8/3/2019 Separated Parents & Tough Times
1/3
FACT SHEET 29
Separated parents
and tough times
F e fat www.beyondblue.org.au beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636 of 3
TAking CArE oF yourSElF iS imporTAnT
Major changes in relationships, such as separation, can be a
trigger or depression. Thats why the Child Support Agency
andbeyondblue: the national depression initiative have joined
orces to raise awareness o:
the risks and impact o depression on separating parents
the importance o looking ater yoursel
where to go or help.
Separation can be a tough time. Parents who are separating
ace big changes in their lie, such as:
moving house
spending more or less time with their children
having less money to spend.
They may also go through stages o eeling angry, guilty, lonely
or uncertain about the uture.
Taking care o yoursel is importantor youand or those
around you.
gETTing THrougH THE TougH TimES
There are a number o things you can do to help get through
dicult times.
Get into a new routine put aside enough time to manage
new household and child care arrangements.
Get support identiy riends, amily and support groups.
Stay healthy eat healthy meals, exercise regularly, get a
good nights sleep and avoid drugs and alcohol. This will
help both physical tness and mental health.
Learn to manage stress simple things, like keeping a diary
o eelings and practising breathing and muscle-relaxation
techniques can help.
Take time out make an eort to participate in enjoyable
activities.
WHAT iS dEprESSion?
How to tell if youre depressed and not just sad
Sometimes it can be hard to know whether you are just
eeling down because o all the changes, or you have symptoms
o depression.
Depression checklist
You may be depressed i or more than TWO WEEKS you have:
Felt sad, down or miserable most o the time.
Lost interest or pleasure in most o your usual activities.
I the answer isYES to either o these questions, complete the
symptom checklist on the next page.
I the answer isNOT yes to either o these questions, it is
unlikely that you have a depressive illness.
Have you:
Lost or gained a lot o weight OR
Had a decrease or increase in appetite.
Had disturbed sleep.
Felt slowed down, restless or excessively busy.
Felt tired or had no energy.
Felt worthless OR
Felt excessively guilty OR
Felt guilty about things you should not eel guilty about.
Had poor concentration OR
Had diculties thinking OR
Been very indecisive.
Had recurrent thoughts o death.
Add up the number o ticks or the total score: _______
Its important to note that scores provide only a rough guide as to
whether someone has depression. I you have ticked ve or more
o these statements, you should consult a health proessional.
8/3/2019 Separated Parents & Tough Times
2/3
FACT SHEET 29
Separated parents
and tough times
F e fat www.beyondblue.org.au beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636 of 3 of
WHAT puTS A pErSon AT riSk oF
dEprESSion?
There are a number o actors that can lead to a person
developing depression.These include:
amily confict
interpersonal confict
recent losses and disappointment.
As well as adjusting to lie ater separation, the risk o
depression may be increased by:
a amily history o mental health problems
drug and alcohol abuse
brain and chemical changes
other medical illnesses or treatments
personality type.
HoW Common iS dEprESSion?Depression is very common. About one million Australian adults
live with depression each year. On average, one in six men and
one in our women will experience depression in their adult
lietime.
TrEATmEnT For dEprESSion
It is important to remember that depression is a treatable
illness that you can recover rom. There is a range o eective
treatments including:
Psychological treatments help a person to changenegative thoughts and eelings and learn new ways to react
to people and situations. This can help recovery and prevent
depression rom returning.
Medication depression is oten associated with an imbalance
o certain chemicals in the brain and, or some people,
medication may be required. Antidepressant medication helps
rebalance these chemicals. Antidepressants can take 721
days to work eectively and should not be started or stopped
without medical advice.
WHErE To gET HElp
A doctor who is a General Practitioner (GP) is a good rst
step. In some cases, you may be reerred to a mental health
specialist like a psychiatrist or psychologist. For a list o GPs
with expertise in treating depression, anxiety and related
drug and alcohol problems visit www.bebe..a
and click on Get Help.
Psychiatrists are doctors who specialise in mental health.Theycan make medical and psychological assessments, conduct
medical tests and prescribe medication. Some psychiatrists
use psychological treatments.To see a psychiatrist, you need
to get a reerral rom a GP.
Psychologists specialise in providing non-medical
(psychological) treatment or depression and related disorders.
To nd a psychologist go to www.bebe..a and
click on Get Help.
8/3/2019 Separated Parents & Tough Times
3/3
FACT SHEET 29
Separated parents
and tough times
F e fat www.beyondblue.org.au beyondblue info line 1300 22 46363 of 3
oTHEr uSEFul ConTACTS
Mensline Australia
1300 789 978
www.menslineaus.org.au
National 24 hour support or men acing challenges as a result o
amily breakdown or separation. This service is unded by FaCSIA
and is staed by proessional counsellors at the cost o a local
call. Inormation, reerral and call back service is also available.
Suicide Helpline Victoria
1300 651 251 (Victoria only)
www.suicidehelpline.org.au
24 hour counselling, crisis intervention, inormation and reerral.
Lifeline
131 114
www.lifeline.org.au
24 hour counselling.
Please note: Extra charges apply to calls made rom mobile and public phones.
Child Support Agency
The Child Support Agency (CSA) works to ensure that children
can rely on their parents or the nancial and emotional support
they require or their wellbeing. Separation can be a dicult
time or amilies and CSA is committed to working with others
to provide support and services to separated parents. CSA has
a range o products and services to help parents dealing with
separation including:
Dealing with Separation an interactive CD where people
share their experiences o separation.
Me and My series of booklets tips and hints on:
building relationships with children and ex-partners
money issues
emotional well-being
new relationships.
Staying Connected Program a workplace program
providing strategies and solutions or separated dads to stay
connected with their children. For more inormation contact
To order ree CSA products and publications visit
www.csa.gov.au or call 1800 040 972.
For inormation about child support contact 131 272.
Family Relationship Advice Line
1800 050 321
People rom amilies aected by relationship or separation
issues can get inormation and reerral to support services, and
advice about parenting arrangements ater separation.
Please note: Extra charges apply to calls made rom mobile and public phones.
Family Relationships Online
www.familyrelationships.gov.au
Provides inormation about parenting arrangements ater
separation and about services that are available to help.
beyondblue: the national depression initiative , 2008.
PO Box 6100, Hawthorn West VIC 3122
T: (03) 9810 6100beyondblue ino line 1300 22 4636
F: (03) 9810 6111
W: www.beyondblue.org.au
This act sheet was produced in association with
Top Related