Fact sheets and info
Bookmark and Share

Fact sheet 3

Getting help for depression or anxiety

There are times when we all have problems that seem too big to sort out on our own. If you’re feeling like this, one of the best things you can do is talk to someone. While it’s important that you let your friends know how you’re feeling, it’s often best to talk to an adult – just because they’re likely to know more about what to do.

factsheet3thumb

Who can help

When you know you need help, it can be difficult to decide who to talk to. Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know about what’s troubling you.

There are many different forms of help available. A counsellor or doctor can help you to understand and work through your feelings. It’s important to choose someone who will listen to you, talk with you about how you feel and give you practical help.

Seeing a General Practitioner (GP) is a good place to start. GPs are used to recognising and treating common health problems, including depression, alcohol and drug concerns, family hassles and medical issues. They can help you to work out the best ways to cope with how you’re feeling and make a plan to get through it. If needed, they can also refer you to people who are experts in treating mental health problems, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist.

If you have specific concerns that you want to talk through, there are counsellors who specialise in particular issues such as family issues, schooling and careers, alcohol and other drugs, pregnancy and abuse.

If you need to talk to someone right away or don’t feel ready to see a counsellor or doctor, you could try telephone counselling services, which are available free or the cost of a local call, or online counselling (some numbers and websites are listed below).

If you’re hurting yourself or feeling like you want to do so, or if you need urgent medical or psychological help, please contact your doctor or a health professional (such as a counsellor, psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health expert) as soon as you can.

Knowing when you need help

It can be hard to know if what you feel is ‘normal’ – but if you’re feeling sad most of the time and you’ve lost interest in things you used to like doing, you may need some help to sort things out. Don’t bottle up your feelings – start by talking to someone you trust, like a family member, school counsellor or your General Practitioner (GP).

Why get help?

  • Telling someone what’s upsetting you can help you sort through your feelings.
  • Talking to someone can help you put things into perspectiveand may suggest options you hadn’t thought of before.
  • Talking through your concerns can release tension and give you new insights into what is going on.
  • If you have depression, getting the right type of help, and getting it early, can make it much easier for you get back on track.

What will happen?

Reaching out for help is often a big step and it may feel weird talking to a complete stranger about what’s on your mind.

Your GP will usually ask questions to learn about you and how you’re feeling. For example, questions about your general health, your eating, exercise and sleep habits, whether you smoke or drink, how you are thinking and feeling, and how you are getting on at school or work and with your family and friends. This information helps them to work out what’s going on and what might be the best way forward.

Even if the doctor asks about things that you find embarrassing or uncomfortable, it’s important to be honest. What you tell the doctor will be kept confidential. Unless the doctor has serious concerns about your safety or the safety of someone else, they won’t tell your family that you’ve had an appointment with them, or anything that happened during your appointment.

If you’re uncomfortable with the first person you talk to, it’s okay to try someone else. Some people find it easier to talk to a doctor who is of the same gender, is close to them in age or is not the family doctor.

Where to go and what will it cost?

In Australia, going to a doctor is either free, or part of the cost is paid for you. To go to a community health centre or another doctor, you need to have a Medicare number or card. You can use the number from your family Medicare card or, if you are fifteen or over, apply for a card of your own.

Community health centres offer free services, including counselling services. Some doctors and most medical centres ‘bulk bill’. This means that you don’t have to pay for the service as long as you can give your Medicare number. Some doctors only offer bulk billing to some of their patients, such as health care (Centrelink) card holders. But if your doctor doesn’t bulk bill at all, you’ll be able to get some of the cost back from any Medicare office if you have your doctor’s invoice or receipt.

If you need it, your doctor can give you a treatment plan and a referral for psychological help (both individual and group sessions), with most of the cost covered by Medicare.

Key points to remember

  • Deciding who you want to talk to is the first step. The most important thing is that you find someone you trust and feel comfortable with.
  • There isn’t any reason why you can’t talk to more than one person about how you are feeling. If you decide to speak to a counsellor or doctor, you can take a friend along with you.
  • To find a doctor or counsellor, ask friends or family, or look at one of the websites listed below.
  • You usually need to make an appointment before you see a doctor or counsellor – you don’t need to say why.
  • Take your Medicare card (or number) and any concession card with you and keep your invoice or receipt if they don’t bulk bill.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to ask the doctor or counsellor to explain something again.
  • Be honest about your feelings, health and lifestyle so that you get the best possible treatment.
  • Remember that your doctor can only share information about you with anyone else if they believe you or someone else is at risk of serious harm.
  • If you’re not comfortable with the counsellor or doctor, it’s okay to find someone else.

Remember, if you need to talk to someone right now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Help Line on 1800 55 1800.

More information and support

You can speak to trained counsellors by phoning these 24-hour telephone counselling services:

  • Lifeline – 13 11 14 (cost of a local call; 24 hours)
  • Kids Help Line – 1800 55 1800 (free call from a land line; 24 hours)

Information and support is also available from the following websites:

The websites below can help you to find health services in your area. They list services that are either free of charge or low cost:

If you or a friend want to communicate with someone via email or online, Kids Help Line offers confidential, non-judgemental, emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Sources

This fact sheet is based on information from:

  1. beyondblue – www.beyondblue.org.au and www.youthbeyondblue.com
  2. ReachOut.com – www.reachout.com
  3. Medicare Australia – www.medicare.gov.au