Professional Help

 “To anyone out there who’s hurting — it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help.
It’s a sign of strength.” — Barack Obama

 
 
 

Emergency – Call ☎️ 000

If you or someone you know needs urgent help or is in immediate danger, call Emergency 000 or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.

If you call 000 Emergency will send an ambulance and the police to care for your safety.

Crisis Support

If you need help today but you are not in any immediate danger, call a Crisis Support service. They operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The call operators are highly trained and empathetic and will be able to support you during your crisis.

Organisation Telephone

Lifeline ☎️ 131114

Suicide Call Back Service ☎️ 1300 659 467

Beyond Blue ☎️ 1300 22 4636

Kids Helpline ☎️ 1800 551 800

NSW Mental Health Line ☎️ 1800 011 511

MensLine Australia ☎️ 1300 78 9978

Open Arms - Veterans ☎️ 1800 011 04

Brother to Brother – Aboriginal Men ☎️ 1800 435 799

 
 

Find a Mental Health Professional

Surviving a suicide attempt is very stressful and can leave you feeling confused and not knowing what to do next. Taking care of yourself plus support from your family and friends is important but may not be enough. You should also seek help from mental health professionals.

A good place to start is to talk to your doctor or GP. GPs typically have a relationship with different professionals so are well placed to refer you to people they believe will best be able to help you.

Your GP may also help you to get in to see a professional. Unfortunately, getting appointments can be very difficult with waiting times of 6 months or longer not uncommon. Given the extreme seriousness of your situation of having survived a suicide attempt, your GP my well be able to jump the queue and get you in to see a professional in quick time.

 

Two other ways to find a mental health professional include:

  • Online Directories provided by the Government’s Health Direct Service. (But note, the directories are generic. For example, a search for a psychiatrist in a 20km radius of Manly generated a list of 50 names)

  • Lifeline Northern Beaches offers face-to-face counselling through an excellent team of professionals.
    Call them on ☎️ (02) 9949-5522 or ☎️ 13 11 14.

Different Medical Professionals Explained

A number of professionals work in mental health including psychiatrists, GPs, psychiatric nurses, psychologists, social workers, dieticians, occupational therapists, art therapists, pharmacists … the list goes on. Hopefully, you have a team of professionals working together to best promote your recovery. Here is a brief explanation about 4 professionals.

Doctor / GP

A Medical doctor or General Practitioner (GP as they are often called), is a good starting point for you to seek professional help. Doctors can:

  • check for any physical health problem or medication that may have contributed to your suicide attempt

  • provide information and discuss available treatments for suicide survivors

  • prescribe medication

  • explain the different types of mental health specialists and their treatments

  • refer you to a mental health specialist

Psychologists

Psychologists focus on human behaviour and will seek to understand and explain your thoughts, emotions and feelings. They will use different techniques such as observation, discussion and assessment in developing a theory about what may have contributed to your suicide attempt.

While psychologists undertake extensive training they are generally not a medical doctor which means they do not prescribe medication. Instead, they use a range of different therapies in treating patients such as:

  • Psychoanalysis - deals in part with the unconscious mind

  • CBT / Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - recognise and change unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns

  • DBT / Dialectical Behaviour Therapy - live in the moment, regulate emotions and cope with stress

Psychiatrists

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed specialist psychiatric training. They can diagnose mental health conditions, plus prescribe and monitor medications. They can also provide therapy such as psychoanalysis to uncover patterns in thoughts or behaviour that may be contributing to your suicidal ideations.

You may wonder what the difference is between a psychiatrist and a psychologist? Both are mental health professionals who can help you with your suicidal challenges. Both have had years of education and training.

The main difference is that a psychiatrist is a medical doctor and can prescribe medication. A psychologist is typically not a medical doctor and can't prescribe medication.

Counsellors

A counsellor is a support person who can talk to you about your mental health challenges and help you identify solutions you may not know are available. This may include providing you with information about suicide as well as linking you with other service providers.

Counsellors may also help you find ways to cope better with your day-to-day activities in order to help you move on with your life.