where to start

[lola1234567]

Around 18 months ago I started a new part time job. It has been a really stressful environment and I found myself constantly stressing about work, waking up in the night and being unable to sleep because I was so worried.

This lead to me constantly feeling down, even when I was on a holiday or taking time off work I was in a really bad mental state. Things started to get worse and I would with feel withdrawn, nauseous, tired for nor reason, unmotivated and just unhappy. After feeling this way on and off for almost nine months I have begun to wonder if I suffer from a form of depression

My biggest problem is I don't know how to go about this. What sort of medical profession do I talk to in order to find out if I do have depression? What can I do to help me cope? Is there something else that could be making me feel this way? and should i talk to someone about this? I want to tell someone but I don't want people to see me feeling this sort of way as a burden, or for people to worry about me.

Thank you 🙂

[Nurse_Jenn]

Hi lola1234567

I am sorry to hear that you have been feeling down for sometime. Nine months is along time to feel like this and it is great that you are reaching out here for support.

Going about getting help is pretty straight forward. GPs take appointments for people everyday where they have issues relating to their mental health. A good first step would be to book into to see a Doctor and tell them the symptoms you have described here. Some GPs will ask you to do a questionnaire called a Kessler which asks you a series of questions about how you're feeling. This will help them to determine the level of distress you are feeling. They will also ask you some questions about what stressors and supports you have and then work with you to come up with a plan. A GP can refer you to a mental health professional in your local area.

Another option if you are under the age of 25 is to contact your local headspace centre. You can find where these centres are located by looking at this site. https://headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/

Finally, if you are wanting to explore some online therapy options, one I can recommend is the Mindspot Clinic where you talk to a counsellor and do a treatment courses online. You can read about this here www.mindspot.org.au

These are just a few options to get you started on your journey towards healing. It is really common for people to require support in managing their mood and worry. Getting help early is important as when things get worse, they can be more difficult and take longer to treat. Similar to seeing a personal trainer or physiotherapist to help get in shape or recover from an injury, seeking support for your mental health is a positive step towards feeling good again. You are not alone on this journey.

If it helps, continue to talk about your story and pose any questions you have here on the forum. It can be tough taking these first steps, but you have already made it here to the forum which is a really positive start.

Sending you strength,

Nurse Jenn