Reaching out for Mental Health Support? Be prepared
Reaching out for mental health support is a challenging business. Realising that you need help is perhaps the most challenging, or at least the circumstances leading to it are. I should know as a veteran who experienced my share of challenging circumstances and as a mental health mentor for men and an advocate for the therapeutic process I know first hand that it is not easy.
Even today I regularly see a counsellor every 2 weeks, which greatly helps with the ongoing management of my psychological injuries. These include: Chronic PTSD, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Alcohol Misuse Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. I am however able to thrive in spite of these injuries through management of them that sometimes feels like a second job, but I’m here to share with you that it is possible.
You might not have that many problems, life might just have gotten you down and you don’t know how to get back up every time like you once did, or you may be somewhere in between, take it from me there is hope.
In order to ensure you don’t feel worse by going through the steps to get help here’s a few things to keep in mind.
It takes on average 6 six attempts to find a counselor you can work with – we are all different. We all warm to people differently and we all have preferences for the types of people we feel comfortable opening up to. The counseling profession is not all based on one person and your view of it shouldn’t be either.
All of your problems are not going to be solved on your first visit – set your expectations in line with reality as best you can. It took a lifetime of experiences to get to this point its going to take more than 1 hour to unpack them and work toward a better version of yourself.
Alternative forms of help are available. You might not feel like speaking to a professional, there are a few men’s walks on the coast or you could start one. I started the Central Coast Men’s Walk and Talk along Tuggerawong Pathway back in 2022 and our group would be more than happy to help you get up and going. Attending a walk means you don’t have to look at the person you talk to, the scenery can inspire you to open up.
The coast, where I live, is full of exercise options and no doubt your local area is too, there’s everything you could want even sitting on the beach and meditating, journaling or becoming an active member of your community can have a significant impact on improving your mental health.
Don't dispair! There are people who can and will help. You may have to get a little bit creative but take your time and try to enjoy the process.