Mental health conditions broadly describes many different disorders, illnesses, and syndromes; such as mood or anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and personality disorders. Some conditions occur once in a person's life, other times people experience recurrent symptoms over a lifetime with periods of recovery between. For a smaller number of people, they have enduring symptoms of mental illness that requires great resilience and specialist support to build recovery and sustain a contributing life.

If you’re concerned about your mental health or that of a family member, try talking to your doctor first and discussing your next steps. Doctors are trained to help with both your mental and physical health. They can give you advice on possible causes and treatments, including talking therapies, sometimes medications, and lifestyle changes that can help with recovery. Often they’ll give you a referral for specialised support from a psychologist, counsellor, or sometimes a psychiatrist. Just beginning a conversation with your doctor about any mental health concerns can go a long way to building a path to recovery.

If you are caring for someone with a mental health issue it is also just as important to continue to look after yourself. Visit Carer Gateway or call 1800 422 73 (Monday-Friday 8am-6pm) for more information.