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Sometimes we all need some extra support. It’s OK to ask for help. Knowing when and how to ask for this help can be hard.
What should I look out for?
Some of the things that might mean it’s important to reach out for help now are:
- you’re not doing the things you enjoy anymore
- you’re hiding away a lot more
- you've started to use alcohol and other drugs more
- you're having a hard time controlling anger
- you might be feeling lost or sad.
What can I do?
Have a look at Take a Step for some tips and tricks for a stronger you that might be helpful. You might take a look at the Stronger You Wheel activity (PDF, 1MB).
Who can I ask for extra support?
Having a yarn to someone you trust can be helpful. This might include:
- a teacher
- a health worker
- an adult you trust.
You might ask a friend to help you to reach out to these people.
There are a lot of people out there who are trained in helping people go through life’s twists and turns and if you know of a solid counsellor or service, you might get in touch with them to help support you.
headspace has people trained up to help lift the load from your shoulders so don’t be shame in reaching out to them.
Need extra support?
Sometimes we might need extra support. Different parts of our strong self can find support in different ways. Do you need some extra support for:
- contact headspace to have a yarn with someone
- reach out to a local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander health service
- your local GP.
- reach out to a respected Elder or youth leader in your town
- you might visit a local cultural centre
- explore your culture on the internet.
- reach out to a trusted adult
- speak with an Elder
- yarn with your teacher, school counsellor, mentor or sports coach.
- contact headspace to have a yarn with someone
- contact your school counsellor
- if your workplace has an employee assistance program (EAP) give them a try
- your local health service might have counsellors available
- for immediate crisis support you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 44. If you don’t have access to a phone, you might ask your school counsellor or family and friends to use their phone.
- take a moment to think about where you are and where you’ve come from
- learn from family about where your mob are from and where they have felt connected
- contact Link-Up to help discover your mob’s places
- have a yarn with an Elder, counsellor, and/or spiritual healer.
- set goals
- yarn with Elders, mentors, teachers, school counsellors, or your work’s employee assistance program
- headspace or eheadspace are available to have a yarn and give good advice.
- yarn with someone you trust like family or friends
- you might try having a yarn with a counsellor at your local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander health service, school counsellor or chaplain, or employee assistance program
- you might have a yarn with headspace.
- yarn with your local Elders
- connect with a leader in your faith system
- find ways to connect to nature
- try a visualisation or relaxation techniques
- you can always contact headspace to help figure out what works best for your strong spirit.
Discover the wellbeing wheel
This resource has been developed in partnership with the headspace Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth Reference Group (Womenjeka Reference Group), Marumali Consultations, the headspace National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group and headspace National.
The headspace Clinical Reference Group oversee and approve clinical resources made available on this website.
Last reviewed 1 July 2021.
Wellbeing wheel reference:
Gee, G., Dudgeon, P., Schultz, C., Hart, A, & Kerrie, K. (2014).Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing. In P. Dudgeon., H. Milroy, & R. Walker (Eds.), Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice (2nd Ed.) (pp. 55-68). Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
Get professional support
If you feel you need help there are a range of ways we can support you.