Gunja Brain Story

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The
Gunja Brain
Story
GUNJA april12 v2.indd s1 23/04/12 6:15 PM
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Objective
This ipchart is designed for use by health professionals, community workers,
educators, Indigenous
1
mental health workers, alcohol and other drug
workers, students and community members. It is a prevention and information
resource, not a treatment guide.
It is designed for use mainly with Indigenous people in urban, rural and remote
settings.
It uses plain English language and informative images to provide clear
information about:
how a healthy brain and nervous system work
the effects of cannabis (also known as gunja or yarndi) on the
brain, general health, community and lifestyle
Facilitators can choose to use the resource as a whole, or select sections of
the ipchart to focus on, depending on the needs of their students, clients or
personal preferences.
1: The term Indigenous is used throughout this document to describe Aboriginal and Islander peoples of
Australia. Indigenous means native or belonging naturally to a place; this acknowledges Aboriginal and
Islander peoples as the rst peoples of Australia.
ii
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Acknowledgements
This resource has been adapted from the Gunja (Yarndi) Brain Story
produced by St. Vincents Hospital Melbourne and Menzies School of Health
Research that is part of the Brain Stories series (see www.menzies.edu.au/
brainstories).
Developed and produced by Menzies School of Health Research, St Vincents
Hospital Melbourne and the National Cannabis Prevention and Information
Centre.
Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and based on
an earlier version funded by the Lord Mayors 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 Vincents Hospital Melbourne,
Menzies School of Health Research and the National Cannabis Prevention and
Information Centre.
Thanks to the Council for Aboriginal Alcohol Program Services (CAAPS),
Students of Batchelor Institute of Tertiary Education Northern Territory, the
Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) and the National Institute of Drug
Abuse (USA). Thanks also to the Department of Health Northern Territory
Government, the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) and Jonathan
Hermawan Tjapaltjarri.
iii
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Contents

Objective ............................................................................................................ ii
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ iii
Tips for facilitators ................................................................................................. v
PART 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 .......................................................................................... 9
PART 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 ..........................................................................25
PART 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 ...................................................................................43
PART 4: GETTING BETTER
Getting off the gunja and getting strong ..........................................................45
Healthy men, women and families .................................................................47
Staying strong ..........................................................................................49
PART 5: A GUNJA STORY ........................................................................................ 51
Need help? Useful phone numbers and websites .......................................................... 61
iv
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Tips for facilitators
Read the ipchart a couple of times before you use it with others, to
educate 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 different
language speakers.
When using the ipchart, the image page faces the client or students
and 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 if
you prefer, rather than going through the whole resource in one go.
The have a yarn questions are designed to encourage active
participation amongst clients or students and make the content
relevant and engaging to them. By having participants relate this
information to their own lives, it will reinforce the new ideas and
knowledge and help start community discussion about these issues.
If you are condent with the information, you may like to open the
discussion with the have a yarn questions. If not, begin with the
facilitators notes and follow up with the have a yarn topics.
v
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PART 1
H E A L T H Y B R A I N
The brain
GUNJA april12 v2.indd Sec1:2 23/04/12 6:15 PM
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1
PART 1
The brain
Inside our head is our brain.
The brain is like our control centre.
The brain controls our thinking about who we are, our
feelings and the things we do.
It is where our personality, our actions and emotions are
controlled.
The brain also controls our memory, our language
and our creativity.
It controls how we relate to other people and to the world
around us.
Everybodys brain is different.
The brain is very important. It makes us who we are.
PART 1
The brain
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PART 1
Jobs of the brain
Control centre
stories and thinking
Good feeling
Memory
LIFE!
Heartbeat and breathing
Emotions and family
Balance body
Feel body
Move body
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3
PART 1
Each area of the brain has a special job to do.
The dark blue area (frontal cortex) is like the headquarters
or the control centre of the brain. This area controls the rest
of 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 is
moving or what it is feeling.
The orange area (motor cortex) sends messages TO the body
telling it how and when to move.
The green area (limbic system) in the middle of the brain
is very important for emotions, family matters and feelings
like worry, shame and happiness.
The pink area (hippocampus) is where memory is organised.
The purple area (reward system) is the feel-good area of
the brain. When you drink grog or take drugs, this part of
the brain is stimulated and it makes you feel different. It
sometimes makes you want to do it again.
The red area (cerebellum) at the bottom of the brain
balances our body, when it is moving and when it is still.
The brown area (brain stem)
connects the brain with the rest
of the body. This part controls our
breathing and heart.
These different areas are always
working together and talking to each
other.
The brain uses chemicals to send
messages to different parts of the
body.
Jobs of the brain
PART 1
Jobs of the brain
Control centre
stories and thinking
Good feeling
Memory
LIFE!
Heartbeat and breathing
Emotions and family
Balance body
Feel body
Move body
HAVE A
YARN...
What do you
know about
the brain?
Why is it
important to
look after it by
avoiding alcohol
and other
drugs?
NOTE TO
FACILITATOR:
The names of
these areas in the
brain are for your
information only.
It is not essential
that you share
these with the
group.
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PART 1
The brain makes its own
chemicals
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5
PART 1
Now lets 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 we
can react to things.
It is important for the chemicals in our brain to stay
balanced for us to be healthy and strong.
chemicals
PART 1
chemicals
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PART 1
Song
Book
Living a healthy life keeps the
chemicals in our brain balanced
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7
PART 1
When we live in a healthy way, the chemicals in our brain
stay balanced and we feel good.
Living in a healthy way means:
treating ourselves, family, community and people
around 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 and
doing 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!
HAVE A
YARN...
What are
some healthy
activities you
do to keep your
brain strong?
What are
some healthy
activities your
community
does to keep
it strong?
PART 1
Song
Book
NOTE TO
FACILITATOR:
In this ipchart
the rainbow brain
means the brain is
healthy.
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PART 1
Leisa McCarthy
Yilila
Healthy Brains
Cyril Rioli
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9
PART 1
Healthy brains
PART 1
Leisa McCarthy
Yilila
Healthy Brains
Cyril Rioli
These photos are of people with healthy brains.
All of the chemicals in their brains are balanced and all
parts of the brain are working together properly.
Because their brains are healthy and strong, they can do
great things.
Cyril Rioli has used his healthy brain and body to become a
champion footballer.
This band called Yilila use their healthy brains to play
music and dance in front of big crowds of people.
Leisa McCarthy uses her healthy brain in her research
studies of healthy diets for Indigenous people.
HAVE A
YARN...
What do you
enjoy doing to
keep yourself
happy and
healthy?
What activities
do you think
keep your
community
strong?
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GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
What is gunja?
Cannabis Sativa plant (gunja)
Bong
Gunja leaf
Bucket bong
Joint
Cookies
Pipe (rocket) e
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PART 1 PART 2
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
11
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 other
names for it in different places.
We will call it gunja.
The leaves and ower buds of the cannabis or gunja
plant are dried and then smoked, or mixed into food
and eaten.
The resin from the plant can also be dried, which is
called hash.
The oil from the plant is called hash oil.
Gunja has a chemical in it known as THC. Its long name
is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
When gunja is smoked or eaten, the THC gets into the
brain 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, happy
and forget your worries. But it can also make you feel
anxious, paranoid and very hungry.
What is gunja?
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
What is gunja?
Cannabis Sativa plant (gunja)
Bong
Gunja leaf
Bucket bong
Joint
Cookies
Pipe (rocket) e
HAVE A
YARN...
Do you know
what gunja is
called where
you live?
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GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
Gunja in the brain and body
Brain
Lungs
Mouth and
throat
Blood
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PART 1 PART 2
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
13
This picture shows what happens in the brain and body
when someone uses gunja.
THC from the gunja goes through the mouth or nose, and
into the lungs.
From the lungs the THC gets into the blood and then goes
into the brain.
Once the THC is in the body and brain, these things can
happen:
heart beats faster
more blood pumps around the body especially to the
eyes, making them go red
throat gets sore and lungs get irritated which makes
you 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 THC
from the gunja changes the way our
brain sends messages around the
body.
Smoking gunja, mixed with tobacco
or on its own, will hurt your throat
and lungs.

GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
Brain
Lungs
Mouth and
throat
Blood
HAVE A
YARN...
Have you
noticed any
other ways
gunja affects
people?
How does it
change the way
people talk or
behave?
NOTE TO
FACILITATOR:
In these pictures,
the black spiky
shape is used to
show that the
brain and body are
affected from the
gunja.
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GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
Gunja changes the brain
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PART 1 PART 2
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
15
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 also
after you have have stopped using gunja.
When THC from gunja gets into your brain and body and
stops 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).
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
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GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
Gunja changes your thinking,
feelings and behaviour
angry
hungry
paranoid and nervous
relaxed and dopey
confused
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PART 1 PART 2
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
17
When the brain gets confused from too much gunja, these
things can happen:
Anxiety: you feel very worried about everything.
Confusion: it is hard to make sense of things in your
head.
Perception changes: it feels like time and movements
change. Things look and sound different.
Memory problems: you cant remember things or what
you are saying.
Lazy: you cant be bothered doing anything and have
no motivation.
Paranoia: you worry about things that arent true or
reasonable to be worried about.
People who use gunja can seem ne on the outside, but
still have problems with their thinking and behaviour on
the inside.
Some gunja users may get a mental illness or make one
they already have even worse. This can happen the rst
time they use gunja, or after many years of using gunja.
Some people dont seem to get
any bad feelings when they smoke
gunja, even though they use it a
lot. But the younger they start, the
more gunja they use and the longer
they use it, the more it will change
their brain. In the long term, gunja
will have a harmful impact on
their health, lifestyle, thinking and
behaviour.
Using gunja can make you forget
or ignore important things to you
and your community such as lore
and land.
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
angry
hungry
paranoid and nervous
relaxed and dopey
confused
HAVE A
YARN...
What problems
with peoples
thinking or
feelings have
you seen that
you think are
because of
gunja?
How do their
families help
them?
What can your
community do
to help people
with these sorts
of problems?
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GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
Dependence
GUNJA
NO GUNJA
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PART 1 PART 2
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
19
When someone uses gunja more and more, their brain
will stop making its own natural feel-good chemicals.
This means things that used to make them feel happy, like
sport, music or friends, dont anymore.
This is called dependence. The person is dependent on the
gunja. They need it to feel normal.
When someone is dependent on gunja, their brain is so
used to having gunja that gunja doesnt 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 dont have any gunja, they feel sick physically,
mentally and emotionally because the brain needs the
gunja to feel good.
These bad feelings when there is no gunja are called
withdrawal sickness. It is sometimes called stressing out.
This can make people sad, angry or irritable. Some people
get violent and hurt other people.
Dependence
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
Dependence
GUNJA NO GUNJA
HAVE A
YARN...
What have you
noticed about
people who
use gunja a lot
when they cant
get any gunja?
How does their
withdrawal
make their
family feel?
How can your
community
support people
who are
dependent
on gunja to
start using less
or quit and
cope with the
withdrawals?
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GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
Gunja and mental health:
anxiety, depression and suicide
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PART 1 PART 2
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
21
Gunja confuses the brain. Many people who use gunja have
mental health problems.
Some people may already have a mental health problem
to start with, and the gunja can make it worse. But some
people dont have a mental health problem until after they
have been using gunja. These things can happen:
Gunja makes the heart race and this can make you feel
nervous and excited at rst, but then it can be hard to
relax. You can feel jittery, worried and stressed, have
racing thoughts and feel like these feelings wont stop.
This is called anxiety.
Depression is when you feel sad, lonely, angry or
low in energy for a long time. You dont want to do
anything or to mix with other people. You may hang
around on your own a lot or stay inside a lot.
People who smoke gunja a lot can get depressed more than
other people because their brain has forgotten to make
its own feel-good chemicals. They cant feel good unless
they have gunja.
People can get depression and anxiety at the same time.
Sometimes people use gunja to
help with their problems but gunja
doesnt help and can make the
problems seem worse than they are.
For some people the bad feelings
are so strong that they may humbug
family for money to get gunja.
Some people also nd the feelings
so strong that they may have
thoughts of hurting themselves or
others. If somebody feels so bad
that they kill themselves, this is
called suicide.
HAVE A
YARN...
How does
gunja hurt your
communitys
spirit and
strength?
What can you
do to heal the
people it hurts
and help them
get off gunja?
What are some
of the places in
your community
that someone
could go to for
help if they or
someone they
know want
to hurt or kill
themselves?
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
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GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
Gunja and mental health: paranoia,
psychosis and schizophrenia
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PART 1 PART 2
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
23
Here are a few more mental health problems that can
happen when using gunja:
Paranoia is when you get worried or stressed about
things that arent true. You might feel like other
people are talking about you, or dont like you, when
its not really true. Paranoia can also be worrying
much more than most people do about something like
getting in trouble with the family or with the police.
Hallucinations are when you see, hear or physically
feel things (like things crawling on your body) that
nobody else can. They may be scary visions or voices
telling you that youre no good. Too much gunja can
cause hallucinations.
Psychosis is when you cant tell the difference
between what is real and what isnt. Someone with
a psychosis may have hallucinations or believe things
that arent true (delusions).
Schizophrenia is one type of psychosis and is made
worse by using gunja.
These things can happen a little bit or a lot, and you can
have a combination of these things
at the same time.
If you have a mental health
problem as well as a problem with
gunja, you need treatment for both
problems to get better again.
If you know somebody that this is
happening to, they can get help
from mental health services. They
need to stop using gunja because
it will make the mental health
problems worse.
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
HAVE A
YARN...
How does your
community
cope with
issues caused
by gunja and
mental illness?
What ways can
you make your
community
strong to help
support people
with these
problems?
NOTE TO
FACILITATOR:
There is a list of
useful contact
numbers for help or
information about
mental health,
alcohol or other
drug problems on
the last page of
this ipchart.
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GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
Gunja can harm your spirit
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PART 1 PART 2
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
25
Gunja can make you sick, can damage your brain and hurt
you and your family.
Using too much gunja can slowly damage your brain, your
body and your relationships with other people and with
country.
This is just like a river system that has dried up and has no
water.
Another example is a plant or tree that has no water or
nutrients it will shrivel up and stop growing.
There is no food or life in the river or in the plants, animals
and people around the river.
The river system has no spirit, just like a person who uses
gunja too much will slowly lose their spirit.
The only way to stop this from happening is to stop using
gunja and start looking after yourself.
GUNJA AND THE BRAIN
PART 1 PART 2
HAVE A
YARN...
How has gunja
hurt your
communitys
spirit?
How can your
community
heal its spirit
and the spirits
of people that
gunja has hurt?
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OTHER EFFECTS OF GUNJA
PART 3
Short and long-term changes
from gunja
The 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.
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PART 3
27
from 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 depressed
when you dont 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 you
are a woman, you may have trouble falling pregnant
end up forming bad relationships with your family.
These things happen because gunja
is slowly changing your brain and
the more gunja you use, the more
your brain and behaviour will
change.
PART 3
from gunja
The 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.
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PART 3

thinking confused emotions diferent

get paranoid try other drugs
want more gunja
feel scared, sad, angry, happy or cranky

mental health problems
Short-term changes: using a
little bit of gunja
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PART 3
29
little bit of gunja
In the next few pages you will see pictures of how someone
can change when they start smoking gunja. This person has
been smoking gunja once a month, for a short time.
Because they dont smoke all the time, their brain and
body have time to recover from the THC and other
chemicals in gunja.
They might:
see some small changes to their thinking, behaviour
and lifestyle.
notice their emotions or feelings change when they use
gunja. They may feel more relaxed, scared, sad, angry,
happy or irritable.
get paranoid (think things that arent true or believe
people 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 they
wish they didnt.
HAVE A
YARN...
What other
short-term
changes do you
see in people
who smoke
a little bit of
gunja?
How does it
affect your
community,
especially the
young ones?
PART 3

thinking confused emotions diferent

get paranoid try other drugs
want more gunja
feel scared, sad, angry, happy or cranky

mental health problems
little bit of gunja
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PART 3
lot of gunja
getting and keeping a job dependent on gunja

their memory

feeling depressed health

family
feeling worried and jittery
never having any money
getting sick all the time
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PART 3
31
lot of gunja
This person has been smoking gunja nearly every day for a
few months.
Too much gunja has slowed down their brain. They are
starting to notice these things:
it is hard to concentrate
they have trouble remembering things and learning
new 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, specially
in the lungs
they may start to get mental health problems
they are dependent on gunja
they may get depressed and feel bad about
themselves, or get too worried and jittery.
They think about using gunja and getting gunja more and
more. They have to use gunja just to feel normal and use a
lot more gunja to feel high.
This person is dependent on gunja.
If they stop, they often feel worse
for a while before they feel better.
But if they stay healthy and stop
using gunja, they can get strong,
happy and healthy again.
HAVE A
YARN...
What other
short-term
changes do you
see in people
who smoke a lot
of gunja?
How does it
affect your
community,
especially the
young ones?
PART 3
lot of gunja
getting and keeping a job dependent on gunja

their memory

feeling depressed health

family
feeling worried and jittery
never having any money
getting sick all the time
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PART 3
Long-term changes from gunja

This person is dependent on gunja, and
gunja has become more important to him
than anything else. Even family.

concentration memory
mood swings family relationships

mental health problems feeling tired all the time

learning new things weak throat and lungs

getting sick a lot
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PART 3
33
This person has now been using gunja nearly every day for
years.
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 have
been happening for so long. Other people may just think
these things are a normal part of the person and not realise
they are from the gunja.
They may lose their family and their
country because the only thing that
is important to them is gunja.
If they have a baby, their baby may
have health problems like being
too skinny or getting asthma. When
the child is older, they could have
problems learning at school.
They are dependent and will nd it
really hard to stop.
Even after they stop, they may
still continue to experience some
problems.
HAVE A
YARN...
What other
long-term
changes do you
see in people
who have
smoked gunja
for a long time?
How does it
affect your
community?
PART 3

This person is dependent on gunja, and
gunja has become more important to him
than anything else. Even family.

concentration memory
mood swings family relationships

mental health problems feeling tired all the time

learning new things weak throat and lungs

getting sick a lot
48241 mockup P-39
PART 3
Bingeing on gunja
48241 mockup P-40
PART 3
35
Bingeing on gunja
Bingeing on gunja means smoking a lot until its all gone,
rather than smoking now and then.
Bingeing on gunja might happen when there hasnt been
any gunja in the community for a while and then someone
brings a lot of it in.
When people smoke a lot of gunja in a binge session, other
areas of their lives are forgotten, including their family
responsibilities, work, or even eating properly.
Bingeing on gunja can make some people experience
psychosis and confused thinking.
Smoking a lot of gunja at once can make people feel sick
and they may need to vomit.
Problems with coordination and doing things like driving
a car.
HAVE A
YARN...
Does bingeing
on gunja
happen in your
community?
How does it
make people
behave or feel?
What affect
does it have
on their
families and
community?
What are some
solutions to
the problems
bingeing on
gunja causes
in your
community?
PART 3
Bingeing on gunja
48241 mockup P-41
PART 3
Using gunja and other
drugs together
x
x
x
48241 mockup P-42
PART 3
37
Using gunja and other drugs
together
When people use different drugs together at the same
time, like gunja with grog or tobacco, it is called
polydrug use.
Tobacco and grog are the drugs people most commonly
use with gunja.
Polydrug use can make the effects of the drugs more
powerful than when used on their own. Effects can be
unpredictable and increase the chances of things going
wrong.
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 as
people become dependent on both gunja and the nicotine
that is very addictive in tobacco.
Smoking both tobacco and gunja exposes the person to
more harmful chemicals and cancer-causing substances
than if people used either drug on its own.
HAVE A
YARN...
What drugs do
people use with
gunja in your
community?
What problems
or effects does
this cause?
PART 3
Using gunja and other
drugs together
x
x x
48241 mockup P-43
PART 3
Social problems with gunja
Police
Trouble with
the law
Trouble with
money
xxxxxx
Trouble with
family
Forget to pay rent.
Forget to pay the phone bill.
48241 mockup P-44
PART 3
39
When anyone is using too much gunja, it is a problem for
the person as well as for their family, their friends and
their community.
Gunja can make people lazy, sick and less able to work and
be active in the community.
Gunja can be expensive. If somebody is using a lot of
gunja, they will be spending a lot of money and may not
have much money left for food, rent, or looking after their
family.
When this happens, gunja users can end up ghting a lot
with their family about money.
Gunja is also illegal, so if someone is using gunja, buying
gunja or selling gunja, they can get into trouble with the
law.
If they are caught by police, they may get a ne, lose their
driving licence, face a criminal charge and, if it is more
serious, they may have to go to prison.
HAVE A
YARN...
What other
problems in
your community
does gunja
cause?
How can your
community
work together
to keep people
safe from these
problems?
How can your
community help
people who are
having troubles
get their life
back on track?
PART 3
Police
Trouble with
the law
Trouble with
money
xxxxxx
Trouble with
family
Forget to pay rent.
Forget to pay the phone bill.
48241 mockup P-45
PART 3
Using gunja when you are pregnant
is no good for your baby
Mother using gunja Mother not using gunja
48241 mockup P-46
PART 3
41
Both men and women who use gunja may have lower
fertility. This means that men may have trouble making
babies and women may have trouble getting pregnant.
If a woman uses gunja when she is pregnant, the THC from
gunja will go through the mothers blood and into the brain
and body of the baby inside her (also called the foetus).
Smoking anything (like gunja or tobacco) during pregnancy
will stop the foetus from getting all of the nutrients from
food that it needs to grow.
Then the baby can be born too early and may be sick when
its born.
It might get sick more often as it grows older and nd
learning difcult at school.
The baby could also get asthma and have trouble
breathing.
PART 3
Mother using gunja Mother not using gunja
48241 mockup P-47
PART 3
Parents using gunja
48241 mockup P-48
PART 3
43
Parents using gunja
If a mother uses gunja when she is breastfeeding her
baby, the THC from gunja gets into her breast milk and is
swallowed by the baby. It can stay in the babys fat cells
for a few weeks and may cause health problems or sleep
problems for the baby. It might be hard to get the baby to
sleep or it can be too sleepy to feed properly.
Gunja users can sometimes forget about their
responsibilities, including looking after their children. The
children of gunja users can go hungry, miss school or get
into lots of trouble all the time.
Children copy what adults do. When children grow up
around gunja, they can start using gunja themselves or
other drugs or alcohol at a very young age.
When children start using gunja at a young age, they are
at most risk of having physical and mental health problems
from using gunja. They are also more likely to have social
problems from gunja use and may be more likely to use
alcohol or other drugs.
Other problems that young people who start using gunja
can experience include problems with memory, learning,
school work, the law, early sexual activity and mental
health problems like depression and
psychosis.
Smoking anything around young
people exposes them to dangerous
chemicals found in smoke. This is
called passive smoking.
HAVE A
YARN...
How can your
community help
parents who
use gunja to
look after their
children better
and be good
role models?
What problems
do you see
when young
children start
smoking gunja?
PART 3
Parents using gunja
48241 mockup P-49
G E T T I N G B E T T E R
PART 4
Withdrawal
sickness
Stay of gunja
Use gunja again
Feel better
for a LONG time
and get healthy.
Feel better
for a SHORT time
but stay sick.
Getting off the gunja and
getting strong
48241 mockup P-50
PART 4
45
getting strong
The good news is that the brain, body and spirit can start
to 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 strange
dreams. Some people might even become violent.
This is called withdrawal sickness and people may need
help from family, friends, a counsellor, nurse, doctor or
rehabilitation centre.
If gunja users dont get help, they could feel they are not
able to stop using gunja.
They might demand money from their friends or families
for more gunja so they can stop the withdrawal sickness.
This will only stop the withdrawal sickness for a short time.
Once they dont have any more gunja, the withdrawal
sickness will come back again.
The only way to get rid of withdrawal sickness forever, is
to stop using gunja completely.
When trying to give up gunja, it
is important to think about what
triggers you into using the drug
such as people, places, events and
problems.
You can learn to choose healthy
things to do and choose to hang out
with people that dont use gunja.
As you get better and learn to live
without gunja, they can reconnect
with healthy and meaningful
activities and resume cultural
responsibilities.
HAVE A
YARN...
What are some
situations that
make someone
trying to quit
gunja want to
use it again?
How can your
community
support
someone who
is trying to stay
off gunja?
PART 4
Withdrawal
sickness
Stay of gunja Use gunja again
Feel better
for a LONGtime
and get healthy.
Feel better
for a SHORT time
but stay sick.
getting strong
NOTE TO
FACILITATOR:
There is a list of
useful phone
numbers and
websites for help
or information
about mental health
and alcohol or other
drug problems on
the last page of
this ipchart.
48241 mockup P-51
PART 4
Healthy men, women and
families
48241 mockup P-52
PART 4
47
families
It is important for men and women to look after
themselves and their families. They cant do this when
they use gunja.
You can choose to be strong and healthy and be a good role
model for your family and community.
Good role models can show their people how to do healthy
things that make them feel good.
They can also be the people who others turn to for help
and 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 those
in the community who dont use it.
Everybody can and should work together to reduce the
damage caused by gunja.
People need love and support to stop using gunja.
Strong men and women can help other adults and young
people to become strong and healthy.
HAVE A
YARN...
Who are some
good role
models in your
community?
What makes
them good role
models?
How can you
work together
with your
community
to heal the
damage caused
by gunja?
Who in your
community can
people with
gunja problems
go to for help
and advice?
What makes
them a good
helper?
PART 4
families
48241 mockup P-53
PART 4
Staying strong
S
H
E
R
R
I N
Song
Book
48241 mockup P-54
PART 4
49
Staying 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 you
stop using gunja, but the bad feelings will go away if you
stay off the gunja.
If you cant do it at home, you may need to stay in a
hostel, rehabilitation centre or hospital while you have
treatment.
Start doing healthy things that make you feel strong, like
eating 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 people
who use gunja.
Stay off the gunja and you will feel better.
PART 4
Staying strong
S H E RRI N
Song
Book
48241 mockup P-55
A G U N J A S T O R Y
PART 5
52
These cousins go to school together and play sport.
They have healthy brains and their spirit and culture
are strong.
48241 mockup P-56
PART 5
51
This section will tell a short story about gunja use
These children are cousins.
They grew up together and their mothers are sisters.
They go to school and like playing sport. The boys play
football and the girl likes basketball.
are strong.
PART 5
52
These cousins go to school together and play sport.
are strong.
48241 mockup P-57
PART 5
54
When the cousins become teenagers they start smoking
gunja and drinking grog every day.
They stop going to school and sports training.
x
x
48241 mockup P-58
PART 5
53
When they become teenagers some older friends give them
some gunja.
They start to smoke gunja and drink grog after school every
day and on the weekends.
Their mothers are worried about them as they are losing
interest in sport and school. They spend a lot of time lying
around doing nothing.
Their teachers and coaches complain to their parents that
they arent coming to school or training.
PART 5
54
When the cousins become teenagers they start smoking
gunja and drinking grog every day.
They stop going to school and sports training.
x x
48241 mockup P-59
PART 5
56
Wesley is scared when he starts hearing voices.
He gets help at the clinic.
The health worker explains withdrawal sickness and helps
him quit gunja.
He gets strong again and returns to school and football
training.
Health Centre
48241 mockup P-60
PART 5
55
One of the cousins, Wesley, starts to hear voices when he
smokes gunja and this makes him scared, so he tries to cut
down and stop using gunja and grog.
He goes to the clinic to talk to an Aboriginal health worker
about his problems and how to get help to stop using
gunja.
The health worker explains how gunja can make people
see or hear things that arent real (hallucinations) and
that this can be temporary and the hallucinations can stop
if he stops using gunja. The worker also tells him about
withdrawal sickness.
The health worker checks up on Wesley after school for a
few weeks to talk about how hes going.
Wesley slips up a few times and uses gunja again with his
cousins but talks to the health worker and gets support
from his family to keep off the gunja.
When he stayed off the gunja, he had no more
hallucinations. If he had another mental health problem he
might need to do more than just stop gunja to get better.
PART 5
56
Wesley is scared when he starts hearing voices.
He gets help at the clinic.
The health worker explains withdrawal sickness and helps
him quit gunja.
He gets strong again and returns to school and football
training.
Health Centre
48241 mockup P-61
PART 5
58
Wesleys 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.
P
o
lic
e
48241 mockup P-62
PART 5
57
They are tired and irritable when they cant buy any gunja
and hassle their friends and family for money to buy gunja.
Sometimes they get into trouble with the police for
stealing money for gunja or being caught smoking it.
Their families are worried about them and try to help them
stop using gunja and go back to school and training.
Wesley talks to his cousins and offers to go with them to
the clinic.
PART 5
58
They get in trouble with the police.
Wesley offers to take them to the clinic for help.
Police
48241 mockup P-63
PART 5
60
Community elders run a youth camp.
They go shing, hunting, play sport and listen to traditional
stories 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 stop
gunja destroying their culture.
48241 mockup P-64
PART 5
59
Some community elders organise a youth camp for young
people having problems with gunja and grog to teach
them about their country and culture and make their spirit
strong again. They go shing, hunting, play sport and listen
to their traditional stories and songs that are sometimes
used during ceremonies.
Wesley goes with his cousins to the camp and supports
them to get off the gunja and grog.
Wesley takes his cousins to the clinic every week and they
talk to the Aboriginal health worker about how to stop
using gunja and grog and how to cope with withdrawal
sickness.
Slowly his cousins start to get strong again and stop using
gunja 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 having
problems with gunja and works together to stop gunja
taking over and destroying their families, relationships,
culture and strong identity.
PART 5
60
Community elders run a youth camp.
They go shing, hunting, play sport and listen to traditional
stories 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 stop
gunja destroying their culture.
48241 mockup P-65
N E E D H E L P ?
PART 3
Useful phone numbers & websites
ALCOHOL OR OTHER DRUGS
You can get lots of useful information about alcohol or other drug problems and places to
get help by calling the information service in your state. Their telephone numbers are listed
below. Calls are free of charge and available 24hrs a day, 7 days a week.
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Community Health Helpline
ph: (02) 6207 9977
(metropolitan and rural areas)
NEW SOUTH WALES
Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)
ph: (02) 9361 8000 (metropolitan area)
ph: 1800 422 599 (rural area)
NORTHERN TERRITORY
ph: 1800 131 350
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
ph: 1300 131 340 (rural area)
QUEENSLAND
ph: 1800 177 833
TASMANIA
ph: 1800 811 994
VICTORIA
ph: 1800 888 236
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
ph: 1800 198 024 (rural area)
48241 mockup P-66
N E E D H E L P ?
PART 3
Useful phone numbers & websites
PHONE NUMBERS
Cannabis Information and Helpline
1800 30 40 50
This is a condential and free information and support line for cannabis users, friends
and family who are concerned about cannabis use by those close to them. It provides
counselling, information and referrals. The Helpline is available from 11am-8pm Monday to
Friday (including public holidays).
Lifeline
13 11 14
www.lifeline.org.au
If you want information or help with problems related to mental health, you can call Lifeline
from anywhere in Australia, any time at all (24-hours a day, 7 days a week).
WEBSITES
National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC)
www.ncpic.org.au
The website provides information, free resources and Indigenous-specic projects and
materials at www.ncpic.org.au.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au
This is a website that provides useful resources and fact sheets on gunja, mental health and
general health, for Indigenous Australians.
61
48241 mockup P-67

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