Anxiety
Whilst just about everyone feels anxious at times, chronic or overwhelming anxiety is a serious condition that can significantly impact your quality of life. However, with the right information and support you can develop effective strategies to help manage its impact and lead a happier, healthier life.
Are worry and anxiety the same?
Worry is a natural response to life challenges that tends to focus on a particular problem or situation, such as an upcoming job interview or a difficult conversation. It’s often temporary and typically leads us to problem solve and think about potential strategies or solutions. Once the issue is resolved, the worry usually disappears.
Anxiety, by comparison, is more persistent, and out of proportion to the actual situation. Anxiety isn’t always tied to a specific, obvious problem; sometimes, it’s a feeling of deep unease or fear, accompanied by physical symptoms, that often doesn’t have a single, clear cause. Whilst worry can feel unpleasant at the time, anxiety can create severe and ongoing emotional distress.
Getting Support
Self-help
There are a lot of self-help strategies you can use to manage and reduce your anxiety symptoms. Obvious things, like exercising regularly, eating healthily and getting enough sleep can make a big difference, as can doing healthy activities that you enjoy. Cutting back or stopping alcohol and nicotine can be a challenge but can also make a big difference.
Open Arms Australia
Worry can lead to unhelpful or negative thinking patterns that make our anxiety worse. Try this online tool provided by Open Arms Australia to identify negative thinking patterns and help change the way you think and feel about a situation. Open Arms also offers free counselling and group programs to help veterans manage anxiety—click here to see upcoming sessions.
GP
If your anxiety is ongoing and impacts your day-to-day functioning, it’s important to speak to your GP who can advise on treatment options and help with referrals to services. If you are a veteran, you can ask your GP for a Veterans Health Check, the cost of which is fully covered by the Australian Government.
If you don’t have a regular GP, visit here to find one near you.
Additional Information
& Support
Open Arms
Military-aware, confidential, and free mental health support for veterans and veteran families. Available 24/7 on 1800 011 046.
Beyond Blue
Further Information about anxiety and self-help strategies
myCompass
A personalised self-help program developed by The Black Dog Institute