Our Panellists
Rebecca Gibney:
New Zealand-born Rebecca is one of Australia's
leading dramatic actresses and certainly one of the most popular
faces on Australian screens. Her TV and mini-series credits
include Stingers, Kangaroo Palace and The Flying
Doctors, as well as a vast catalogue of film and theatre
roles. Her most recent TV role was as Jane Halifax in Halifax
f.p., a role written especially for her, and for which
she was nominated for a Best Performance Logie. Rebecca brings
her forthright and lively opinions to our panel - hopefully
keeping her co-panellists in order!
Rebecca has had a very personal battle
with addictions. Her father was an alcoholic who suffered
periods of violence and abused her mother throughout their
marriage. He also died an early death at the age of 51. Rebecca
says she started smoking at the age of 13 and, because of
the chronic problem of her father's drinking, her smoking
was tolerated by the family rather than thwarted. She also
says her family allowed her alcohol as a child but no-one
ever communicated with her about how to use it, so as a teenager
she was drinking too much.
Rebecca says forgiveness and getting on
with life has worked best for her, although she needed psychiatric
help and therapy for two years to cope with the effects of
addiction on her and her family. These days Rebecca does drink
but is always aware of the need for control.
Jackie Engel:
Jackie is a psychologist and psychotherapist
and director of Align Communications. After spending the last
five years working with homeless youth, Jackie started up
her own psychotherapy practice in Sydney, specialising in
adolescent and family therapy. Jackie also works in the corporate
sector, training staff and management in team-building and
organisational issues.
Jackie works holistically with mind, body
and spirit as well as embracing Eastern and Western philosophies.
She believes everyone has the ability to be happy, and to
express the potential they have to be responsible, creative
and compassionate human beings.
Jackie sees patients facing a range of issues, including wanting
to improve their relationships, increasing self-confidence,
managing anxiety, stress and depression, coming to terms with
loss, getting a sense of direction and life meaning, understanding
children and teenagers, and addressing addictive patterns.
On the topic of addictions, Jackie has
worked with many patients, particularly homeless kids, with
addictive issues, especially relating to drugs and alcohol.
She says many people become addicted to things as a coping
method for an intolerable reality. The habit is formed as
a way of coping with this intolerable reality, and it then
turns into a cycle of destruction. She says it is always initially
a way of coping with things, and usually reflects underlying
issues with self-esteem or the result of some sort of abuse.
The addiction then becomes a way of self-medicating.
Jackie says she prefers to deal with the
underlying issues, rather than just dealing with the surface
layer of the addiction itself. Often just helping someone
to deal with the addiction will only result in the addictive
behaviour being transferred to some other type of habit, for
example, an alcoholic may become a workaholic when they stop
drinking.
Despite an 'us and them' type attitude
among many addicts - an alcoholic thinks they are different
from a heroin addict, a bulimic different to a gambling addict
- Jackie says there is a commonality to all types of addiction.
She says addictions take hold when we are
not able to sit with ourselves, as we are. She says we are
all capable of being addicted without realising it.
For more information on Jackie and her
work, go to: www.alignonline.org
Derryn Hinch:
A veteran of print, radio and television
journalism, Derryn is the top-rating drive host on Melbourne's
Radio 3AW.
Derryn says he frankly couldn't give a
shit about drug addicts, he only cares about the people whose
homes they have robbed to pay for their habits. He says people
have to take responsibility for their own lives.
On alcohol, Derryn admits he had his "Grizzly
Adams" period where he drank too much, and it was very hard
on the people around him. He says both his grandfather and
father were alcoholics, and that he grew up with alcohol around
him. As for shopping, Derryn says he loathes it! He says he
breaks out in a cold sweat the minute he walks into a department
store. He says he hits the shops - one store - every six months,
and buys what he needs.
Tim Ferguson:
Fabulously funny father of three, Tim is
one of Australia's most prominent comedians. For a decade
he toured the world with The Doug Anthony Allstars (DAAS).
He then hosted the Nine Network's "Don't Forget Your Toothbrush"
and starred as Frank'n'furter in the 1998 Paul Dainty production
of "Rocky Horror Show". Tim is also an author, columnist and
a polished all-rounder in political satire and debating.
Tim says he has friends both inside
and outside the entertainment industry battling various addictions.
Having lost some friends to heroin addiction, Tim says you're
always left wondering if you could have done more for them.
Tim says his only addiction is to work,
and that if he hasn't typed something or made a phone call
by midday he's twitchy and grumpy!
Tim says he accepts that his children
will want to experiment with drugs. He recently told his eldest
son that it's inevitable that he will have an experience of
drinking too much, but hopefully the next day he'll learn
from it and move on.
Prue MacSween:
Best known to TV viewers from her appearances
on Beauty and the Beast, Prue heads her own communications
company and has been a fixture on Sydney radio.
Prue bravely tells the Mars Venus audience
that she has a shopping addiction, having spent $17,000 in
half an hour on a recent spree! She says she usually shops
when she is bored or feeling emotionally down.
On alcohol, Prue says she's concerned about
the marketing that goes with it. She says the notion that
if you drink a particular fizzy drink or a take a certain
drug and you'll be sexy and more appealing is dangerous. Prue
says it seems as if the forces are against us, as it's increasingly
difficult for people to resist such sophisticated marketing.
Prue also wonders whether we've become
anaesthetised to the scare tactics used by government bodies
to warn people off drugs and alcohol.
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