Justin Seto Counselling

12/08/2020

Be Gentle With Yourself

I think it can almost go without saying that right now we are in unprecedented times. With the myriad of circumstances we have happening globally right now, our world has changed and in many ways people are still struggling to come to grips with what this means as a whole, and what it means for them and the people that they care about. You will see many different reactions – anger and outrage, despondency and despair, reflecting and responding and growing and changing.

One of the things that has and still does amaze me is the complexity of humanity. Different people are going to react and respond in different ways – and to try to capture all of this can be quite challenging. At times it can drive people apart, but it can also be a great strength. Complexity and diversity adds flavour and brings out ideas and concepts that would not be possible if every person was exactly the same.

Today in particular I am mindful of the people that respond by sinking into despondency and despair – both now during these times and during “normal” daily life. Times are tough, and many circumstances right now cannot be controlled. Social distancing, while highly beneficial for physical health at the moment can have a negative impact on people’s mental health. Isolation in particular can be quite harmful to individuals and can cause people to shut down. There is a lot of silence in isolation.

A lot of people struggle with silence. I remember in one training workshop I attended the presenter said that the first person that people encounter in silence is themselves. This has stuck with me and did and continues to make me think. In silence there is nowhere to hide – all of our thoughts, our worries, our anxieties, our fears can come out. If you’re not used to this (and maybe even if you are), then it can be quite overwhelming.

Unfortunately as well many people can have a tendency to be very self-critical. You may have heard the saying that we are our own worst critic – and I believe this to be true. In the privileged position of sitting across from clients I often hear a lot of self-blame and people cutting themselves down into nothing. “Why is this happening? I’m so messed up. Everything is all my fault. How many times will it take before I learn this lesson? I’m no good to anyone”.

When I hear clients talking like this, I am seeing something completely different. I see strong, resilient people that are doing their best to survive and to hold themselves accountable to their values and standards. I see people that are learning lessons that will stay with them and they are accumulating knowledge that they will value, remember and pass on to others that they see in similar situations they can reach out to.

One thing that I tell my clients is to be gentle with themselves. It sounds simple and perhaps silly, but it is a very powerful concept. Be gentle with yourself. Don’t keep beating yourself up for the same things over and over. You don’t deserve it, and it isn’t warranted. You are valuable and you have meaningful contributions to make that are unique to you and nobody else. If you are reading this and find yourself in this situation, then please allow yourself to take a breath. Reach out to others for support. Do something nice for yourself. Be kind and be gentle with yourself – this is something that only you can do.

Please message me if you have any questions, and if you enjoyed this post, please hit the ‘like’ button and share it with your friends. I would also really appreciate it if you put a comment below and let me know what topics you think would be useful for me to cover in the future (either for your own needs or maybe just general curiosity).

Crisis Support Numbers
Australia
- 1800 Respect - 1800 737 732 (Domestic Violence)
- Lifeline – 13 11 14
- Mensline – 1300 78 99 78
- Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4363
- Kids Helpline (5 – 25 years old) – 1800 55 1800
United States
- 1 800 Su***de – 1 800 784 2433
- 1 800 273 Talk – 1 800 273 8255

04/06/2020

Where are you right now?

Something that has been on my mind lately is just how interconnected we seem to be as a society nowdays. With the modern technology that we have, we can be “connected” to happenings in other cities, other countries and even events that are happening half-way across the world.

Sometimes it seems like there can be so much happening that it’s difficult to even catch your breath. And this is not to take away from the world events that are going on, because they are important and there are responses that are called for. But what I’ve been thinking about recently is how easy it can be to get lost in all the information, and all the emotions that flow on.
We seem to live in a culture that is constantly asking for us to react to something, to give our opinion on it. This can be quite demanding, and if the flow of information always seems to be negative then it can be quite draining on one’s own well-being. It’s a bit of an old saying, but in some ways it seems like we communicate with each other more, yet we feel more disconnected from each other.

The question I want to put forward today is – Where are YOU right now?

As an individual, how are you coping with everything that is going on? Are you able to separate yourself from the news, events and happenings from others and the world at large? Do you feel personally connected to people around you? Do you have a safe space that you can retreat to when you feel overwhelmed? Are you OK?

The answer to that last question for some people is going to be “No, I am not ok”. And for those people that fit into that category, I sincerely ask that you reach out for support – whether that it is picking up the phone to call someone, talking to a close friend or family member or engaging with a counsellor or mental health service. I have listed some support numbers below for those that need it, and again I really encourage you to access support when you need it.

It is important to be in tune to societal issues, but it’s also important to be in tune with yourself. If you don’t look after yourself, there is nobody that is going to be able to do that for you. As much as those around you that care for you want to look out for you, there are some steps that only you are capable of taking.
I think it’s also important to remember that despite all the negative things that have been happening, there are still positive things that are occurring around the world. At least for myself I have noticed that sometimes the more I look at negative things, the more that seem to pop up. If I choose to look for the positive (which is not always easy), then my outlook can change and I feel more energised.

Please look after yourself as best you can, and check in with yourself to see how you are travelling. Take a breath and honestly ask yourself if you are ok. If the answer is no – this too is ok, it just means that it’s time to reach out for help and support.

Please message me if you have any questions, and if you enjoyed this post, please hit the ‘like’ button and share it with your friends. I would also really appreciate it if you put a comment below and let me know what topics you think would be useful for me to cover in the future (either for your own needs or maybe just general curiosity).

Crisis Support Numbers
Australia
- 1800 Respect - 1800 737 732 (Domestic Violence)
- Lifeline – 13 11 14
- Mensline – 1300 78 99 78
- Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4363
- Kids Helpline (5 – 25 years old) – 1800 55 1800

United States
- 1 800 Su***de – 1 800 784 2433
- 1 800 273 Talk – 1 800 273 8255

11/04/2019

Holding and Letting Go

I have been finding myself thinking over the last few weeks about the idea of holding and letting go. I speak of holding and letting go in more of a metaphorical sense then a physical one. I would argue that everybody at some point and time needs to be held. Starting as children we rely on our parents to hold us, and as we grow older, we build up networks of support such of friends, loved ones and people we trust to help us when we feel we stumble and can’t stand on our own two feet.

The idea of holding is quite a powerful one. As humans we thrive when we exist in community and wither when we are subjected to isolation. I suppose when I ponder this idea, I tend to think firstly of people who are working in a helping or caring profession, but this would easily extend to anyone. Everyone, no matter what their journey in life needs connection and support. This will not always take the same form for each person, but it is still a basic human requirement.

In a way this relates to topics that I have covered in previous weeks of burnout, compassion fatigue and carer’s fatigue. People who are in a caring or service role (professional or personal) shoulder work to look after others, and in so doing are holding that person. This might be in a literal physical capacity, or in a more emotional or psychological capacity. For the person doing this work, are they able to let go of this holding role when they are not engaged in this role, or do they continue to hold onto it tightly?

This flows onto the idea of letting go. When we hold onto things that are important to us too tightly, this can actually be quite harmful to our own well-being. People who refuse or feel unable to let go do not usually do so out of any sense of malice or desire to cause harm – they do so because they care, very much so. However by doing this it causes harm to themselves and can in some cases even cause resentment towards the person/thing they are holding onto.

Letting go is not easy and probably something that most people will struggle with at some point. Letting go involves giving up control and being willing to admit that there is nothing more that you can do in that moment. Another word people might use for this would be surrender. I think modern society sees the giving up of control as being rather negative, but I believe that there are times when this is very much warranted. Our capacities are not unlimited. If you let go of something (or someone) it does not make you a bad person, it means that you recognise your limitations and finite capacity.

As I write these blog posts I find that my attention seems to be drawn more and more to wondering if the people that read these posts feel supported, and if they don’t – then how can they change that? I know that some readers work in the caring profession which exposes them to a high level of physical and emotional trauma present in the people that they care for. This can easily lead to secondary traumatic stress or as it is now being called Compassion Fatigue. This is one of the reasons that I list crisis and telephone counselling services at the bottom of each post. They are an easily accessible service that should be available to most people.

The questions I wonder today are – Who holds you? When you feel that everything is overwhelming and you feel unable to let go of the things you are holding onto, who holds you and supports you? Do you have trouble letting go of things? If so, do you have a plan to address it? If not, would you consider thinking about it or talking to someone?

Please message me if you have any questions, and if you enjoyed this post, please hit the ‘like’ button and share it with your friends. I would also really appreciate it if you put a comment below and let me know what topics you think would be useful for me to cover in the future (either for your own needs or maybe just general curiosity).

Crisis Support Numbers
- Australia
- Lifeline – 13 11 14
- Mensline – 1300 78 99 78
- Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4363
- Kids Helpline (5 – 25 years old) – 1800 55 1800

- United States
- 1 800 Su***de – 1 800 784 2433
- 1 800 273 Talk – 1 800 273 8255

30/03/2019

Being in the Present

As we are progressing into 2019, I become mindful that the year is well and truly in full-swing now and the responsibilities and duties (both professional and personal) are starting to stack up. When we have a lot on our plate it is very easy to experience feelings of distress and feel overwhelmed. We can feel like our problems and responsibilities are weighing us down and this can become all-consuming and prevent us not only from engaging with others around us but also from enjoying what is right in front of us.

This reminds me of the importance of being able to “just be” or to be present in the moment. What does that mean? Well to me it means being free of distractions and not allowing the thoughts and emotions that might be swirling around to take focus and prevent you from engaging with what is right in front of you. Today we live in a time where we are surrounded by distractions that encourage us to split our attention in multiple directions at once. While doing this can sometimes be quite productive, I would put forward that this is not a helpful position to be holding at all times.

As I have covered before in posts on self-care, it is important to have a space where you can be free from worries and problems. One of the best ways to do this is to be present in the moment, free from distraction. One of the exercises that is helpful for doing this is mindfulness. Anxiety will encourage you to focus on the future and the what ifs and should, depression will encourage you to focus on the past and what you have done wrong and what you had before – mindfulness encourages you to take a step back and focus on what is happening right now.

There are many different variations on exercises for mindfulness. To begin with I have found it is easiest (at least for myself) to use a guided track where someone is reading a script or directing you through an exercise. As you practise this over time you may find other ways that you prefer to utilise it. If you do not want to try it in its standing form then you could try asking yourself some of the following questions when you want to try and be present:

- What is happening right in front of me?
- Who else is with me?
- What can I see? Taste? Smell? Hear? Touch? (Identify several things)
- What do I appreciate about this moment?
- As I experience this moment, what makes me smile?

If you enjoyed this post or found it useful, please hit the ‘like’ button and share it with your friends. I would also really appreciate it if you put a comment below and put forward suggestions for other topics you would like covered in the future.

Crisis Support Numbers
- Australia
- Lifeline – 13 11 14
- Mensline – 1300 78 99 78
- Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4363
- Kids Helpline (5 – 25 years old) – 1800 55 1800

- United States
- 1 800 Su***de – 1 800 784 2433
- 1 800 273 Talk – 1 800 273 8255

16/03/2019

Compassion Fatigue

To wind up this series, this week’s topic is compassion fatigue. First of all, what is compassion fatigue and how would we define it? I would like to start with a very comprehensive definition put forward by Dr Charles Figley and Professor Paul Henry Kurzweg (A big thank you to my Uni Supervisor for recommending that I look into Dr Charles Figley as an expert on Compassion Fatigue).

“Compassion Fatigue is a state experienced by those helping people or animals in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create secondary traumatic stress for the helper”.

I would posit that there are a lot of parallels between compassion fatigue and burnout, with compassion fatigue being more of a direct result of being the primary caregiver for an individual (or group of individuals) in either a professional or domestic setting.

It is not uncommon for someone to be the primary caregiver for a loved one due to disability, incapacitation or lack of other supports outside of professional settings. From my own perspective I would think that this has been going on throughout human history but only recently has there been more of a spotlight put on this issue.

Some of the symptoms that could be indicative of Compassion Fatigue include:
- Isolation
- Bottling up emotions
- Substance use to avoid feelings
- Poor self-care (Such as hygiene)
- Apathy
- Difficulty concentrating
- Mentally and physical tired

The Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project have questionnaires that you can fill out to assist you recognise if you are experiencing symptoms of compassion fatigue. I will include a link below to their website.

If you have identified that you are experiencing Compassion Fatigue I would strongly encourage you to seek help and to start engaging in self-care immediately. As I have mentioned before, help-seeking can often be seen as a sign of weakness in society – however having the ability to make yourself vulnerable and admit that you need help requires tremendous strength.

When I work with clients I have tremendous respect for their ability to enter into and remain in a vulnerable space because I am aware that it is a difficult place to be. Human beings are very complex and as humans we have emotional needs as well as physical ones. No human being is an island that can weather the storms of life unassisted – we thrive in connection and community and fall apart in isolation.

Some ideas to think about to form your own self-care:
- How much sleep do I need each night? If I am not getting enough, how can I make sure that I get this?
- Do I have some time I can set aside just for myself? If not, how can I make this happen?
- Do I need to ask others to assist me to spread some of the workload? (This is not something you need to feel guilty about, everybody needs help at some stage)
- Do I have a strong support network? If not, what supports are available to me? If I don’t know, can I start looking to find out?
- Am I eating nourishing food? Am I eating the right balance for me?
- What did I used to enjoy? Are there ways to capture some of what I used to enjoy about these activities? (For example, Do I enjoy being out in nature? Do I like gardening? Working with my hands? An intellectual challenge?)
- What makes me smile? What brings me joy?
- What helps me to ‘come alive’ and feel passionate and energised?

If you enjoyed this post or found it useful, please hit the ‘like’ button and share it with your friends. I would also really appreciate it if you put a comment below and put forward suggestions for other topics you would like covered in the future.

Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project
http://www.compassionfatigue.org/index.html

Crisis Support Numbers
- Australia
- Lifeline – 13 11 14
- Mensline – 1300 78 99 78
- Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4363
- Kids Helpline (5 – 25 years old) – 1800 55 1800

- United States
- 1 800 Su***de – 1 800 784 2433
- 1 800 273 Talk – 1 800 273 8255

Creating a Culture of Caring

10/03/2019

The Importance of Self-Care

As I’ve been writing this series on burnout, caregiver fatigue and compassion fatigue (compassion fatigue will be next week’s post). What has really stood out for me is the importance of self-care and maintaining a healthy level of well-being. When covering these topics, self-care is one of (if not the most important) factors in preventing burnout and fatigue. That is not to say that you should only consider self-care when you think you may be experiencing burnout or fatigue. Self-care is important no matter what stage of life you are in. Without it, you may find that you feel that you never have time for yourself and feel resentful towards others who you might feel are placing a lot of expectations on you without any positive return.

So what is self-care? To try and put it down to a simple explanation, I would say that self-care is looking after yourself and making sure that your capacities do not become depleted. As I have said in previous posts, the only person that can look after yourself is you. For practising professionals this can sometimes be considered to be an ethical responsibility as if you do not look after yourself properly your capacity to provide quality services to your clients will be severely diminished.

Now self-care will look very different for different people. However, when you look at self-care it is important to note that there are different aspects of your well-being. Are you looking after yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually? Each of these sections could be a topic within themselves, and again taking care of these aspects will look different for different people.

Some of these sections will be interconnected. For example, if you look after yourself physically you may find that you feel better overall emotionally because your mind and body are rested and well nourished. Looking after yourself emotionally can have physical health benefits as we can tend to hold onto our emotions within our body somatically. Releasing negative thoughts and emotions can feel very cathartic and energising and you may feel a lift in your physical energy.

With self-care the important thing is to find a way that works for you. Think about what gives you energy, what makes you smile and what helps you feel more ‘alive’. I have listed below some questions for you to consider about your own self-care.

Physical
- Am I getting enough sleep?
- Am I drinking enough water?
- Am I eating food that is healthy and good for me?
- Am I getting enough sunlight during the day?
- Do I have a regular sleeping pattern?
- Am I exercising regularly?

Emotional
- Are there negative emotions that I am unwilling to let go of?
- What positive emotions would I like to experience more of?
- Would I consider my frame of mind and thoughts to be mostly positive or negative?

Spiritual
- Am I feeling spiritually connected?
- Does my spiritual connection replenish me or drain me?
- If not, what would give me a sense of spiritual connection?
- When I hear the word ‘spirituality’ – is this something that brings up a positive or negative response within me?

Please feel free to message me if you have any questions, and if you enjoyed this post, please hit the ‘like’ button and share it with your friends. I would also really appreciate it if you put a comment below and let me know if you are looking forward to the planned direction of this blog or have any suggestions for other topics you would like covered in the future.

Crisis Support Numbers
- Australia
- Lifeline – 13 11 14
- Mensline – 1300 78 99 78
- Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4363
- Kids Helpline (5 – 25 years old) – 1800 55 1800

- United States
- 1 800 Su***de – 1 800 784 2433
- 1 800 273 Talk – 1 800 273 8255

02/03/2019

Caregiver Fatigue

Continuing in this series on burnout, today’s topic is caregiver fatigue. Caregiver fatigue has many similar characteristics to burnout, with the main separating factor being that the negative feelings that you experience can be directed towards the people that you are caring for.

To begin with, I should clarify that when I refer to a ‘caregiver’ I am talking about people that are in a position where they are the primary caregiver for a loved one and also professionals that provide care to people in vulnerable states (eg. Aged Care, Disability Care and Health Care). This might include parents, grandparents, nurses, nursing assistants, support workers, and also counsellors and psychologists.

Each situation will have its own unique challenges, however some of the warning signs for caregiver fatigue include:
- Exhaustion (both physical and emotional)
- Change in sleeping patterns, loss of appetite and weight loss/gain
- Withdrawal from normal social circles such as friends and family
- Development of negative feelings, attitudes and perceptions towards yourself and the person/people that you are looking after
- Waning interest in activities that you previously used to enjoy

I want to note here that the symptoms of caregiver fatigue are quite similar to the symptoms of depression and anxiety. If you find yourself experiencing these symptoms please ask for help. We do live in a society that sometimes can seem to belittle and put down those that ask for help. However, help-seeking behaviour is a strength and the task of caregiving is not one that should be carried alone. Isolation is a horrible thing and it will wear down your capacity to feel empathy, provide care, to function on a day-to-day and put you at higher risk for burnout.

A very important note I want to include here: Just because you experience any of these symptoms (particularly experiencing the development of negative feelings, attitude and/or perceptions towards yourself or the person you are caring for) does NOT make you a bad person. This experience is quite normal and reflects our complexity as human beings. As human beings we have a great capacity for emotion both negative and positive. Layered in this can also be feelings of grief about what has been lost (such as the person's loss of ability, a change in the relationship dynamic or remembering how life was before being put in the position of caregiver). Sometimes things can happen so fast that you are not even aware that this layer is present or have been able to find the time to attend to it.

So what do you do when you are experiencing caregiver fatigue? I have listed below some brief suggestions to consider:

- Firstly and most importantly please talk to somebody. This might be a trusted friend or family member. I recognise that not everybody is in a position where they will have this resource available and if this is the case please consider contacting a telephone counselling service. They are there to help and are a service that can be easily accessible from the comfort of your own home

- Consider ways that the task of caregiving can be shared with others. While you may be in the primary role, are there aspects that other people can assist with? Even having somebody else assist with something small may make a large difference

- Seek out extra supports. For professionals this could be your peers who are also in a similar position. Research has shown that having a supportive relationship with work peers is a strong factor in preventing burnout. There may also be support groups in your local area which I would encourage you to seek out. There is strength in numbers and sometimes hearing that you are not alone in your experience can be very beneficial in helping you reconnect and engage with others

- Utilise community services that are available to provide support. The more quality supports that you have in your corner, the better. The aim here is to take pressure off yourself and spread the task of caregiving so you do not have to shoulder it alone

- Accept that you have limitations. No matter how competent you are, nobody is a miracle worker. There are some circumstances that we cannot change no matter how hard we try, and you cannot be responsible for absolutely everything. Examine your expectations and try to objectively determine if they are realistic. If you do not feel that you can be objective, get a second opinion from somebody that you trust

- Self-care. Leading on from the previous point, acknowledge your limitations and recognise that you also need to recharge your capacity for caregiving and compassion. Self-care can include things such as eating healthy meals, getting adequate sleep and making time for yourself that you can call your own (what form this takes will be up to you and your own individual preferences)

- Talk to a trained professional. Counsellors, Psychotherapists and Psychologists are trained to provide you with support and assist you process what you are feeling and experiencing

- For the working professionals please consider seeking clinical supervision. When I refer to clinical supervision I am talking about supervision that is provided by somebody who does not have a dual-interest such as your direct manager. Why does this matter? Somebody who has a dual interest such as your direct manager will have other considerations in the back of their head such as your performance, company policies and their own reputation with the company. Consider talking about your work to a clinical supervisor in a different setting that is more neutral and also removed from the immediate environment

Please feel free to message me if you have any questions, and if you enjoyed this post, please hit the ‘like’ button and share it with your friends. I would also really appreciate it if you put a comment below and let me know if you are looking forward to the planned direction of this blog or have any suggestions for other topics you would like covered in the future.

Crisis Support Numbers

Australia
Lifeline – 13 11 14
Mensline – 1300 78 99 78
Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4363
Kids Helpline (5 – 25 years old) – 1800 55 1800

United States
1 800 Su***de – 1 800 784 2433
1 800 273 Talk – 1 800 273 8255

21/02/2019

Just uploaded the first video in my new Youtube series 'Mental Health and...'. Please enjoy. I appreciate any questions, comments or feedback that you can provide as this helps me to tailor future content.

A very big thank you to Mind Body Strength for allowing me to interview them for this video and to provide insight from the fitness industry on this topic.

The start of my new series "Mental Health and...". In this video I interview Jean-Luke Duvenage from Mind Body Strength to get his perspective as a Personal ...

17/02/2019

Addressing Burnout

Following on from last week’s blog where I talked about how to identify burnout, the next step is figuring out what to do about it. As I was writing last week’s post, I was mindful that people who read it and identify as having some level (or particularly a severe level) of burnout would be wondering what to do next. I am also going to be listing some telephone counselling services for Australia and the United States at the bottom of my post for those that require crisis counselling immediately.

When you are experiencing burnout there are three suggestions that I will cover today to assist you either preventing burnout (or preventing it from progressing further) or addressing and attempting to reduce your current level of burnout:

1. Self-care
2. Professional External supports
3. Connection

Self-care

Firstly, self-care while seemingly self-explanatory can mean different things to different people. From my perspective, self-care is a matter of making sure that you do not give more than you have put into your own internal reserves. Whether this means physical energy or emotional energy will depend on the situation – it may perhaps even be both. Think of a car that runs using fuel – if the car runs out of fuel then it can no longer function and is not able to serve its proper function.

Working with this analogy, identify something that you find to be life-giving and affirming to keep your fuel tank topped up. Something that really helps you to feel alive. Some examples that I have heard people cite have included gardening, playing/writing music, spending time with their grandchildren or establishing a firm routine. This is a very basic explanation, self-care is a very large area that I cannot do justice to in one blog post. But please remember this – the only person who can make sure that you receive the proper care is you.

Professional External Supports

When I talk about professional external supports, I refer to professional services such as counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists and psychiatrists. This also includes telephone counselling services if you are unable to make a face-to-face appointment or require more immediate support.

Talking to a trained professional will build your support network and provide a safe space for you to be vulnerable and to let out and vent the fears, emotions, anxieties and worries that have been plaguing you without the fear of repercussion. Trained professionals provide a safe, neutral space that are not connected to your friends or family. Sometimes this can be quite daunting for some people because you are talking to a complete stranger, however for some people it can be a relief because there is no connection to their social circles. If you find that you see a trained professional and do not feel that they are able to work with you well, then I would encourage you to either discuss this with them to see if it can be addressed or to find a different professional that you feel more comfortable with. Professionals are people too – and sometimes some personalities will mesh better with others. This is not to discount either the professional or the client, this just draws attention to our complexity as people.

Connection

Connection is about being connected with people in your life – friends, family, co-workers. Having the support and intervention from loved ones can be a significant factor in preventing burnout. The idea here is to have people around you that you can talk to about things that are not related to work. As time progresses there seems to be more and more research being conducted on the importance of connection. Particularly in my work with clients with addiction I often hear them resonate strongly with the phrase “connection beats addiction”.

Isolation can cause severe harm to people and impact very strongly on their mental health. I encourage you to stay connected with your loved ones, and if you do not have any local connections then reach out and find a community you can engage with. While this may seem like just another task to put on your plate, finding a support group connects you to the human experience and reminds you that you are not alone.

Please feel free to message me if you have any questions, and if you enjoyed this post, please hit the ‘like’ button and share it with your friends. I would also really appreciate it if you put a comment below and let me know if you are looking forward to the planned direction

Crisis Support Numbers

Australia
Lifeline – 13 11 14
Mensline – 1300 78 99 78
Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4363
Kids Helpline (5 – 25 years old) – 1800 55 1800

United States
1 800 Su***de – 1 800 784 2433
1 800 273 Talk – 1 800 273 8255