Yes it can cause all of those things! Things have been so hard for international students this year. I really feel for you! Are you on a student VISA? If so, international students will generally access Australia's public mental health services in one of two ways.
- If you have Overseas Student Health Cover (e.g. through BUPA or a company like that) you can access anything in Australia's public health system, with financial costs generally covered between 80% to 100% depending on the company you're with. There'll be a line in the policy that says something like "Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) covered at 80%." To get things rolling you would speak with a GP you trust about setting up what's called a "Mental Health Care Plan". You would definitely qualify for one based on the symptoms you've described. You would then ask the GP to recommend a psychologist, or choose one yourself if you know of someone! The psychologist will then work with you on the issues. You can receive up to 12 sessions per year which your insurance will (at least mostly) cover.
- If you don't have Overseas Student Health Cover, that usually means you're covered by something called a Reciprocal Health Care agreement, and can access Australia's public system the same way as an Australian citizen. From memory, people from Italy, the UK and a few other places are covered by these agreements. In this case, you would make an appointment with your GP as above and ask to set up a Mental Health Care Plan, and the agreement should take care of all the costs.
Do either of those things sounds familiar to you? How do you usually access healthcare in Australia?
Also, it's worth pointing out that everything you say to a doctor, psychologist or any other healthcare professional in Australia will be completely confidential. They can't inform your husband without your permission.
