From the Counselling Suite

Help Seeking for Mental Health Issues

Young people have a greater awareness of mental health issues than previous generations, are much more familiar with labels and diagnoses, such as depression and anxiety, than previous generations, are more open about their mental health issues than previous generations. However, when it comes to getting support and help for mental health issues, young people are more likely to look to friends than to seek professional support. 

 

Turning to friends for support can be problematic. Increasingly these friends are ‘cyber friends’ who the young person never actually meets but knows only from online contact. It is a growing concern that young people can be so open about intimate personal details of their lives online to people that they never actually come face to face with. This tendency to disclose so much online is frightening when thought about logically - essentially, we have young people disclosing personal details about relationship breakups, family issues and mental health concerns to a stranger! The young person will argue that the online friend is not a stranger, but essentially they know only an online identity not a real person.     

 

Young people want to be ‘a good friend’, and to them this often means being available to others 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – this is true of both online and face-to-face friendships and does not result in good mental or emotional health for either party. The young person with the issue uses a kind of emotional blackmail to ensure that they have the attention of the supportive person. It is not uncommon to hear of young people being on the phone or the computer all night long because they are concerned that if they are not there for their ‘friend’ the friend will harm himself/herself in some way. Such a friendship is not a healthy friendship – it does not provide the support needed by the friend and is emotionally draining on the young person who is endeavouring to be supportive.

 

As a parent, encourage your son/daughter to be a good friend, but to do so in a productive way.  While in the short term, empathy is good, and listening to a friend’s problems might be all that is needed. However, when things seem a little more serious, or if the friendship is placing too heavy an emotional toll on your son/daughter, remind them that no matter how well-intentioned they may be, there are other better supports available, and the best thing they can do for their friend may be to encourage them to seek professional support. It is a very difficult thing for a young person to do, as they often feel as if they are doing a disservice to their friend so they need to be reassured that it is the right action to take.  

 

Professional support can be found through School Counsellors, through a visit to a GP or one of the many online and telephone counselling supports which are available.     Young people are very comfortable with online support services and they are a useful gateway to professional support.   The following are useful websites and phone numbers and specifically target young people:

 

https://kidshelpline.com.au/get-help/phone-counselling/  Phone: 1800 551 800

 

https://www.eheadspace.org.au   Phone: 1800 650 890

 

https://www.youthbeyondblue.com   Phone: 1300 224 636

 

The Counselling Team is available to advise and support all students and families and can be contacted by email on counselling@bps.sa.edu.au

 

Parents may also refer their son to the Counselling Team by using the Referral found on the Parent Portal. 

 

Ms Cathie Oswald

SCHOOL COUNSELLOR (Monday, Thursday and Friday)

 

Mrs Karen Davies

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST  (Tuesday and Thursday)