that was 30 years wasted,’’ he said. ‘‘I want to help others avoid wasting their lives like that for something that can be treated.’’ Kate Tonacia set up the group after her husband David returned from a non-military overseas mis- sion. ‘‘He went on the plane one way and came back another,’’ she said. ‘‘I went looking for support and services but there was none. ‘‘We thought if it can happen to us, we’re just an ordinary family, then it can happen to anyone.’’ She set up Picking up the Peaces under the auspices of the Vietnam Veterans and Veterans Federation ACT, who were used to dealing with retired soldiers with PTSD. She and Mr Drake said there tended to be the assumption the PTSD was only something military people, especially Vietnam veterans, got – but that was far from the case. They said emergency service wor- kers were particularly vulnerable because they were often repeatedly exposed to traumatic experiences, such as horrific car accidents. ‘‘A lot of people who do have PTSD are the very people who go out and look after you and me and our country and we need to support them in return,’’ Mrs Tonacia said. She emphasised that the most important thing was to see your doctor if you had had a traumatic experience and didn’t feel right – or if family, friends or workmates said you had changed. ■ Picking up the Peaces meets on the last Sunday of the month at the VV&VF centre on Burkitt Street in Page. For more information visit www.pickingupthepeaces.org.au or contact Kate Tonacia on 0410 900 433.
Transcript of H O U S I E - Picking Up The Peaces · 2010. 3. 22. · THE CHRONICLE, Tuesday, March 9 2010 - 18...
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THE CHRONICLE, Tuesday, March 9 2010 - 18
email: [email protected]
community news
HELLENIC CLUB OF CANBERRA
HELLENIC CLUB MEMBERS ONLY
ph: 6281 0899 hellenicclub.com.aufor the information of members and guests
EO U S IACT H 09/00008.1
HGREAT PRIZE POOLS!
ALSO FREE PARKING & COMPLIMENTARY TEA AND COFFEEPHONE RECEPTION ON 6281 0899 FOR FURTHER DETAILS
From $39.95
m2 RRP
RUN OUT SA
LE, NEW M
ODEL COM
ING SOON!
SAVE UP TO
40%STOC
KS
WON’T
LAST!
NO PREMIUM, EVERYTHING GOES AT RESERVE PRICE
FROM $370
Custom Kitchen Design Available
Unbelievable Price $2050
Address 9-21 Kendall Ave, Queanbeyan (Canberra area)
Tel 02 6297 0499 / 02 6297 6688
Fax 02 6299 0499
Trading hours Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30 / Sat-Sun 8:30-2:00
UNITED AUCTIONSQUEANBEYAN SHOWROOM
FROM $275 FROM $200 FROM $137 FROM $75 FROM $38
SL Model: Economical “L” shape kitchen incl. 10 cabinets with polyurethane doors and 2 ps of granite benchtops.
10-01334/3
Picking up the Peaces president Laurie Drake, Karen Toscan and founders Kate and David Tonacia.Picture: Elesa Lee
Support for PTSD sufferersBy....................................................Katina Curtis
PEOPLE who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)now have somewhere to turn.
Picking up the Peaces is a localvolunteer-run group that was set upin 2007 to raise awareness aboutPTSD and reduce the stigma thatsurrounds it, particularly among‘‘uniformed’’ services.
Now Picking up the Peaces hasstarted a monthly support group,with the first barbecue meeting helda fortnight ago.
President Laurie Drake, who hasPTSD as a result of his time servingin Vietnam, said there was very littlesupport for PTSD sufferers and therewas a huge stigma attached to themental illness.
‘‘I had it for something like 30years before it was diagnosed andthat was 30 years wasted,’’ he said.
‘‘I want to help others avoidwasting their lives like that forsomething that can be treated.’’
Kate Tonacia set up the groupafter her husband David returnedfrom a non-military overseas mis-sion.
‘‘He went on the plane one wayand came back another,’’ she said.
‘‘I went looking for support andservices but there was none.
‘‘We thought if it can happen tous, we’re just an ordinary family,then it can happen to anyone.’’
She set up Picking up the Peacesunder the auspices of the VietnamVeterans and Veterans FederationACT, who were used to dealing withretired soldiers with PTSD.
She and Mr Drake said theretended to be the assumption thePTSD was only something militarypeople, especially Vietnam veterans,got – but that was far from the case.
They said emergency service wor-kers were particularly vulnerablebecause they were often repeatedlyexposed to traumatic experiences,such as horrific car accidents.
‘‘A lot of people who do havePTSD are the very people who go outand look after you and me and ourcountry and we need to support themin return,’’ Mrs Tonacia said.
She emphasised that the mostimportant thing was to see yourdoctor if you had had a traumaticexperience and didn’t feel right – orif family, friends or workmates saidyou had changed.■ Picking up the Peaces meets onthe last Sunday of the month at theVV&VF centre on Burkitt Street inPage. For more information visitwww.pickingupthepeaces.org.au orc o n t a c t K a t e T o n a c i a o n0410 900 433.
