37 Take a Break

STRESS LESS

Growing mental health enquiries demonstrate why wellbeing matters.

IT’S NO SECRET that over the past few years, Australians have been doing it tough.

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a toll on our financial, social, physical and mental wellbeing, and individuals are struggling to cope.

As a result of this, wellbeing enquiries to medical professionals have grown significantly, with people reaching out for support more than ever before.

New data from The Banyans Healthcare Group reveals a significant increase in mental health enquiries, with anxiety, chronic stress and burnout seeing the most significant increases.

In fact, enquiries for anxiety have increased by 99% year on year in the first seven months of 2022 compared to the first seven months of 2021, with this increasing to 104% for females enquiring for themselves.

Issues like chronic stress and burnout can eventually become a gateway into additional and sometimes more serious conditions, such as anxiety.

One of the biggest symptoms for those experiencing an anxiety disorder is the presence of panic attacks, which can involve shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling of the hands, nausea and sweating.

These symptoms can have significant impacts on one’s ability to live a healthy and fulfilling life.

The research revealed enquiries seeking support for alcohol and prescription medication dependency treatments were also on the rise, and worryingly, enquiries for eating disorders increased by 78% in 2021 compared to 2020.

Alcohol addiction or dependency is characterised by an emotional or physical reliance on alcohol.

Regularly exceeding the National Drinking Guidelines for alcohol intake, which is a maximum of two standard drinks per day, may indicate alcohol misuse.

Other symptoms include worrying about when you will be able to have your next drink, trying to hide alcohol consumption from those around you, and finding it difficult to relax without alcohol.

Off the back of these surges for mental health and dependency support, The Banyans is launching new specialist wellbeing programs delivered over six to eight weeks, with patients coming in once per week, seeing multiple practitioners each day.

The programs have been designed for people living with conditions including anxiety and stress to provide flexible support that works around existing priorities such as jobs, family life and other commitments.

With enquiries increasing, Ruth Limkin, CEO of The Banyans Healthcare Group, believes these programs will be an ideal way for SouthEast Queenslanders to address their wellbeing concerns while being able to continue with their busy lifestyles.

“We understand that not everyone can have multiple days away from work and home to attend a residential program, and we would never want time to be a barrier for treatment,” she says.

“Our programs are designed for those seeking treatment for their mental health, dependency or eating disorder concerns and symptomology.

“They bring together our medical professionals, allied health practitioners and therapy team to provide one-on-one programs delivered in a format that is flexible and effective.”

The programs operate from The Banyans Health Plus and offer patients the opportunity to address their specific health concerns in individually designed programs based on their needs – providing focussed and personalised steps towards improved health and wellbeing for patients.

In the last year alone, nearly half of Queenslanders struggled to manage their stress levels (49%) and a healthy weight (48%), with over half struggling to sleep properly (60%) and over a third (41%) failing to make healthy food choices.

With the rising enquiries regarding mental health, dependency and wellbeing, Peter Hayton, Senior Psychologist at The Banyans, says that a busy schedule should not limit individuals who are struggling with these issues, and acknowledges the snowball effect that can occur when individuals feel overwhelmed.

“When you start feeling stressed or anxious, it can make it hard to make healthy choices in other areas of our lives,” he explains.

“Whether that’s choosing an unhealthy dinner over something more balanced, or even what time we go to bed, this knock-on effect continues until we stop and shake ourselves out of a unhealthy cycle or routine.”

The programs available include a mental health program, addiction program, stress management program, personal wellbeing coaching program and a nutrition program.

South-East Queenslanders are encouraged to reach out if they are struggling with any form of health issues, particularly if they are a busy professional, a working parent, or are simply struggling to prioritise their health.

Now is more important than ever and taking that first step can help change your life and the life of those around you for the better. thebanyans.com.au/cove/