If you or someone you know needs someone to talk to, for any reason, about anything, you can visit Headspace, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, 24 hours a day.
Life is full of ups and downs. This is all perfectly normal, but if you feel like you’re struggling know that you’re not alone.
One in four young Australians is likely to experience some kind of mental or emotional distress at some point in their lives.
For young people, the stresses of growing up, family conflicts, study, relationships, finances, work, and situations such as living in care or being homeless can take their toll.
Caring for other people experiencing emotional or mental distress can be really tough too. Knowing what to do and where to turn can be hard if you feel like you’re not coping.
It’s important to remember that you don’t have to work it out by yourself. There is lots of help available when you need extra support.
Looking after your mental health and wellbeing
Keeping on top of your mental health and wellbeing is as important as staying physically fit and healthy.
Making it a priority will help with your resilience, confidence and give you the ability to recognise the signs if you start to struggle. Remember too that self-care is not selfish.
It helps if you can:
- Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Exercise regularly, even if it is just walking to the shops instead of catching the bus.
- Try to implement a bedtime routine to help you get a minimum of 8 hours sleep.
- Stay connected to the people who care about you, whether it is your mob, family, friends, a teacher or community.
- Engage in mindful practices or hobbies you enjoy, such as meditating, painting, dancing etc.
- Try to deal with problems as they come up if you can.
- Be aware of the possible effects of alcohol and drugs on your state of mind and relationships.
- Engage in positive and safe experiences online.
- See a counsellor or psychologist for extra support.
- Have regular check ins with your GP or medical prescriber to make sure you’re on track with any prescribed medications.
Mental health and wellbeing tools and apps
There are some great online tools and apps that you can use to find out more about your mental health and wellbeing and ways you can improve it.
All of these apps are available for iPhone/iPad, and some are available for Android. Depending on the app you chose, it may be free or require a subscription.
- MoodGYM is a free site that explores issues like how emotions arise and how to manage stress and self-esteem.
- Headspace app is a meditation app to help improve your overall health and wellbeing.
- The Black Dog Institute has lots of great apps, including support with sleep and mindfulness.
- Superbetter is an online game that helps you achieve health-related goals by increasing resilience.
- Better Health Channel has information about mental health services and programs that can provide treatment, information, tools and advice on how to deal with a range of mental health issues.
- If you are school student, you can also access the Victorian Department of Education’s mental health and wellbeing toolkit which includes advice and resources to look after your own mental health and wellbeing, support a friend, and where to get help.
While apps can be a great way to support your mental health and wellbeing they shouldn’t be used instead of professional support. If you are struggling with your mental health please see a doctor, counsellor or psychologist.
How to recognise when you need help
It’s completely normal to go through periods of low mood, sadness or anger. You’re only human.
When those feelings stick around for longer than usual or get in the way of you doing the things you love, you should think about extra support.
Key signs to look out for:
- feeling sad, angry or generally not yourself
- isolating yourself or not doing activities that used to make you happy
- not sleeping
- worrying you are going ‘crazy’
- feeling like you are detached from your body
- thinking about harming yourself or others
- increasing substance use
- hearing voices, or seeing things that aren’t there
What to do if you need help
If you are experiencing thoughts or emotions that worry you or are causing distress, it is important that you seek support.
These experiences might include feelings of stress, anxiety, exhaustion, hopelessness or other worrying emotions or mood swings.
Talk to family and/or friends, a teacher, your doctor, another safe or trusted person in your community, or a helpline in the first instance. This is step one and essential to ensure you’re being supported when the professionals are not around. They can also help you if you do see any professionals such as coming along to an appointment or helping you get appointments.
It is important to also seek professional support and advice when you're struggling with your mental health and wellbeing. This can include counselling, psychology, other therapies and medication.
Speak to your doctor about accessing a mental health care plan to get started.
Support at school
Staff at your school care about you and want to create a safe place for you and your friends.
If things are getting too much, or you're worried about a friend or someone in your family, talking to someone at your school is a good idea.
Your school might have a team of people or just a couple of wellbeing staff. There might be a counsellor, chaplain, Mental Health Practitioner or school-based nurse or GP. In most schools, you can make an appointment to see someone by just dropping by or emailing.
If you're not sure who to talk to or how to approach the wellbeing team, ask another trusted adult in the school, like your favourite teacher or Year Level Coordinator.
Mental health care plans
Talking to an expert, like a psychologist, can be a helpful thing to do if you’re having a mental health issue.
Psychologists are mental health experts trained to help support people who may be feeling thoughts or emotions that are causing them distress. This might include feelings of high stress, anxiety, exhaustion, hopelessness or worrying mood swings.
If you have a mental health care plan, the government will pay some or all of the cost of up to 10 sessions with a psychologist in a calendar year. It will also cover sessions with some counsellors.
You claim your session through Medicare and get a Medicare rebate. Visit our page on health cover if you’re unfamiliar with Medicare and Medicare rebates.
When you have a mental health care plan you will get access to 6 sessions and then, after a review with your doctor, you will be eligible for another 4. This is annually so if you need more support after 12 months it is available to you.
To get a mental health care plan you need to go to your doctor, tell them how you’re feeling and ask for a support plan.
Other ways to get help
If you’re not comfortable in reaching out to your doctor there are plenty of other organisations you can contact. They include:
- Headspace - a confidential, free and secure space where young people aged 12 - 25 or their families can chat, email or speak on the phone with a qualified youth health professional.
- Kids Helpline - a 24-hour telephone and online counselling service that includes a directory to search for services and places that can help you in your local area. You can call them on 1800 55 1800.
- Black Dog Institute - supports all Australians from any background, but they also have an online hub for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
- Reach Out! - offers fact sheets on mental health and provides advice for you or your friends, information about how a therapist may be able to help, and treatments available.
- Queerspace - provides counselling, family education, and group support programs. They can help you access LGBTIQ+ friendly healthcare options and services.
If you would like to talk to someone in-person, Headspace has a list of centres all over Australia where you can drop in for a chat and extra support.