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Finding Help
Finding Help is a section about the different types of help available, how to work out which one is best for you, ways to help a friend, and where to get help in your local area. There are four sections in Finding Help. Within each section are a number of fact sheets that contain information, advice, and strategies to help you find the best help.
Remember, if you need to talk to someone right now, call either Lifeline: 131 114 (cost of a local call) or Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800 (free call, for people under 18).
If you are looking for a service in your area, you can you can find about website directories here.
You can find out if you have a local headspace centre, where you can access a range of different workers and programs here.
If you or a friend want to communicate with someone via email or online, kids helpline and the Samaritans (UK site) offer confidential, non-judgemental, emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Getting the best help |
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There are many different forms of help available and lots of things to consider when you are thinking of getting help. These include knowing your rights to confidentiality or making sure you are seeing the right person. This section of the site provides information on how to get the best help and how to ensure that you find someone you trust and feel comfortable with.
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Help a friend |
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Helping a friend through a tough time can be really difficult. Whether your friend has a mental health difficulty or going through a tough time with their family chances are they will turn to you for support and help. Being as informed as possible about the issue is an important first step. In this section you will find information on how you can help a friend through a range of issues. Remember that in many situations your friend may need to speak to someone other than yourself. In these situations you can assist them to find some help close by or offer to go see a counsellor with them. Check out the fact sheets below on how to help a friend or go to sorting stuff out for more info on various issues.
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Therapy and medication |
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When you are going through a tough time seeking help can be a daunting step. It is important to know that different therapists, whether they be psychologists, counsellors, doctors or psychiatrists, are likely to approach things in different ways. No approach is better than another in all circumstances and ultimately the most important thing is to find someone that you are comfortable with. This section of the site is concerned with therapeutic approaches and medication. Therapy should help you manage and resolve mental health issues. For some mental health issues, therapy is often accompanied by medication. Medication may be important in managing some aspects of the problem, particularly if it has a biological basis. In this issue stream you can find information on a range of therapeutic approaches and also some things that you may need to consider if you are taking medication.
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Who can help |
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There are heaps of people who can help you or a friend if you are going through a tough time. Sometimes it can be hard to find the right person and to know who to see. For example, if you are having a medical difficulty the best person to start off talking to is your local doctor, whereas if you are feeling depressed or anxious a psychologist or counsellor may better. This section contains information on many of the people who could help you in your community. Knowing what each professional does before seeking help is really important. Once you are comfortable with the type of help that you are after, check out this info on where you can find services in your area.
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