The Gunja Brain Story Flipchart - National Cannabis Prevention and ...

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ObjectiveThis ipchart is designed for use by health professionals, community workers,educators, Indigenous 1 mental health workers, alcohol and other drugworkers, students and community members. It is a prevention and informationresource, not a treatment guide.It is designed for use mainly with Indigenous people in urban, rural and remotesettings.It uses plain English language and informative images to provide clearinformation about:— how a healthy brain and nervous system work— the effects of cannabis (also known as gunja or yarndi) on thebrain, general health, community and lifestyleFacilitators can choose to use the resource as a whole, or select sections ofthe ipchart to focus on, depending on the needs of their students, clients orpersonal preferences.1: The term Indigenous is used throughout this document to describe Aboriginal and Islander peoples ofAustralia. ‘Indigenous’ means ‘native or belonging naturally to a place’; this acknowledges Aboriginal andIslander peoples as the rst peoples of Australia.ii

AcknowledgementsThis resource has been adapted from the ‘Gunja (Yarndi) Brain Story’produced by St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and Menzies School of HealthResearch that is part of the Brain Stories series (see www.menzies.edu.au/brainstories).Developed and produced by Menzies School of Health Research, St Vincent’sHospital Melbourne and the National Cannabis Prevention and InformationCentre.Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and based onan earlier version funded by the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation (Victoria).Original concept by Sheree Cairney.Artwork by Joseph Fitz.Suggested citation: Cairney, S., Fitz, J., Thompson, S., Currie, J., Chenoweth,C., & Dillon, P. (2012). The Gunja Brain Story, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne,Menzies School of Health Research and the National Cannabis Prevention andInformation Centre.Thanks to the Council for Aboriginal Alcohol Program Services (CAAPS),Students of Batchelor Institute of Tertiary Education Northern Territory, theVictorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) and the National Institute of DrugAbuse (USA). Thanks also to the Department of Health — Northern TerritoryGovernment, the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) and JonathanHermawan Tjapaltjarri.iii

ContentsObjective ............................................................................................................ iiAcknowledgements ................................................................................................ iiiTips for facilitators ................................................................................................. vPART 1: HEALTHY BRAIN— The brain ............................................................................................... 1— Jobs of the brain ....................................................................................... 3— The brain makes its own chemicals ................................................................. 5— Living a healthy life keeps the chemicals in our brain balanced ............................... 7— Healthy brains .......................................................................................... 9PART 2: GUNJA AND THE BRAIN— What is gunja? .........................................................................................11— Gunja in the brain and body .........................................................................13— Gunja changes the brain .............................................................................15— Gunja changes your thinking, feelings and behaviour ..........................................17— Dependence ............................................................................................19— Gunja and mental health: anxiety, depression and suicide .....................................21— Gunja and mental health: paranoia, psychosis and schizophrenia ............................23— Gunja can harm your spirit ..........................................................................25PART 3: OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJA— Short and long-term changes from gunja ..........................................................27— Short-term changes: using a little bit of gunja ...................................................29— Short-term changes: using a lot of gunja ..........................................................31— Long-term changes from gunja ......................................................................33— Bingeing on gunja .....................................................................................35— Using gunja and other drugs together .............................................................37— Social problems with gunja ..........................................................................39— Using gunja when you are pregnant is no good for your baby ..................................41— Parents using gunja ...................................................................................43PART 4: GETTING BETTER— Getting off the gunja and getting strong ..........................................................45— Healthy men, women and families .................................................................47— Staying strong ..........................................................................................49PART 5: A GUNJA STORY ........................................................................................ 51Need help? Useful phone numbers and websites .......................................................... 61iv

Tips for facilitators• Read the ipchart a couple of times before you use it with others, toeducate yourself or refresh your knowledge.• Ask a doctor or nurse to explain anything that you do not understand.• You may also need an interpreter if using the ipchart with differentlanguage speakers.• When using the ipchart, the image page faces the client or studentsand the text page faces the facilitator.• The text is a guide to the images.• Refer to the images regularly.• Feel free to elaborate or add familiar examples and stories.• Encourage comments and questions from the client or students.• You may choose to select certain parts of the ipchart to focus on ifyou prefer, rather than going through the whole resource in one go.• The ‘have a yarn’ questions are designed to encourage activeparticipation amongst clients or students and make the contentrelevant and engaging to them. By having participants relate thisinformation to their own lives, it will reinforce the new ideas andknowledge and help start community discussion about these issues.If you are condent with the information, you may like to open thediscussion with the ‘have a yarn’ questions. If not, begin with thefacilitators notes and follow up with the ‘have a yarn’ topics.v

PART 1HEALTHY BRAINThe brain

PART 1HEALTHY BRAINThe brain●●●●●●●●Inside our head is our brain.The brain is like our control centre.The brain controls our thinking about who we are, ourfeelings and the things we do.It is where our personality, our actions and emotions arecontrolled.The brain also controls our memory, our languageand our creativity.It controls how we relate to other people and to the worldaround us.Everybody’s brain is different.The brain is very important. It makes us who we are.PART 1HEALTHY BRAINThe brain1

PART 1HEALTHY BRAINJobs of the brainMove bodyFeel bodyControl centrestories and thinkingEmotions and familyGood feelingMemoryBalance bodyLIFE!Heartbeat and breathing

PART 1HEALTHY BRAINJobs of the brainHAVE AYARN...• What do youknow aboutthe brain?• Why is itimportant tolook after it byavoiding alcoholand otherdrugs?NOTE TOFACILITATOR:The names ofthese areas in thebrain are for yourinformation only.It is not essentialthat you sharethese with thegroup.3●●●●●●●●●●●Each area of the brain has a special job to do.The dark blue area (frontal cortex) is like the headquartersor the control centre of the brain. This area controls the restof the brain. This is where we put together our stories.At the top of the brain, the light blue area (sensory cortex)is sent messages FROM the body that tell it how the body ismoving or what it is feeling.The orange area (motor cortex) sends messages TO the bodytelling it how and when to move.The green area (limbic system) in the middle of the brainis very important for emotions, family matters and feelingslike worry, shame and happiness.The pink area (hippocampus) is where memory is organised.The purple area (reward system) is the ‘feel-good’ area ofthe brain. When you drink grog or take drugs, this part ofthe brain is stimulated and it makes you feel different. Itsometimes makes you want to do it again.The red area (cerebellum) at the bottom of the brainbalances our body, when it is moving and when it is still.The brown area (brain stem)connects the brain with the restof the body. This part controls ourbreathing and heart.These different areas are alwaysworking together and talking to eachother.The brain uses chemicals to sendmessages to different parts of thebody.PART 1Control centrestories and thinkingGood feelingHEALTHY BRAINJobs of the brainMove bodyMemoryFeel bodyLIFE!Heartbeat and breathingEmotions and familyBalance body

PART 1HEALTHY BRAINThe brain makes its ownchemicals

PART 1HEALTHY BRAINThe brain makes its ownchemicals●●●●Now let’s look at the chemicals in the brain.The brain makes its own chemicals.They help us do everything that we do.These chemicals make us feel:— happy or sad— hungry or full— angry or worried— stressed or relaxed— strong or tired— in good or bad moods— control over the way our body moves and how fast wecan react to things.●It is important for the chemicals in our brain to staybalanced for us to be healthy and strong.PART 1HEALTHY BRAINThe brain makes its ownchemicals5

PART 1HEALTHY BRAINLiving a healthy life keeps thechemicals in our brain balancedSongBook

PART 1HEALTHY BRAINLiving a healthy life keeps thechemicals in our brain balancedHAVE AYARN...• What aresome healthyactivities youdo to keep yourbrain strong?• What aresome healthyactivities yourcommunitydoes to keepit strong?●●●●When we live in a healthy way, the chemicals in our brainstay balanced and we feel good.Living in a healthy way means:— treating ourselves, family, community and peoplearound us with love and respect— eating healthy food— being active (playing sport, hunting)— going out bush or visiting country— staying away from rubbish food, drugs and grog— having strong, healthy relationships— studying, working or staying at school— no humbug and no ghting— respecting our elders and our Traditional Lore— remembering, talking, storytelling, playing music anddoing artwork.These things will keep the chemicals in our brain balanced,and then our bodies and relationships will be healthy.It is important to keep the balance!PART 1HEALTHY BRAINLiving a healthy life keeps thechemicals in our brain balancedNOTE TOFACILITATOR:In this ipchartthe rainbow brainmeans the brain ishealthy.SongBook7

PART 1HEALTHY BRAINHealthy BrainsYililaLeisa McCarthyCyril Rioli

PART 1HEALTHY BRAINHealthy brainsHAVE AYARN...• What do youenjoy doing tokeep yourselfhappy andhealthy?• What activitiesdo you thinkkeep yourcommunitystrong?●●●●●●These photos are of people with healthy brains.All of the chemicals in their brains are balanced and allparts of the brain are working together properly.Because their brains are healthy and strong, they can dogreat things.Cyril Rioli has used his healthy brain and body to become achampion footballer.This band called Yilila use their healthy brains to playmusic and dance in front of big crowds of people.Leisa McCarthy uses her healthy brain in her researchstudies of healthy diets for Indigenous people.PART 1HEALTHY BRAINHealthy BrainsYililaLeisa McCarthy9Cyril Rioli

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINWhat is gunja?CookiesGunja leafJointPipe (rocket)BongBucket bongCannabis Sativa plant (gunja)

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINWhat is gunja?HAVE AYARN...• Do you knowwhat gunja iscalled whereyou live?●●●●●●●●Cannabis comes from a plant called Cannabis Sativa.Other words for cannabis are gunja, yarndi, marijuana,pot, grass, weed, billy bob and chop. There are also othernames for it in different places.We will call it gunja.The leaves and ower buds of the cannabis or gunjaplant are dried and then smoked, or mixed into foodand eaten.The resin from the plant can also be dried, which iscalled hash.The oil from the plant is called hash oil.Gunja has a chemical in it known as THC. Its long nameis delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.When gunja is smoked or eaten, the THC gets into thebrain and body and changes the way they work.When THC gets into the brain it can make you feel ‘high’or ‘stoned’. This feeling may make you feel relaxed, happyand forget your worries. But it can also make you feelanxious, paranoid and very hungry.PART 12GUNJA AND THE BRAINWhat is gunja?CookiesGunja leafJointPipe (rocket)BongBucket bong11Cannabis Sativa plant (gunja)

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja in the brain and bodyMouth andthroatBrainLungsBlood

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja in the brain and bodyHAVE AYARN...• Have younoticed anyother waysgunja affectspeople?• How does itchange the waypeople talk orbehave?NOTE TOFACILITATOR:In these pictures,the black spikyshape is used toshow that thebrain and body areaffected from thegunja.●●●●●●This picture shows what happens in the brain and bodywhen someone uses gunja.THC from the gunja goes through the mouth or nose, andinto the lungs.From the lungs the THC gets into the blood and then goesinto the brain.Once the THC is in the body and brain, these things canhappen:— heart beats faster— more blood pumps around the body especially to theeyes, making them go red— throat gets sore and lungs get irritated which makesyou cough— mouth gets dry— you get lazy, slow and sleepy, or excited and jittery— you get hungry and eat more junk food— you move more slowly and your balance is not so good— you think differently and not so clearly— you feel stoned/high.These changes happen because THCfrom the gunja changes the way ourbrain sends messages around thebody.Smoking gunja, mixed with tobaccoor on its own, will hurt your throatand lungs.PART 12Mouth andthroatBloodGUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja in the brain and bodyBrainLungs13

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja changes the brain

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja changes the brain●●●●Drugs like gunja change the way your brain works.This can change the way you think, feel and act.These changes happen when you are using gunja and alsoafter you have have stopped using gunja.When THC from gunja gets into your brain and body andstops them from working properly, you can:— get tired easily— get aches and pains— get sick a lot— not remember things— have bad moods— feel sad or lonely— feel angry— have strange hallucinations— have confused thinking such as paranoia (see page 23).PART 12GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja changes the brain15

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja changes your thinking,feelings and behaviourparanoid and nervousconfusedangryrelaxed and dopeyhungry

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja changes your thinking,feelings and behaviourHAVE AYARN...• What problemswith people’sthinking orfeelings haveyou seen thatyou think arebecause ofgunja?• How do theirfamilies helpthem?• What can yourcommunity doto help peoplewith these sortsof problems?17●●●●●When the brain gets confused from too much gunja, thesethings can happen:— Anxiety: you feel very worried about everything.— Confusion: it is hard to make sense of things in yourhead.— Perception changes: it feels like time and movementschange. Things look and sound different.— Memory problems: you can’t remember things or whatyou are saying.— Lazy: you can’t be bothered doing anything and haveno motivation.— Paranoia: you worry about things that aren’t true orreasonable to be worried about.People who use gunja can seem ne on the outside, butstill have problems with their thinking and behaviour onthe inside.Some gunja users may get a mental illness or make onethey already have even worse. This can happen the rsttime they use gunja, or after many years of using gunja.Some people don’t seem to getany bad feelings when they smokegunja, even though they use it alot. But the younger they start, themore gunja they use and the longerthey use it, the more it will changetheir brain. In the long term, gunjawill have a harmful impact ontheir health, lifestyle, thinking andbehaviour.Using gunja can make you forgetor ignore important things to youand your community such as loreand land.PART 12paranoid and nervousrelaxed and dopeyGUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja changes your thinking,feelings and behaviourconfusedangryhungry

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINDependenceGUNJANO GUNJA

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINDependenceHAVE AYARN...• What have younoticed aboutpeople whouse gunja a lotwhen they can’tget any gunja?• How does theirwithdrawalmake theirfamily feel?• How can yourcommunitysupport peoplewho aredependenton gunja tostart using lessor quit andcope with thewithdrawals?●●●●●When someone uses gunja more and more, their brainwill stop making its own natural ‘feel-good’ chemicals.This means things that used to make them feel happy, likesport, music or friends, don’t anymore.This is called dependence. The person is dependent on thegunja. They need it to feel normal.When someone is dependent on gunja, their brain is soused to having gunja that gunja doesn’t make them feel‘high’ or good anymore. It just makes them feel normal.The need to use more and more to feel the same ‘high’is called tolerance.If they don’t have any gunja, they feel sick physically,mentally and emotionally because the brain needs thegunja to feel good.These bad feelings when there is no gunja are calledwithdrawal sickness. It is sometimes called ‘stressing out’.This can make people sad, angry or irritable. Some peopleget violent and hurt other people.PART 12GUNJA AND THE BRAINDependenceGUNJANO GUNJA19

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja and mental health:anxiety, depression and suicideHAVE AYARN...• How doesgunja hurt yourcommunity’sspirit andstrength?• What can youdo to heal thepeople it hurtsand help themget off gunja?• What are someof the places inyour communitythat someonecould go to forhelp if they orsomeone theyknow wantto hurt or killthemselves?21●●●●●●Gunja confuses the brain. Many people who use gunja havemental health problems.Some people may already have a mental health problemto start with, and the gunja can make it worse. But somepeople don’t have a mental health problem until after theyhave been using gunja. These things can happen:— Gunja makes the heart race and this can make you feelnervous and excited at rst, but then it can be hard torelax. You can feel jittery, worried and stressed, haveracing thoughts and feel like these feelings won’t stop.This is called anxiety.— Depression is when you feel sad, lonely, angry orlow in energy for a long time. You don’t want to doanything or to mix with other people. You may hangaround on your own a lot or stay inside a lot.People who smoke gunja a lot can get depressed more thanother people because their brain has forgotten to makeits own ‘feel-good’ chemicals. They can’t feel good unlessthey have gunja.People can get depression and anxiety at the same time.Sometimes people use gunja tohelp with their problems but gunjadoesn’t help and can make theproblems seem worse than they are.For some people the bad feelingsare so strong that they may humbugfamily for money to get gunja.Some people also nd the feelingsso strong that they may havethoughts of hurting themselves orothers. If somebody feels so badthat they kill themselves, this iscalled suicide.PART 12GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja and mental health:anxiety, depression and suicide

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja and mental health: paranoia,psychosis and schizophrenia

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja and mental health: paranoia,psychosis and schizophreniaHAVE AYARN...• How does yourcommunitycope withissues causedby gunja andmental illness?• What ways canyou make yourcommunitystrong to helpsupport peoplewith theseproblems?NOTE TOFACILITATOR:There is a list ofuseful contactnumbers for help orinformation aboutmental health,alcohol or otherdrug problems onthe last page ofthis ipchart.23●●●●Here are a few more mental health problems that canhappen when using gunja:— Paranoia is when you get worried or stressed aboutthings that aren’t true. You might feel like otherpeople are talking about you, or don’t like you, whenit’s not really true. Paranoia can also be worryingmuch more than most people do about something likegetting in trouble with the family or with the police.— Hallucinations are when you see, hear or physicallyfeel things (like things crawling on your body) thatnobody else can. They may be scary visions or voicestelling you that you’re no good. Too much gunja cancause hallucinations.— Psychosis is when you can’t tell the differencebetween what is real and what isn’t. Someone witha psychosis may have hallucinations or believe thingsthat aren’t true (delusions).— Schizophrenia is one type of psychosis and is madeworse by using gunja.These things can happen a little bit or a lot, and you canhave a combination of these thingsat the same time.If you have a mental healthproblem as well as a problem withgunja, you need treatment for bothproblems to get better again.If you know somebody that this ishappening to, they can get helpfrom mental health services. Theyneed to stop using gunja becauseit will make the mental healthproblems worse.PART 12GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja and mental health: paranoia,psychosis and schizophrenia

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja can harm your spirit

PART 1 PART 2GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja can harm your spiritHAVE AYARN...• How has gunjahurt yourcommunity’sspirit?• How can yourcommunityheal its spiritand the spiritsof people thatgunja has hurt?●●●●●●●Gunja can make you sick, can damage your brain and hurtyou and your family.Using too much gunja can slowly damage your brain, yourbody and your relationships with other people and withcountry.This is just like a river system that has dried up and has nowater.Another example is a plant or tree that has no water ornutrients — it will shrivel up and stop growing.There is no food or life in the river or in the plants, animalsand people around the river.The river system has no spirit, just like a person who usesgunja too much will slowly lose their spirit.The only way to stop this from happening is to stop usinggunja and start looking after yourself.PART 12GUNJA AND THE BRAINGunja can harm your spirit25

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAShort and long-term changesfrom gunjaThe more gunja you use, and the longer you use it,the more your brain and behaviour will change.Coughing all the time and losing weight happens when you smoke all the time.

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAShort and long-term changesfrom gunja●●After using gunja for a short time, you may notice that it is:— hard to concentrate— hard to remember things— hard to learn new things.After using gunja for a long time, you may:— nd it hard to make decisions— nd it hard to control your emotions or how you feel— feel lazy and not want to do anything— get sick more (cough, bronchitis, emphysema)— become dependent on gunja and get irritable, angry,be unable to sleep well or get anxious or depressedwhen you don’t have any gunja— get a mental illness like depression, anxiety,schizophrenia, psychosis and paranoia— not be able to make babies if you are a man and if youare a woman, you may have trouble falling pregnant— end up forming bad relationships with your family.●These things happen because gunjais slowly changing your brain andthe more gunja you use, the moreyour brain and behaviour willchange.PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAShort and long-term changesfrom gunjaThe more gunja you use, and the longer you use it,the more your brain and behaviour will change.27Coughing all the time and losing weight happens when you smoke all the time.

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAShort-term changes: using alittle bit of gunjathinking confusedemotions differentget paranoidtry other drugsfeel scared, sad, angry, happy or crankywant more gunjamental health problems

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAShort-term changes: using alittle bit of gunjaHAVE AYARN...• What othershort-termchanges do yousee in peoplewho smokea little bit ofgunja?• How does itaffect yourcommunity,especially theyoung ones?●●In the next few pages you will see pictures of how someonecan change when they start smoking gunja. This person hasbeen smoking gunja once a month, for a short time.Because they don’t smoke all the time, their brain andbody have time to recover from the THC and otherchemicals in gunja.They might:— see some small changes to their thinking, behaviourand lifestyle.— notice their emotions or feelings change when they usegunja. They may feel more relaxed, scared, sad, angry,happy or irritable.— get paranoid (think things that aren’t true or believepeople are trying to hurt them) more and more.— even show some signs of mental health problems.— be more likely to try other drugs.— start to want to use more and more gunja.— have problems driving a car or working with machinery.— fail a drug test at work.— get in trouble with police.— do things when stoned theywish they didn’t.PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAShort-term changes: using alittle bit of gunjathinking confusedemotions differentget paranoidtry other drugsfeel scared, sad, angry, happy or crankywant more gunjamental health problems29

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAShort-term changes: using alot of gunjagetting and keeping a jobtheir memorydependent on gunjanever having any moneyfeeling depressedhealthfamilyfeeling worried and jitterygetting sick all the time

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAShort-term changes: using alot of gunjaHAVE AYARN...• What othershort-termchanges do yousee in peoplewho smoke a lotof gunja?• How does itaffect yourcommunity,especially theyoung ones?●●●This person has been smoking gunja nearly every day for afew months.Too much gunja has slowed down their brain. They arestarting to notice these things:— it is hard to concentrate— they have trouble remembering things and learningnew things— they have trouble getting motivated to do anything— they nd it hard to get and keep a job, or study— their body feels tired and they get sick more, speciallyin the lungs— they may start to get mental health problems— they are dependent on gunja— they may get depressed and feel bad aboutthemselves, or get too worried and jittery.They think about using gunja and getting gunja more andmore. They have to use gunja just to feel normal and use alot more gunja to feel ‘high’.●This person is dependent on gunja.If they stop, they often feel worsefor a while before they feel better.But if they stay healthy and stopusing gunja, they can get strong,happy and healthy again.PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAShort-term changes: using alot of gunjagetting and keeping a jobtheir memoryfeeling depresseddependent on gunjanever having any moneyhealthfamilyfeeling worried and jitterygetting sick all the time31

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJALong-term changes from gunjaconcentrationmemorymood swingsfamily relationshipsmental health problemsfeeling tired all the timelearning new thingsweak throat and lungsgetting sick a lotThis person is dependent on gunja, andgunja has become more important to himthan anything else. Even family.

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJALong-term changes from gunjaHAVE AYARN...• What otherlong-termchanges do yousee in peoplewho havesmoked gunjafor a long time?• How does itaffect yourcommunity?33●●●●●●●●This person has now been using gunja nearly every day foryears.The gunja has changed the way their brain works.They may have problems with these things:— concentration, memory and learning new things— controlling their emotions— motivation— getting tired all the time— mental health problems (including depression, anxiety,psychosis)— weak throat and lungs and getting sick a lot— relationships with family and other people— sexual functions.They may not even notice these things because they havebeen happening for so long. Other people may just thinkthese things are a normal part of the person and not realisethey are from the gunja.They may lose their family and theircountry because the only thing thatis important to them is gunja.If they have a baby, their baby mayhave health problems like beingtoo skinny or getting asthma. Whenthe child is older, they could haveproblems learning at school.They are dependent and will nd itreally hard to stop.Even after they stop, they maystill continue to experience someproblems.PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJALong-term changes from gunjaconcentrationmood swingsmental health problemslearning new thingsmemorygetting sick a lotfamily relationshipsfeeling tired all the timeweak throat and lungsThis person is dependent on gunja, andgunja has become more important to himthan anything else. Even family.

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJABingeing on gunja

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJABingeing on gunjaHAVE AYARN...• Does bingeingon gunjahappen in yourcommunity?• How does itmake peoplebehave or feel?• What affectdoes it haveon theirfamilies andcommunity?• What are somesolutions tothe problemsbingeing ongunja causesin yourcommunity?●●●●●●Bingeing on gunja means smoking a lot until it’s all gone,rather than smoking now and then.Bingeing on gunja might happen when there hasn’t beenany gunja in the community for a while and then someonebrings a lot of it in.When people smoke a lot of gunja in a binge session, otherareas of their lives are forgotten, including their familyresponsibilities, work, or even eating properly.Bingeing on gunja can make some people experiencepsychosis and confused thinking.Smoking a lot of gunja at once can make people feel sickand they may need to vomit.Problems with coordination and doing things like drivinga car.PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJABingeing on gunja35

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAUsing gunja and otherdrugs togetherxxx

xPART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAUsing gunja and other drugstogetherHAVE AYARN...• What drugs dopeople use withgunja in yourcommunity?• What problemsor effects doesthis cause?●●●●●●When people use different drugs together at the sametime, like gunja with grog or tobacco, it is calledpolydrug use.Tobacco and grog are the drugs people most commonlyuse with gunja.Polydrug use can make the effects of the drugs morepowerful than when used on their own. Effects can beunpredictable and increase the chances of things goingwrong.When people mix grog and gunja they can feel sick, vomit,feel panic, anxiety or paranoia.Using tobacco with gunja can make it harder to quit aspeople become dependent on both gunja and the nicotinethat is very addictive in tobacco.Smoking both tobacco and gunja exposes the person tomore harmful chemicals and cancer-causing substancesthan if people used either drug on its own.PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAUsing gunja and otherdrugs togetherxx37

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJASocial problems with gunjaTrouble withthe lawPoliceTrouble withfamilyTrouble withmoneyxForget to pay rent.Forget to pay the phone bill.

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJASocial problems with gunjaHAVE AYARN...• What otherproblems inyour communitydoes gunjacause?• How can yourcommunitywork togetherto keep peoplesafe from theseproblems?• How can yourcommunity helppeople who arehaving troublesget their lifeback on track?●●●●●●When anyone is using too much gunja, it is a problem forthe person as well as for their family, their friends andtheir community.Gunja can make people lazy, sick and less able to work andbe active in the community.Gunja can be expensive. If somebody is using a lot ofgunja, they will be spending a lot of money and may nothave much money left for food, rent, or looking after theirfamily.When this happens, gunja users can end up ghting a lotwith their family about money.Gunja is also illegal, so if someone is using gunja, buyinggunja or selling gunja, they can get into trouble with thelaw.If they are caught by police, they may get a ne, lose theirdriving licence, face a criminal charge and, if it is moreserious, they may have to go to prison.PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJASocial problems with gunjaTrouble withthe lawPoliceTrouble withfamilyTrouble withmoneyxForget to pay rent.Forget to pay the phone bill.39

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAUsing gunja when you are pregnantis no good for your babyMother not using gunjaMother using gunja

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAUsing gunja when you are pregnantis no good for your baby●●●●●●Both men and women who use gunja may have lowerfertility. This means that men may have trouble makingbabies and women may have trouble getting pregnant.If a woman uses gunja when she is pregnant, the THC fromgunja will go through the mother’s blood and into the brainand body of the baby inside her (also called the ‘foetus’).Smoking anything (like gunja or tobacco) during pregnancywill stop the foetus from getting all of the nutrients fromfood that it needs to grow.Then the baby can be born too early and may be sick whenit’s born.It might get sick more often as it grows older and ndlearning difcult at school.The baby could also get asthma and have troublebreathing.●PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAUsing gunja when you are pregnantis no good for your baby41Mother not using gunjaMother using gunja

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAParents using gunja

PART 3OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAParents using gunjaHAVE AYARN...• How can yourcommunity helpparents whouse gunja tolook after theirchildren betterand be goodrole models?• What problemsdo you seewhen youngchildren startsmoking gunja?●●●●●●If a mother uses gunja when she is breastfeeding herbaby, the THC from gunja gets into her breast milk and isswallowed by the baby. It can stay in the baby’s fat cellsfor a few weeks and may cause health problems or sleepproblems for the baby. It might be hard to get the baby tosleep or it can be too sleepy to feed properly.Gunja users can sometimes forget about theirresponsibilities, including looking after their children. Thechildren of gunja users can go hungry, miss school or getinto lots of trouble all the time.Children copy what adults do. When children grow uparound gunja, they can start using gunja themselves orother drugs or alcohol at a very young age.When children start using gunja at a young age, they areat most risk of having physical and mental health problemsfrom using gunja. They are also more likely to have socialproblems from gunja use and may be more likely to usealcohol or other drugs.Other problems that young people who start using gunjacan experience include problems with memory, learning,school work, the law, early sexual activity and mentalhealth problems like depression andpsychosis.PART 3Smoking anything around youngpeople exposes them to dangerouschemicals found in smoke. This iscalled passive smoking.OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJAParents using gunja43

PART 4GETTING BETTERGetting off the gunja andgetting strongWithdrawalsicknessUse gunja againFeel betterfor a SHORT timebut stay sick.Stay off gunjaFeel betterfor a LONG timeand get healthy.

PART 4GETTING BETTERGetting off the gunja andgetting strongHAVE AYARN...• What are somesituations thatmake someonetrying to quitgunja want touse it again?• How can yourcommunitysupportsomeone whois trying to stayoff gunja?NOTE TOFACILITATOR:There is a list ofuseful phonenumbers andwebsites for helpor informationabout mental healthand alcohol or otherdrug problems onthe last page ofthis ipchart.45●●●●●●●●●●●The good news is that the brain, body and spirit can startto get better like a healthy river system.The most important thing is to stop using gunja.When people stop using gunja they can feel irritable, anxious,not feel hungry, have problems sleeping and even get strangedreams. Some people might even become violent.This is called ‘withdrawal sickness’ and people may needhelp from family, friends, a counsellor, nurse, doctor orrehabilitation centre.If gunja users don’t get help, they could feel they are notable to stop using gunja.They might demand money from their friends or familiesfor more gunja so they can stop the withdrawal sickness.This will only stop the withdrawal sickness for a short time.Once they don’t have any more gunja, the withdrawalsickness will come back again.The only way to get rid of withdrawal sickness forever, isto stop using gunja completely.When trying to give up gunja, itis important to think about whattriggers you into using the drugsuch as people, places, events andproblems.You can learn to choose healthythings to do and choose to hang outwith people that don’t use gunja.As you get better and learn to livewithout gunja, they can reconnectwith healthy and meaningfulactivities and resume culturalresponsibilities.PART 4Use gunja againFeel betterfor a SHORT timebut stay sick.GETTING BETTERGetting off the gunja andgetting strongWithdrawalsicknessStay off gunjaFeel betterfor a LONG timeand get healthy.

PART 4GETTING BETTERHealthy men, women andfamilies

PART 4GETTING BETTERHealthy men, women andfamiliesHAVE AYARN...• Who are somegood rolemodels in yourcommunity?• What makesthem good rolemodels?• How can youwork togetherwith yourcommunityto heal thedamage causedby gunja?• Who in yourcommunity canpeople withgunja problemsgo to for helpand advice?• What makesthem a goodhelper?●●●●●●●●It is important for men and women to look afterthemselves and their families. They can’t do this whenthey use gunja.You can choose to be strong and healthy and be a good rolemodel for your family and community.Good role models can show their people how to do healthythings that make them feel good.They can also be the people who others turn to for helpand advice such as for problems with gunja.Using gunja damages your health and hurts your children,family, community, culture and lore. It can also hurt thosein the community who don’t use it.Everybody can and should work together to reduce thedamage caused by gunja.People need love and support to stop using gunja.Strong men and women can help other adults and youngpeople to become strong and healthy.PART 4GETTING BETTERHealthy men, women andfamilies47

PART 4GETTING BETTERStaying strongSongBookINS HERR

S HERRINSongBookPART 4GETTING BETTERStaying strong●●●●●●●Remember these steps to getting better:Stop using gunja and get help from family, friends, clinic,rehabilitation centre or hospital.Remember that you may get withdrawal sickness when youstop using gunja, but the bad feelings will go away if youstay off the gunja.If you can’t do it at home, you may need to stay in ahostel, rehabilitation centre or hospital while you havetreatment.Start doing healthy things that make you feel strong, likeeating healthy foods, walking, shing, being with family,hunting, working, playing sport, ceremony, playing music,getting back to country.It will be easier if you stop hanging around with peoplewho use gunja.Stay off the gunja and you will feel better.PART 4GETTING BETTERStaying strong49

PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●These cousins go to school together and play sport.They have healthy brains and their spirit and cultureare strong.52

PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●●●This section will tell a short story about gunja useThese children are cousins.They grew up together and their mothers are sisters.They go to school and like playing sport. The boys playfootball and the girl likes basketball.They have healthy brains and their spirit and cultureare strong.PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●These cousins go to school together and play sport.They have healthy brains and their spirit and cultureare strong.5152

PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●When the cousins become teenagers they start smokinggunja and drinking grog every day.They stop going to school and sports training.xx54

xxPART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●●When they become teenagers some older friends give themsome gunja.They start to smoke gunja and drink grog after school everyday and on the weekends.Their mothers are worried about them as they are losinginterest in sport and school. They spend a lot of time lyingaround doing nothing.Their teachers and coaches complain to their parents thatthey aren’t coming to school or training.PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●When the cousins become teenagers they start smokinggunja and drinking grog every day.They stop going to school and sports training.5354

PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●●Wesley is scared when he starts hearing voices.He gets help at the clinic.The health worker explains withdrawal sickness and helpshim quit gunja.He gets strong again and returns to school and footballtraining.Health Centre56

PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●●●●One of the cousins, Wesley, starts to hear voices when hesmokes gunja and this makes him scared, so he tries to cutdown and stop using gunja and grog.He goes to the clinic to talk to an Aboriginal health workerabout his problems and how to get help to stop usinggunja.The health worker explains how gunja can make peoplesee or hear things that aren’t real (hallucinations) andthat this can be temporary and the hallucinations can stopif he stops using gunja. The worker also tells him aboutwithdrawal sickness.The health worker checks up on Wesley after school for afew weeks to talk about how he’s going.Wesley slips up a few times and uses gunja again with hiscousins but talks to the health worker and gets supportfrom his family to keep off the gunja.When he stayed off the gunja, he had no morehallucinations. If he had another mental health problem hemight need to do more than just stop gunja to get better.PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●●Wesley is scared when he starts hearing voices.He gets help at the clinic.The health worker explains withdrawal sickness and helpshim quit gunja.He gets strong again and returns to school and footballtraining.Health Centre5556

PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●Wesley’s cousins keep using gunja and grog every day.They get in trouble with the police.Wesley offers to take them to the clinic for help.Police58

PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●●●Wesley’s cousins keep using gunja and grog every day.They are tired and irritable when they can’t buy any gunjaand hassle their friends and family for money to buy gunja.Sometimes they get into trouble with the police forstealing money for gunja or being caught smoking it.Their families are worried about them and try to help themstop using gunja and go back to school and training.Wesley talks to his cousins and offers to go with them tothe clinic.PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●Wesley’s cousins keep using gunja and grog every day.They get in trouble with the police.Wesley offers to take them to the clinic for help.Police5758

PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●●●Community elders run a youth camp.They go shing, hunting, play sport and listen to traditionalstories and songs about country, family and strong identity.Wesley takes his cousins to the clinic every week for help.They get strong again and eventually stop using gunja.The community is stronger and works together to stopgunja destroying their culture.60

PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●●●●●Some community elders organise a youth camp for youngpeople having problems with gunja and grog to teachthem about their country and culture and make their spiritstrong again. They go shing, hunting, play sport and listento their traditional stories and songs that are sometimesused during ceremonies.Wesley goes with his cousins to the camp and supportsthem to get off the gunja and grog.Wesley takes his cousins to the clinic every week and theytalk to the Aboriginal health worker about how to stopusing gunja and grog and how to cope with withdrawalsickness.Slowly his cousins start to get strong again and stop usinggunja all together.They start going to school again and playing sport.Their spirit, bodies and brains are strong again.Their community continues to support people havingproblems with gunja and works together to stop gunjataking over and destroying their families, relationships,culture and strong identity.PART 5A GUNJA STORY●●●●●Community elders run a youth camp.They go fishing, hunting, play sport and listen to traditionalstories and songs about country, family and strong identity.Wesley takes his cousins to the clinic every week for help.They get strong again and eventually stop using gunja.The community is stronger and works together to stopgunja destroying their culture.5960

PART 3NEED HELP?Useful phone numbers & websitesALCOHOL OR OTHER DRUGSYou can get lots of useful information about alcohol or other drug problems and places toget help by calling the information service in your state. Their telephone numbers are listedbelow. Calls are free of charge and available 24hrs a day, 7 days a week.AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORYCommunity Health Helplineph: (02) 6207 9977(metropolitan and rural areas)QUEENSLANDAlcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)ph: 1800 177 833(metropolitan and rural areas)NEW SOUTH WALESAlcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)ph: (02) 9361 8000 (metropolitan area)ph: 1800 422 599 (rural area)TASMANIAAlcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)ph: 1800 811 994(metropolitan and rural areas)NORTHERN TERRITORYAlcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)ph: 1800 131 350(metropolitan and rural areas)SOUTH AUSTRALIAAlcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)ph: (08) 8363 8618 (metropolitan area)ph: 1300 131 340 (rural area)VICTORIAph: 1800 888 236(metropolitan and rural areas)WESTERN AUSTRALIAAlcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)ph: (08) 9442 5000 (metropolitan area)ph: 1800 198 024 (rural area)

PART 3NEED HELP?Useful phone numbers & websitesPHONE NUMBERSCannabis Information and Helpline1800 30 40 50This is a condential and free information and support line for cannabis users, friendsand family who are concerned about cannabis use by those close to them. It providescounselling, information and referrals. The Helpline is available from 11am-8pm Monday toFriday (including public holidays).Lifeline13 11 14www.lifeline.org.auIf you want information or help with problems related to mental health, you can call Lifelinefrom anywhere in Australia, any time at all (24-hours a day, 7 days a week).WEBSITESNational Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC)www.ncpic.org.auThe website provides information, free resources and Indigenous-specic projects andmaterials at www.ncpic.org.au.Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNetwww.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.auThis is a website that provides useful resources and fact sheets on gunja, mental health andgeneral health, for Indigenous Australians.61