Category: Mental Health

Panic attacks are more common than you might think. In fact, up to 5 in every 100 Australians will experience a panic attack at some stage in their life.

A panic attack is a sudden brief episode of intense anxiety that can bring on the physical symptoms of fear and make you feel out of control. Symptoms might include a racing heart, shortness of breath, shaking, sweating, and tightness in the chest.

The panic generally peaks after about 10 minutes, and it can take around half an hour to subside.

This blog post will explore some of the causes of panic attacks and offer some strategies for when you’re experiencing a panic attack or can feel one coming on.

It’s important to remember that having a panic attack doesn’t necessarily mean you have a panic or anxiety disorder, and some people living with an anxiety disorder won’t experience panic attacks.

What causes panic attacks?

Panic attacks can come on suddenly and without any warning at first. But over time, they’re normally triggered by certain situations.

It’s not known exactly what causes panic attacks, but risk factors may include:

• Family history of panic attacks or panic disorder
• Chronic, persistent stress
• Changes in the way your brain functions
• Major life stress such as death or serious illness of a loved one
• Major life change such as divorce or new baby
• Traumatic event such as sexual assault or a serious accident
• A personality that’s sensitive to stress or negative emotions.

What to do when having a panic attack

Panic attacks can be scary – especially if they come out of nowhere. These strategies might help stop a panic attack if you’re having one or feel one coming on:

• Reassure yourself that your symptoms are uncomfortable but not life-threatening.
• Remember past panic attacks you’ve gotten through. This is temporary and it will pass.
• Try deep-breathing exercises. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, paying attention to how your stomach rises and falls.
• Focus your attention on something outside of your body and symptoms. For example, recite the words to your favourite song, or concentrate on the sights and sounds around you.

Check out our printable infographic for more ways to self-soothe using your senses.

If you struggle with panic attacks, talking to a counsellor may help. You can learn about our counselling services here, or call 1300 364 277 to book an appointment in person, over the phone, or via Zoom video.

Read about the most common types of anxiety in this blog post.

Enjoying a few drinks with friends can be fun – but the hangover anxiety that can follow is anything but.

‘Hangxiety’ has become a popular term to describe the feeling of anxiety after drinking. You may be familiar with the physical symptoms of a hangover, like a headache and nausea. But the morning after a big night can also bring psychological symptoms, like fear and shame around something you may have said or done.

This article will dive into the science and psychology behind hangxiety and how to cope with an alcohol-induced anxiety spike.

Why do we get anxiety after drinking?

There’s a reason we might reach for a drink to wind down after a long day.

Many people use alcohol to relax and loosen up – especially in social situations – because drinking alcohol has a calming effect on the body. It blocks glutamate, a chemical responsible for anxiety.

It can give us that familiar “buzz” – feeling relaxed, less anxious, and maybe a bit more easy-going and quicker to laugh.

But when the effects of alcohol wear off, our brain tries to rebalance things by producing more glutamate to make up for what it sees as a ‘deficit’. But what we’re left with is a bit of a glutamate ‘overload’ and added anxiety and stress.

People with high levels of shyness may be more prone to hangxiety than others. A 2019 study measured levels of anxiety in people of varying levels of shyness before, during, and after drinking and sober periods. It found those who drank alcohol saw some decrease in anxiety symptoms when drinking, and those who were highly shy tended to have higher levels of anxiety the next day.

Some common symptoms of hangxiety include:

• Restlessness
• Irritability/moodiness
• Inability to focus on normal tasks
• Racing heart
• Excessive sweating
• Racing or unwanted thoughts
• Feeling overwhelming shame, worry or embarrassment from previous night.

People with an existing anxiety disorder can be more likely to experience hangxiety, but experiencing hangxiety doesn’t necessarily mean you have an anxiety disorder.

How to handle hangover anxiety

If you’ve woken up from a big night with more than a sore head, these strategies may help ease your hangxiety.

Look after your body

First things first: Do what you can to keep your body functioning and feeling as good as possible. Avoiding caffeine, staying hydrated with plenty of water and eating small, light meals can help reduce your physical and psychological symptoms.

Get enough rest

Alcohol and disrupted sleep often go hand in hand, and poor sleep can worsen hangxiety symptoms. If you’ve skimped on your eight hours and have the chance to catch up on some sleep, get horizontal and close those eyes.

Try relaxation exercises

There are endless anxiety exercises that can help calm your brain and promote relaxation, such as:

• Inhaling through your nose for four seconds, holding for seven, and exhaling through your mouth for eight.
• Doing a mindfulness body scan and checking in with the sensations from your head to your toes.
• Interrupting anxious thoughts by listening to upbeat music or thinking of happy memories with someone you love.

If you need some extra support coping with feelings of anxiety, talking to a counsellor can help. You can learn about our counselling services here, or call 1300 364 277 to book an appointment in person, over the phone, or via Zoom video.

Learn about some of the different types of anxiety in this blog post.

Are you worried you or someone you know might have an unhealthy relationship with food?

According to the Butterfly Foundation, ‘disordered eating’ refers to eating patterns that can include restrictive dieting, compulsive eating, or skipping meals.

The number of people in Australia with an eating disorder at any given time is estimated to be around 1 million – approximately 4% of the population.

Lifetime prevalence for eating disorders is approximately 9% of the Australian population.

Some of the most common eating disorders include binge-eating disorder, anorexia, and bulimia.

While everyone’s experience is different, these are some behavioural and physical signs that could indicate an eating disorder.

It’s important to remember that someone with an eating disorder may encounter some or none of these symptoms, and experiencing one or more of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have an eating disorder.

Behavioural signs of an eating disorder

• Extreme fear of gaining weight
• Negative or distorted body image
• Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, carbohydrates, fat grams, and dieting
• Refusal to eat certain foods or restricting against whole food groups (e.g. no sugar or no carbohydrates)
• Uncomfortable eating in public or around others
• Making excuses for not eating
• Food rituals (e.g. eats only a particular food or food group, doesn’t allow foods to touch on plate)
• Skipping meals or only eating small portions of food at regular mealtimes
• New habits with food or fad diets (e.g. vegetarianism/veganism, no dairy)
• Withdrawal from friends, family, and usual interests
• Frequent dieting
• Excessive exercising
• Excessive concern with body size and shape
• Frequent checking in the mirror
• Irritability or extreme mood swings.

Physical signs of an eating disorder

• Fluctuations in weight, both up and down
• Stomach cramps and other complaints (e.g. constipation, acid reflux)
• Menstrual irregularities
• Difficulty focusing
• Anaemia, low thyroid function, low hormone levels, low potassium, low white and red blood cell counts
• Dizziness and fainting
• Feeling cold all the time
• Difficulty sleeping or staying asleep
• Dental problems (e.g. cavities, discolouration of teeth, tooth sensitivity)
• Dry skin and hair, brittle nails
• Fine hair on body (lanugo)
• Muscle weakness
• Impaired immune function.

Where to get help

Our counsellors offer a respectful and confidential space to speak with you about your concerns and provide referrals to appropriate support services.

You can learn more about our counselling services here, or call 1300 364 277 to book an appointment.

Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses caused by genetics and environmental factors, and negative body image is just one potential contributor.

With this in mind, we’ve listed 10 ways you can encourage a healthier body image mindset for yourself and/or your children in this blog post.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event or ongoing traumatic events.

It’s only human to have intense reactions to traumatic incidents that threaten us or others – like death, a car accident, domestic violence, serious injury, or sexual abuse. Everyone responds differently to these shocking and overwhelming events, and some people can develop PTSD.

Research shows about 20% of people who are exposed to traumatic events develop PTSD, and about 12% of people living in Australia will experience PTSD in their lifetime.

We discuss some of the signs and symptoms of PTSD here, as well as where you can get help if you’re struggling.

Signs and Symptoms of PTSD

It’s important to remember that everyone responds differently to traumatic or unpleasant life events.

Someone with PTSD may encounter some or none of these symptoms, and experiencing one or more of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have PTSD.

While everyone’s experience is different, these are some of the common symptoms of PTSD:

• Flashbacks (reliving the traumatic event as if it was happening again)
• Intrusive thoughts/memories of the traumatic event
• Dreams/nightmares about the traumatic event
• Distress response to things that remind them of the traumatic event
• Avoiding talking or thinking about the traumatic event
• Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event
• Negative thoughts about themselves, others, or the world
• Hopelessness about the future
• Difficulty maintaining close relationships
• Feeling detached from family and friends
• Lack of interest in activities they once enjoyed
• Difficulty experiencing positive emotions
• Emotional numbness
• Feeling ‘jumpy’ or on guard for danger
• Being easily startled or frightened
• Self-destructive behaviours (e.g. drug and alcohol abuse or reckless driving)
• Trouble sleeping
• Trouble concentrating
• Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behaviour
• Overwhelming guilt or shame.

Help for PTSD

If you or someone you know is living with PTSD, help is available. You can call us on 1300 364 277 to speak to a counsellor or get help finding the right service for you.

For some people, meeting up with mates brings excitement and an energy boost. For others, it can trigger sweating, shaking, nausea, a pounding heart, and excess worry that they’ll do or say the wrong thing.

These are all common symptoms of social anxiety.

Anyone can experience social anxiety – whether you’re a shy introvert or an outgoing extrovert. Research shows almost 11% of Aussies experience social phobia at some point in their lives. So if it’s something you live with, just know you’re not alone.

We hope our advice for social anxiety helps if you’ve been diagnosed with the condition or simply struggle in social settings from time to time.

Stop catastrophising in its tracks

It’s easy to get swept up in the worrying and ‘what ifs’ that social anxiety can brew in our brains. But treating these negative thoughts as facts can have us spiralling down a dark rabbit hole before any of them have even happened!

Fact: 85% of what we worry about NEVER happens. So next time a social invitation has you imagining all the bad things that could go wrong, take a deep breath and remind yourself that these are just bad thoughts. Unless you’re psychic, there’s a very low chance these scary scenarios are a realistic glimpse into the future.

Remind yourself of positive social interactions

Remember all those times you caught up with friends, presented in front of a group, or made an important phone call and everything went just fine?

We tend to focus on the negatives and forget all the successful social interactions we’ve had over the years. If you’re nervous or anxious before a social event, try to think of a few recent cases where you had a positive experience.

Start small with exposure

Interacting in a big group can be overwhelming. If you’re prone to social anxiety, try to ease yourself into socialising with one-on-one catch ups or smaller gatherings instead.

This kind of controlled exposure to social situations can help take away some of the fear and prepare you for larger events in the future, while avoiding social situations altogether can make these social interactions seem even more intimidating.

Avoid relying on drugs/alcohol to cope

There’s nothing wrong with having a drink or two if it helps you relax and feel more comfortable talking to people. In fact, the confidence boost gained from alcohol is commonly called ‘Dutch courage’. But relying on alcohol and drugs to get through social interactions can become problematic if it’s done irresponsibly or develops into an unhealthy dependence or addiction.

The misuse of substances can be damaging for you and the people around you. Becoming intoxicated at a party or social event can also cause what’s called ‘hangxiety’. Ever woken up after a night of drinking and feel anxious and panicked about what you might have said and done? That’s hangxiety – and it can make your social anxiety worse. So always drink responsibly.

Write down a script before phone calls

Can’t hear yourself think over the sound of your heart pounding? If making a phone call triggers your anxiety, it might be worth writing a script to get you through it.

Whether you make a general list of the topics you need to cover or write a word-for-word script, this is an easy way to avoid awkward pauses and/or mind blanks during those personal and professional calls.

Carry conversation starters

If your mind goes blank in social situations, this could be thanks to social anxiety’s close friend, brain fog. Brain fog messes with our thought process and makes it hard for us to remember things, which can lead to awkward silences at parties and gatherings.

A great way to combat uncomfortable silences is to be prepared with conversation starters before meeting with people, either on palm cards or in your phone notes.

These might include:

• How did the COVID lockdown/s impact you?
• What have you been watching and/or reading lately?
• What are you excited about at the moment?

You might also like to list some reminders about their lives, such as the name of their partner, what they do for work and other details. This might seem simple, but it could save you wondering whether their partner’s name is Tim or Tom when the brain fog kicks in!

If you’re struggling with social anxiety and need some extra support, talking to a counsellor can help. Our counsellors provide a safe and supportive environment to talk about your concerns and explore solutions. You can call 1300 364 277 to book an appointment, or learn more about counselling here.

Discover some of the main types of anxiety in this article.