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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    How can I live a normal life? I suffer schizophrenia,anxiety, depression, and agrophobia

    Related Topics
    Anxiety Depression Mental Health
    i have trouble living day 2 day and think of suicide 24/7 and have trouble paying bills on centrelink pension and get depressed over it how can i deal with all this and live a normal life. plz help
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  • Lisa Kolensik

    HealthShare Member

    Budgeting skills with a free confidential financial manager. Councelling for the issues that hold you back in getting work.

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    Muriel Cooper

    Psychologist

    I specialise in stress, anxiety and depression as well as general psychology. I have been a counsellor and psychologist for nearly 20 years and firmly … View Profile

    Wow!  You have such a lot to contend with.  I suggest starting small.  Just take one small step towards feeling better about yourself and life.  Moving from depression and anxiety towards positive, calm energy can help,.  Try meditation/relaxation recordings, try to be in the present (don't worry about the bills and the future - worrying makes it worse). Reward yourself for each small step you take (even if it's tiny).  Sometimeds it's a comfort to know that most people who attempt suicide are glad they're still around (around 85%), so hang in there. 

    Set yourself one small goal and work towards it, even if it's just walking to the front gate.  Focus on that gate and don't think of anything else

    I am sure there are people who are clinically more qualified to give you advice about managing your symptoms, but often they will be drug-oriented, which is fine.  Try also to access some talking therapy, if you are not doing so already, as an approach that uses both is best.

    Make the most of the healthcare providers that are available to you through Medicare, including psychiatrists and psychologists.
     
    You asked this question on the internet, so start there.  Perhaps you can find resources to help,  support groups,  information, but importantly something you make you smile and feel just a little bit better.

    Good luck and take care.

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  • Colleen Morris

    Psychologist

    Colleen Morris is a Clinical Family Therapist and Counsellor in Geelong, Victoria. Colleen works with individuals, couples and families, to promote growth, wellness and potential. … View Profile

    Wow, you’ve got a lot going on there, haven’t you? I also think that normal is actually pretty overrated because everybody’s normal is different. I think that you are still learning the best way to do your normal.

    Firstly, asking for help is a very courageous thing. If you’ve got a GP, make sure you stay connected. Make sure you stay connected to any health professionals that you might be seeing. I understand with everything you’ve got, it’s actually really frustrating because you can feel like progress is really slow and it is hard sometimes to trust those health professionals. I want to encourage you to just hang in there and trust things because they are trying to do what they think is best to help you progress little steps at a time.

    Secondly, do you have someone you can trust to talk to you and help calm you? If you don’t, the best thing to think about is to just find a counsellor that works for you. That can be difficult. Again, your GP is the good person to talk to about that. They can give you a mental health plan and maybe refer you to counsellors that might be right for you.

    Thirdly, I just want to simply ask- What calms you? What settles you? Do you think it might be a nice candle? It might be a bath. It might be gardening. Whatever it is, have a think about that and just practice doing it every day especially when you feel yourself becoming agitated.

    Above all, each day try and focus on one thing and if you do that one thing you can think about rewarding yourself. If that is something you really like that makes you feel good, just reward yourself for completing it. I wish you well on that and just take care.

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    Navida Aslam

    Counsellor

    I am a kind and passionate human being who likes to take care of everybody who is in pain. I specialise in providing relief from … View Profile

    The first thing I would suggest to this person is to focus on the positive, which is the pension he/ she receives from the Centrelink. I am sure that is not enough. But may be, you should try to plan your expenditures according to the income you receive. This way the frustration would be less. Since, you are not well, you should seek help in financial planning from someone you trust with your secrets. Be careful about whom you talk to, because you are vulnerable at this stage. People might take advantage of your desperate situation. Seek help from health professionals, try new professionals if you don't get relief after at least a few sessions. Do not stick with one person for several years, even if you don't feel better. I can be wrong, but I believe, you need a combination of medication as well as therapy. Also let your health professional concentrate on the suicidal thoughts because that's something serious. With schizophrenia it depends on how severe it is. If it's very severe then I would recommend a referral to a psychiatrist who will be able to prescribe any medication, if necessary. Medication should always be the last resort. Agoraphobia also should be treated in separate sessions, may be using ‘Graded Exposure.’ Focus more on the fact that you have the pension so at least you’ve got that as a positive. Also, take it slowly, and remain positive throughout your healing period. I know it is “easier said than done” but it is definitely not impossible. I am speaking out of some personal experience. Hope you get better soon, iA. 

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