item aboveMeet Isabelle
Isabelle is 27 and working full-time and studying part-time. Recently promoted, her career is beginning to take off at the same time as her studies are becoming more demanding. She is beginning to experience a sick feeling and a sense of alarm at times throughout the day, particularly when trying to complete an assignment or when rushing between work, home and university. A friend who is also working and studying told her about the Head to Health resource. Her friend recommended the MindSpot Wellbeing Course. Isabelle completed the course which comprised of five lessons over an eight-week period. Isabelle found the course not only helped her to understand and manage her experiences of anxiety but also gave her some new skills for responding to day to day challenges.
Meet Jonathon
Jonathon is 37 and works as an electrician for a local company in Canberra. Since the birth of his second child, he hasn’t been sleeping well. At work recently, an apprentice he was supervising, tripped and badly broke his leg and has not yet been able to return to work. Jonathon blames himself for the accident and is beginning to doubt himself and worry about making mistakes. He contacted his work’s EAP provider who pointed him to the Head to Health Resource and in particular recommended the Managing Insomnia course; a free 4-lesson online course for adults who’ve experienced sleep difficulties for at least 3 months., Jonathon did the course with the support of the EAP counsellor. Additionally, he has been making his way through other resources on the Head to Health site including coping with stress modules and an introduction to mindfulness. Jonathon says he is now sleeping better, is more confident and feels better able to juggle stress arising from his roles and responsibilities.
Meet Haansveer
Haansveer is 18 and in the first year of an apprenticeship as an electrician. While seeing his regular physiotherapist for a reoccurrence of an elbow injury while playing cricket, he mentioned that though really enjoying his apprenticeship, he is worried he has let his family down by not going to university. Though he tries to brush it off, the thoughts continue. The physiotherapist showed Hansveer eheadspace, a free online and telephone support and counselling to young people 12 – 25 and their families and friends. The physio suggests that Hansveer might find the online chat with a clinician helpful when the thoughts are most worrying. Hansveer takes up the suggestion and reports that the 1:1 online discussions with a clinician has provided him with an easy and confidential space to talk about his worries – things he wouldn’t have initially talk about with anyone else. He has also joined the eheadspace group chat which has helped him realise that he is not alone and that many young adults are going through similar experiences. He is using our own space to build a toolkit of resources and strategies that help him when he is worried or self-doubting.
Meet Elizabeth and Brendan
Elizabeth and Brendan have just found out they are expecting their first child. Though delighted, they are also worried about how they will cope and whether they are ready. Their midwife accessed through ACT Health is being very helpful. She recommended two resources to them – Mind the Bump, an app for expecting parents and the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby helpline, a free telephone and online information and support service. The app has helped then learn ways of destressing together while the helpline is helping them to talk through some of their biggest concerns or worries. They also continue to draw on the support and advice of their midwife who discusses with them helpful resources on the Mind the Bump app.