Mental Health and Counselling Resources

FAQ
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If there is an immediate risk of harm to yourself or others, please call 000.

While the DadLAN Discord server can be a great place to chat, vent or ask for advice, it is no replacement for talking to a professional counseling service, many of which are available 24/7 and are free.

This page is an evergreen document as resources change and shift. It is also focused on Australia. Please comment if you have suggestions or questions.

PANDA

PANDA – (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) – supports the mental health of parents and families during pregnancy and in their first year of parenthood.

They have some wonderful resources for expectant, new parents and even growing families.

This support also covers relationships and navigating how they change as a family grows.

They have a help line which you can use to find someone to talk to, from Monday to Saturday.

Call: 1300 726 306
Webpage: http://panda.org.au

SMS4Dads

A free service that Fathers, Dads-to-be, Families & Health Professionals can use. Receive free text messages, support, info & tips – especially for dads & dads-to-be.

There’s not a lot out there that speaks directly to dads. SMS4dads supports men in their role as fathers and increases awareness of their influence on baby’s brain development.

SMS4dads helps fathers understand and connect with their baby and partner. It also checks in on their wellbeing and offers professional support if needed.

SMS4dads is FREE. It provides info related to the age and stage of your baby. It’s the info you need – when you need it, how you need it – straight to your phone.

Webpage: https://www.sms4dads.com.au/
Direct join link: sms4dads - Welcome

Family Man

Family Man is a research-backed online parenting program designed with dads in mind. Made in conjunction with MOVEMBER!

Fun, free, fast and interactive, it’s proven to work and has been developed alongside leading global child behaviour experts.

Website: Family Man - Movember

Healthy Male

Healthy Male is a provider of information for men’s health. They facilitate action on men’s health in collaboration with others, advocate for change, empower men and boys to prioritise their health, build the capabilities of the health system and workforce, and focus our efforts to close the health and wellbeing gaps in specific groups.

They have a range of men’s specific health topics from lumps and bumps on your penis through to how men’s sleep can be different and how you can support yourself to sleep … better!

Website: https://www.healthymale.org.au/

Support for Fathers

Support for Fathers provides dads and father-figures with options and information about fatherhood, the relationship with their partner and connecting with their kids.

They also enable support services to work with dads and families more effectively through a toolkit and training.

Website: https://supportforfathers.com.au/

Lifeline

From Lifelife’s website: Lifeline is Australia’s leading suicide prevention service. We are a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24-hour crisis support. We are here for you.

Lifeline’s Get Help Page

MensLine Australia

MensLine Australia is provided by Lifeline.

From the MensLine website: MensLine Australia is a free telephone and online counselling service offering support for Australian men anywhere, anytime.

Beyond Blue

From Beyond Blue’s website: Your mental health is important. Some days are better than others and we all need a helping hand from time to time.

MoodGYM

MoodGYM is an innovative, interactive web program designed to prevent depression. It is like an interactive self-help book which helps you to learn and practice skills which can help to prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. It consists of 5 modules, an interactive game, anxiety and depression assessments, downloadable relaxation audio, a workbook and feedback assessments.

Health Direct

Health Direct is a Commonwealth government website.

There is information about all aspects of health and is aligned to the Australian Men’s Health 2030 Strategy.

Men’s Health Resources

Links to resources and studies covering Men’s Physical and Mental Health:

Thank you

A thank you to the contributors who have made this list over the years:

  • Voidspacerabbit
  • GraveGambit
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Got some more from Discord, thanks to @AusSTY (I removed dupes and will add these to the main topic and delete this)

Dads In Distress is a peer support for separated dads — call 1300 853 437
Head to Health — for advice and to get connected to local mental health services, you can call 1800 595 212. Check the operating times.
SANE Australia is for people living with a mental illness — call 1800 187 263 or chat online.

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Great stuff, excellent resources, thanks! :sunglasses:

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It may also help to see a GP / Doctor about mental health issues. They may be able to put you on a mental health plan where you can speak to a counsellor / psychologist up to 10 sessions a year. Depending on who you choose for help, the costs can be completely covered by Medicare, or a portion of the cost can be rebated through Medicare. Click this link to find out more Services Australia information on mental health care plans.

It ain’t weak to speak. Find the courage to do what you can to help you through your dark times. :slight_smile:

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