Reaching out to your friend/coworker to discuss mental health is not always easy, but it may go a long way to help. Feeling supported or understood would make a big difference to Amanda’s recovery. Here are a few tips on starting a conversation with Amanda:
Find a good time and place. Not in the drivers room when people are coming and going. Also a time that suits Amanda, not at the end of shift when she is rushing to get home to her children. Suggest going for a coffee/drink after work or finding a spot that is free from distractions.
As Amanda is new, you may not know her well and she is unlikely to share with anyone her feelings of hopelessness and high heart rate with the 2-way. Focus instead of trying to normalise learning new things is hard. “Amanda, I haven’t heard you on the 2-way. I really struggled when I started as I was worried I would say the wrong thing. To help I used to imagine I was just talking to the one person rather than everyone to help control my nerves. Now you can’t get me off it.”
Encourage and support Amanda to talk: “Amanda, it is great to have some females in the depot, how are you finding it?” “I was thinking the other day how hard this job was in the first 3-6 months – trying to learn everything and put up with the kids on the bus. How are you managing?” “Any new job is hard to start with, how are you going?”
For any new starter, check in with them after their shift to provide support and reassurance “As a new starter we allocate three mistakes a run. What were yours today? OK – What would you do differently next time?”
As Amanda’s friend “Can I ask please, you loved that job when you started and were so excited. When you are ready do you want to talk about what happened for you to resign?”
TREATMENT OPTIONS
Anxiety can be successfully treated. By understanding what treatment options there are, you can provide the necessary support and direction to your friend/family/colleague to access a treatment that supports them.
To learn more about anxiety and how it can be managed, please click here.
WHO CAN I TALK TO? WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?
Your local GP or mental health practitioner can help you understand mental health and provide advice. Other good links for you to review or people to talk to include:
Beyond Blue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety
Black Dog Institute https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/
Lifeline https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/information-and-support/anxiety
If you want to talk to someone for free you can
- Call Lifeline – 13 11 14
- Text Lifeline – 0477 13 11 14
- Lifeline online chat https://www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat
Mindspot https://www.mindspot.org.au
