Australia has so many resources for Mental Healthcare and a lot of them are so readily available to you, but when is the right time to consult your GP or to book in for an evaluation? I have compiled a list below of the things that should be raising a red flag to you and prompt you to book in to see your GP.

Mental health issues aren’t taken as seriously by some than others, but would you let a broken leg go untreated? Your mental health left untreated can cause you more distress than you know how to deal with.

If you are experiencing any of the following, you might want to think about taking a K-10 test – this is the first move a doctor would make in your appointment so save yourself the time and complete one here. Print it out and take it to your GP if needed, and focus your appointment on getting started on your treatment.

Suicidal Thoughts.

This is such a big one to take seriously. Even if it seems like nothing to you, or if its a passing comment under your breath as you take out the trash on a rainy day, it needs to be taken into thought. Even if you have no immediate intentions of killing yourself, please seek help from your GP. The statement itself can mean many things, underlying unhappy thoughts, depression about your life so it’s in your best interest to follow it up by seeing a sympathetic doctor who will listen to you.

Paranoia.

Our own thoughts are always going to seem rational to us, even if they’re not. This one can be tricky to pinpoint yourself, but if you start to get increasing thought of being followed, being watched, having fears that people around you aren’t who they say they are, feeling that you’re communications are being listened to, you should start talking to someone about these thoughts. Paranoia doesn’t mean you are developing schizophrenia, this could be a form of anxiety that is causing you these fears.

Hallucinations.

Something that a lot of people associate with drug use and misuse, migraines and epilepsy, however, the human mind is perfectly capable of creating hallucinations all on its own. If you are experiencing hallucinations without the drug use, you should be seeking medical help. Hallucinations can be of things you can see, hear or feel.

Serious Lack of Motivation.

It might happen slowly, or all at once, but lack of motivation to do anything at all could be a sign that you should reach out for help. If you or a friend are starting to withdraw from social situations, lacking in personal hygiene, becoming more and more isolated this could be the beginning of a psychotic disorder and you should seek help. Even if you don’t feel it’s a big deal, the aim here is to prevent anything from progressing.

*Leave a comment if you’d like an article on how to approach someone who you think might need help.*

Anxiousness & Feeling Worried.

These days you might think that being stressed is just a part of daily life, but worrying and feeling anxious a lot of the time can be a sign that you need to seek help. Anxiety has many symptoms, to begin with, such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, constant headaches, restlessness, diarrhea or a constant racing mind that doesn’t seem to slow down.

Feeling Unhappy Often.

Even if you feel it’s no big deal, it’s become normal, or you feel you have nothing to be happy about, it is a big deal. Linking in with the lack of motivation, if you feel as though you’re not emotionally capable of committing to your usual activities, this can be the early stages of depression and you should talk to someone about this.

Trouble Sleeping.

So many of the above points can contribute to this one, but not getting enough sleep, interrupted sleep or having trouble getting to sleep can have a huge impact on the rest of your health, not just mental health. Counting sheep doesn’t always help, but seeking help does.

Weight Changes.

If you’re experiencing sudden or gradual but drastic weight changes, can actually be caused by your mental health. So much stress you’re forgetting to eat? Not enough time to eat breakfast because you’re trying to catch up on sleep? It all adds up and weight loss or gain should be done in a controlled way.

Substance Abuse.

This one goes without saying. If you are addicted to an illegal substance, seek help. All of the above can be a cause and factors for you to want to start a drug habit, it may have started as a way to sleep, get things done, relax or numb the feeling, but there are better ways, and drugs are not a safe way to manage the above.

Feeling Worthless.

Just got dumped? Failed a test? Lost your job?

Feeling worthless will come along at some stage in life. However, if feeling worthless is a constant battle for you, this isn’t normal. Feeling worthless and not good enough is a sign your mental illness has started taking over and needs to be stopped.

For ways to seek help, please click here.

“Alarming, to say the least.”

I decided to do some research on just how many people, just like me, if not younger are affected by mental health disorders. Here are some of my findings. Warning for some, this may be distressing.

Approximately 278,000 young people, between the ages of 4-17 (that’s right, even 4-year-olds) experienced an anxiety disorder in 2015. Now it’s 2018 I could only imagine that this number has spiked drastically. In this research, an anxiety disorder is one or more of the following: Panic disorder, Agoraphobia (A person with agoraphobia is afraid to leave environments they know and consider to be safe for fear of having anxiety or a panic attack), Social Phobia, Obsessive-compulsive Disorder and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Let’s just make sure we’re seated for this one because you’re about to find out that suicide is the biggest KILLER of young Australians and accounts for the deaths of more young Australians than car accidents. As unbelievable as that is, the number of deaths by suicide among young Australians is the highest its ever been in ten years.

Only 25% of young Australians who felt any type of suffering or mental health disorders occurring, sought out any form of help. The top two places recorded that young Australians approached for help were school counsellors and their family doctor, followed by other private healthcare professionals and community health services. These statistics included children of only 4 years old. The youth of 13-17 year olds were more likely to approach someone than those of the 4-12-year-old age bracket.

I wanted to know why so many young Australians weren’t asking for help, so I found the following table outlining why according to a study conducted by the University of Adelaide.

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What’s shocking to see is asking for help but didn’t receive it, is in the top 5. The number one reason was that the help for their mental illness was too expensive, followed by not knowing where to get help, and thinking they could handle it themselves.

So what does someone do if they feel affected by their mental health? Australians can call 13 11 14. This is the number for LifeLine and you can visit their website here. Lifeline is a 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention line.

Calling lifeline will give you access to immediate support, a listening ear, help to rationalise your options and situation. Always remember as with any phone line that you may be on hold for a few minutes when in high demand, but each person who calls is taken care of. They will refer you to someone local who can give you ongoing support to see out that you continue to get the help you need.

If you would prefer not to speak to someone but to find a service locally to you on your own, you can use their directory here.

There are bulk billing options available and you can also talk to your GP about a mental health plan which gives you access to a mental health specialist.

You need to stop ‘self-diagnosing’. This is doing you more damage than good. Without speaking to a healthcare professional, you will not know what mental health disorder/s you have and need to treat. Trying to treat depression yourself when you have anxiety will not get you anywhere you need to be. Get diagnosed properly and seek the appropriate help.

If you are experiencing any form of mental health disorders, please seek help. Help is always available to you. You are important.

Tag: anxiety

If You’re Experiencing Any Of These, Consult Your GP