Recovery.pdf

Recovery

fact sheet 15

Depression, anxiety and related disorders

are treatable conditions from which most

people recover.

Psychological treatment

Psychological treatment is what people often refer to as

‘talking therapy’. Psychological treatment can help people

with depression, anxiety or related disorders to change

negative thoughts and feelings and ind ways to stay well.

This type of treatment is provided mainly by psychologists.

To ind a psychologist, visit the beyondblue website

www.beyondblue.org.au and click on Get Help , then Find a

Doctor or other Mental Health Practioner or call the beyondblue

info line on 1300 22 4636 (local call). For more information

see beyondblue Fact Sheet 4 – Types of help available and

beyondblue Fact Sheet 5 – Why use both psychological

treatments and medications?

staGes Of RecOVeRY

Recovery is an individual process with stages that people move

through at different rates. However, there are some common

emotions that many people may experience.

1. Shock at having to deal with something dificult and scary of

which the person has no prior experience.

2. Denial or dificulty in accepting having a health problem,

particularly one that many people ind hard to understand.

Support

Mutual support groups for people with depression, anxiety

and related disorders are conducted by people who have

experienced similar problems. They can provide an opportunity

to share experiences and ind new ways to deal with dificulties.

These groups can be found by contacting your local community

health centre or the mental health association/foundation in

your state or territory.

3. Despair and anger about why the person has to deal with

this condition and the related dificulties.

4. Acceptance of having a condition and the changes it

brings, and accepting how others see the person and how

he/she sees himself/herself.

5. Coping – Finding new ways to live with and tackle the

changes and challenges that having depression, anxiety and

related disorders may require.

Family and friends

Family and friends can play an important role in a person’s

recovery. They can offer support, understanding and help.

They can be a source of support by:

aVaILaBLe heLP

There is no one proven way that people recover from

depression, anxiety and related disorders. However, there

is a range of effective treatments available and many health

professionals who can give advice and assistance while the

person is on the road to recovery.

• being more caring and less critical

• relieving the person of some of their daily responsibilities

• helping to identify stressful situations at home or work

Medical treatment

Medical treatment may be provided by a doctor who is a

General Practitioner (GP), a psychiatrist or case manager at

a community mental health service, clinic or hospital. This

treatment often includes medication such as antidepressants.

For some people, medication is needed for a short

period of time and psychological treatments and self-help

techniques may be suficient. For others, in order to stay well,

antidepressants are needed on an ongoing basis – in the same

way someone with diabetes would use insulin or someone with

asthma would use respiratory medication.

• assisting the person to ind new ways of solving practical

and emotional problems

• being aware of changes in the person’s symptoms.

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for more information www.beyondblue.org.au or beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636

Recovery

fact sheet 15

What PeOPLe caN DO tO heLP

theMseLVes RecOVeR

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Eating healthily, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and

avoiding alcohol and other drugs can help a person manage

symptoms of depression, anxiety and related disorders.

While medical and/or psychological treatment can help

a person recover, there are many ways people can help

themselves.

Develop a plan

Developing a weekly plan can help the person make sure they

get everything done that’s important, while avoiding doing too

much and becoming stressed. Completing the table below can

help develop a balanced routine. When illing it out, it’s a good

idea to make sure there’s enough time for:

Get to know the triggers and ind ways to

manage them

There are situations or events that can increase a person’s

chances of having another episode of depression, or ‘relapsing’

as it is often called. These situations or events are called

‘triggers’. Common triggers include:

• exercise

• family problems

• sleep

• inancial dificulties

• regular meals

• changing living arrangements

• participating in enjoyable activities

• changing jobs or losing a job

• appointments with a doctor or other health professional.

• having other health problems

• the loss of a close relationship

• changing treatment

• using alcohol and other drugs.

Time

Monday

Tuesday

Trying to avoid these triggers can be an important part of

recovering. If the person can’t avoid these triggers, they should

try to learn how to manage them.

Morning

Learn new ways to reduce and manage stress

Simple things can help a person get through the tough times.

For example:

• keep a diary of feelings and every now and then take time

to look through it and note any progress made

Afternoon

• practise breathing and muscle-relaxation exercises

• learn how to let people know about current feelings.

Night

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for more information www.beyondblue.org.au or beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636

Get to know the warning signs

Warning signs are signals that the person may be feeling unwell.

They may be changes in the way the person thinks, acts or

feels. Some common warning signs include:

ReLaPse OR BecOMING

UNWeLL aGaIN

While recovering from depression, anxiety and related disorders

can involve stages, the recovery process is not something

that necessarily has a clear beginning, middle and end. Some

people will only experience one episode of depression, anxiety

or a related disorder in their lives. However, many people who

experience one episode will go on to have another episode, or

at least experience some symptoms.

• getting up later

• skipping meals

• inding it hard to concentrate

• eating unhealthily

• having disturbed sleep

Overcoming setbacks can be dificult. When people relapse,

it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that they will never

feel well again. However, it’s important to understand there are

ways of moving through this stage.

• feeling irritable or stressed often

• cancelling appointments

• wanting to spend a lot of time alone

• People shouldn’t blame themselves. Remember that

setbacks are bound to happen and feeling disappointed

can make moving on dificult.

• feeling teary.

People can learn to identify their individual set of warning signs

by relecting on what signs and symptoms they’ve experienced

when they became unwell in the past.

• Try again. Learning how to manage anything new can be

about trial and error. Persistence is the key.

If a person experiences these warning signs, it’s important

they seek help early.

• Focus on achievements. Feeling depressed and anxious

can make it hard to see the good side of things. The person

should focus on what they have gained and this can help

them move on from setbacks.

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

• Learn from setbacks. A relapse can help the person evaluate

their situation and with the help of a health professional, ind

new ways to manage their condition. This can make the

person more able to cope with feeling unwell and may help

prevent further setbacks.

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for more information www.beyondblue.org.au or beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636

Recovery

fact sheet 15

WheRe tO Get heLP

Suicide Helpline – Victoria

1300 651 251 or www.suicidehelpline.org.au

24 hour counselling, crisis intervention, information and referral

(local call)

• A doctor who is a General Practitioner (GP) is a good

irst step. In some cases, the person may be referred to a

mental health specialist like a psychiatrist or psychologist.

For a list of GPs with expertise in treating depression,

anxiety and related disorders visit the beyondblue website

www.beyondblue.org.au and click on Get Help , then Find

a Doctor or other Mental Health Practioner or phone the

beyondblue info line – 1300 22 4636 (local call).

Suicide Call Back Service

1300 659 467

Telephone support for those at risk of suicide, their carers and

those bereaved by suicide

• Psychiatrists are doctors who specialise in mental health.

They can make medical and psychological assessments,

conduct medical tests and prescribe medication. Some

psychiatrists use psychological treatments. For more

information see beyondblue Fact Sheet 5 – Why use both

psychological treatments and medications?

Mensline Australia

1300 789 978 or www.menslineaus.org.au

24 hour support for men with family and relationship problems,

especially associated with family breakdown or separation – this

service provides conidential telephone support, information and

referral (local call).

• Psychologists, Social Workers and Occupational

Therapists specialise in providing non-medical

(psychological) treatment for depression and related

disorders. A rebate can now be claimed through Medicare

for psychological treatments when a GP, psychiatrist or

paediatrician refers a person to a registered psychologist,

social worker or occupational therapist. A rebate can

be claimed for part of the cost for up to 12 individual

consultations (18 in exceptional circumstances) and

12 group sessions in a calendar year. For more details, ask

the referring medical practitioner. For a list of mental health

professionals who provide psychological treatment for which

a Medicare rebate can be claimed, go to the beyondblue

website: www.beyondblue.org.au and click Get Help , then

Find a Doctor or other Mental Health Practitioner .

Lifeline

13 11 14

24 hour counselling, information and referral (local call)

Lifeline’s Information Service

1300 13 11 14

Rural Mental Health Information Service

Moodgym

www.moodgym.anu.edu.au

Online psychological therapy

Climate.tv – interactive e-health

www.climate.tv

Developed by medical experts, this is a self-management

system for people with depression and anxiety.

beyondblue: the national depression initiative

www.beyondblue.org.au

Information on depression, anxiety and related substance-use

disorders, available treatments and where to get help

CRUfAD

www.crufad.org

Information about depression, anxiety and its management

beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636

Information on depression, anxiety and related substance-use

disorders, available treatments and referral only (local call)

www.youthbeyondblue.com

beyondblue’s website for young people – information on

depression and how to help a friend

PO Box 6100, Hawthorn West VIC 3122

T: (03) 9810 6100

beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636

F: (03) 9810 6111

E: bb@beyondblue.org.au

W: www.beyondblue.org.au

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for more information www.beyondblue.org.au or beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636

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