The Mental Health Association NSW (MHA) kicked off a 2014 campaign naming October’s Mental Health Awareness theme “be YOUnique,” which stresses the importance in being comfortable with who you are. The theme focuses on self-acceptance and pride. A lot of people have difficulty with this and it surfaces in anxiety issues. If you feel like you’re struggling with anxiety, working with a therapist can help you get back in control of your mental health. Consider what it is that you are looking for in a therapist when you are making your decision. What are your goals and concerns?
Another mental health initiative that Sydney and NSW is focusing on is reaching out to new parents by creating a site that connects them to one another. They’ve assembled a range of experts to provide information to young parents in order to help them get the resources they need to succeed. Having a family is stressful and if you don’t have a support system in place, it becomes overwhelming. The stresses of a new child in the home can affect marriages, sibling relationships, and your friendships. Uncontrollable anger and depression are not a normal part of raising a family. These problems become exacerbated when:
- the other parent doesn’t share fairly in the responsibilities.
- you’re sleep deprived.
- your expectations don’t seem to meet the situation’s reality.
- there are medical concerns with you or the baby.
- finances are tight, and so many more reasons.
You shouldn’t feel ashamed of your struggle. Feeling like this doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent or person. You don’t have to put a smile on your face while you mask the emotions on the inside.
Parenting is difficult and there are therapists who can help you by talking over your feelings and giving you ways to address the issues. They can also help with providing communication tools so that you and your partner can work as a team and not as combatants.
Therapy is affordable. Many therapists accept health insurance. Check with the practice when you make your appointment and check your health coverage for details of what the policy will pay for. It’s also important to consider the cost of not doing therapy. Living with a mental health issue can be taxing on all areas of life both personally and professionally. Are you unable to achieve your goals because you have not addresses a serious underlying problem?
According to the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: “Around 7.3 million or 45% of Australians aged 16 – 85 will experience a common mental health-related condition such as depression, anxiety or a substance use disorder in their lifetime.” There’s no reason to go through these struggles alone. A qualified therapist can help you recognize the problem and provide methods with which to deal with them. Your mental health is important. Isn’t it time you made time for yourself?