Shock!
Not really, 2022 has been a long way off many people's expectations. The endemic had begun and we were all supposed to bounce back and hit the ground running. How wrong we were!
Fast forward to May and I began feeling a long way from my ‘normal’ self. Reduction in motivation, increased stress and feeling unaccomplished. My alarm bells started ringing, BURN OUT! Oh how I have been here before, things get so hectic that it feels like there is nothing worth doing and the thought of getting into work seems like as much fun as driving an ice pick into your foot. I knew I needed help.
Now I had been talking to my wife, Dan and other mates but that can only get you so far. What I was needing was someone to equip me with some tools to assist in getting myself back on track. Time to set a date with the head doctor.
Now this bit of content I am writing is hopefully going to assist you in understanding what the process can look like to seek professional help. You may have seeked help before (well done) you may be thinking about seeking help (you should do it) or you have never contemplated seeking help before (you should contemplate).
Step 1. Get on a Mental Health Plan.
I booked a telehealth appointment with my doctor from Morningside here in Brisbane. Was super simple, just rang them and booked an appointment that fit my schedule. Boom step 1 done.
Step 2. Answer the phone when it rings.
Yeah that easy! Spoke to the Dr and he asked a series of questions. I actually had an existing MHP that needed renewing so it was quite a quick process. Few of the things he asked
- How have your stress levels been lately?
- Have you been getting enough sleep?
- Do you feel motivated?
Step 3. Find a Mental Health Professional!
I already had a Psych that my wife and I had seen so I just called and set a time with him. He is in a regional area so it was quite a quicker turnaround time than what we have been hearing in the city. Booked a time that suited and popped it in the diary.
Step 4. Show up!
Attended the appointment and as it was our first 1:1 he basically just wanted to get to know who I was and what my background was. A few examples of the questions he asked
- How would you describe your childhood
- Was their conflict at home growing up?
- What's your relationship like with parents/siblings
- What was your experience at school like?
Nothing groundbreaking but there were some interesting observations from a few of my answers and something that we will no doubt be working on in our next session.
Step 5. Implement Learnings
The final step really is/was to implement any learnings Ihad from that session. Biggest take away for me was to improve on relationships in my life by being more vulnerable and willing to ask more in depth questions while being an active listener.
Now that's my journey so far and will probably be very different for you however I hope this shines a bit of a light on the process and how people can access professional support. More importantly as I was/is on a mental health plan I did get around $80 off my session which would have otherwise cost $190 for 90 minute session.
If you want to speak to a mental health professional without and cost from the comfort of your own home or job site please text or call TIACS on 0488 846 988 M-F 8am-10pm
Ed.
