Highlights
- It's easy to miss the early warning signs
- With the right kind of help, people can get better
- Talking about how you feel with your loved ones can be a great initial step
Each year, one in five Australians experience mental health issues, and it is estimated that 45 per cent of all Australians may experience a mental illness at some point in their lives.
The symptoms of depression
- no longer finding pleasure in activities people have previously enjoyed doing, including their hobbies
- no longer looking forward to socialising with people
- noticing changes in sleep patterns and concentration
- finding oneself more irritable
- finding oneself more upset
- finding oneself more defensive
- finding oneself more sensitive to comments by others
- finding oneself maybe easily teary
Common signs of anxiety
- feeling nervous, restless or tense
- having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
- having an increased heart rate
- breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
- sweating or trembling
- feeling weak or tired
- trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
- having trouble sleeping
