THE Land wants to get more people in the bush talking – and thinking – about mental health with its monthly Friday Forums.
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Today's Friday Forum will focus on anxiety. Click HERE to join in the live forum at 12:30pm.
Trevor Hazell, senior programs manager for the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, said anxiety was one of the most common mental health issues in Australia.
“It is more common in women than in men, but it is still common in men,” Mr Hazell said.
He said the onset of anxiety was often seen in adolescents, but some children were also affected.
While most of us would feel anxious from time to time, Mr Hazell said if those feelings started to interfere with normal life then a GP should be consulted.
“Anxiety is a normal part of life and it helps us stay safe and stops us putting ourselves in situations where life or
self would be at risk.
“When bad things happen it’s natural to feel anxious, but if people find themselves anxious or fearful during normal life events they should consult a doctor.”
On today's online forum, readers will be able to put their questions about coping and dealing with anxiety to a panel of experts made up of Western NSW Local Health District senior clinical psychologist Timothy Hewitt, Dr Nicole Highet from BeyondBlue's anxiety program and Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP) rural mental health consultant Dianne Gill.
Can't make it? Leave your questions for the panel as a comment below and check back later to see their answers.
Our online mental health forums are a joint initiative of The Land, the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program and NSW Farmers.
