What to do when you have identified yourself as someone who may have mental health problems.
Firstly, well done you have worked out that you are going through a rough patch and may be experiencing some mental health issues. That in itself is a huge achievement. There is plenty of help out there for you. But where should you begin?
The first two things that will help you is consulting your doctor and letting people you trust know what’s going on. The doctor can refer you on to the help that you need. By having someone who you trust in the know, they can check in on you and give the help you need where appropriate.
For me, having people in the know was so important. They made sure that I got to my mental health appointments, that I was safe (even if that meant babysitting me) and were able to check in with me and help keep my positive perspective on life.
By seeing my doctor, he was able to set me up in the right direction. He referred me onto my psychologist and psychiatrist. The process at the doctors includes the doctor going over a survey to see what symptoms you are showing. From there, they provide you with a mental health plan that sees costs cut for your appointments. You receive 20 of these a year. Doctors are really good at pointing you in the right direction and get you to place you need to be, with appointments being easier to get if you need urgent care, they are a good point of contact.
Once you have been referred to the psychologist and psychiatrist, they will provide you with treatment to help you get better. Different treatments apply for different cases. If you are having trouble connecting with your psychologist and psychiatrist, you can always return to your doctor and get referred to someone else. I found a good connection with my third psychologist, so there is no stress if it’s not working, it’s all about finding what is right for you and what works.
On top of the treatment, I think it is important whilst you are unwell to stick to the following to help you get into a better headspace:
- Ensure you are surrounded by people who care about you
- Exercise daily
- Meditate daily
- Journal daily
- Keep yourself in a safe environment
- Have a safety plan- https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/beyondnow-suicide-safety-planning
Going through a rough patch can really suck, but it is important to know there is help out there to get you back on track and smashing life. Please remember if you feel unsafe to contact 000 or Lifeline.
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