Mental health experts are urging people to seek help, as new data shows nearly half of Australian workers are feeling overwhelmed by debt.
The survey of 1,000 employed people in February showed that 45 per cent had felt overwhelmed by debt, but seven in 10 of those had not reached out for help.
Mental wellbeing, measured by a mental health index where lower scores indicate worse mental health, fell 2.4 points to 62.5, similar to a level last recorded in August 2021, when much of the population was in COVID-19 lockdowns.
Single mother Sharon Westin is one of thousands of Australian workers struggling with their mental health.
She is juggling three businesses to makes ends meet, specialising in graphic design, children's art, and art meditation classes.
Ms Westin, who rents in Melbourne's south east, was given notice to vacate her property at the end of last year after only nine months living in her new home.
It left her $11,000 in debt.
She also provides for two teenage sons who live with her for two weeks every month.
"It's just so difficult. Trying to keep my emotions or my mental health away from the children. It's my most important thing, because they're already struggling," she said.
"I don't want them to sort of, see how much difficulty I'm going through."
Grant Blashki, clinical director for mental health charity Beyond Blue, said there was a lot of stigma and embarrassment surrounding financial difficulties.
"The thing I say in the clinic, is be extra kind to yourself, because it's very easy when you've got yourself in a financial hole, to get caught up in a lot of self-blame and negative talk," he said.
He says there are several steps people can take to alleviate the stress caused by financial difficulties, that don't cost money and won't add to the financial burden.
Get help early
Allison McAleer, from mental health charity SANE, said that reaching out for support before things get too bad was important.
"Contact your landlord, energy supplier, or financial institution and let them know that you're under financial pressure and you want to work with them to resolve it," Ms McAleer said.
She also recommended researching other support options like food banks and government subsidies to see if people were eligible.
"Once you feel able, talk to a trusted friend or professional to find out what mental health support is available to you," she said.
Ms Westin has taken both of these suggestions on board, applying for help with paying utility bills and finding a sympathetic listener.
"My sister-in-law is my rock at the moment. Just talking to her. It really helps to get me through," she said.
"Money worries can be relentless," Dr Blashki said.
"And people get exhausted with the chronic wondering, and they don't make good decisions."
He suggested people carve out time to "quarantine" their worry, and said getting help early was critical.
'It's much better to pick things up and start sorting them out before you get into a really chronic depressive or chronically anxious stage," he said.
Access free counselling and debt advice
Beyond Blue runs NewAccess, a free virtual mental health coaching service offered in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, and it does not require a referral from a GP.
There is also a tailored NewAccess program for small business owners.
Dr Blashki said 70 per cent of people who used NewAccess had shown significant reductions in stress from speaking to a coach.
"It's great to speak to someone who is either from your sector, or is a small business person, or who understands where you're coming from," he said.
NewAccess is staffed by lay people who have done mental health training.
The National Debt Line on 1800 007 007 is also available to help people tackle their debt problems.
Ms McAleer said SANE's guided service offered over-the-phone and online one-to-one support for people living with complex mental health.
"The process enables one of our counsellors or peer workers to work with people in need while they achieve their set goals, using a trauma-informed and recovery-oriented approach," she said.
Both SANE and Beyond Blue have online forums where people can safely share their stories with support from mental health champions.
While all of these supports can help people in the immediate term, experts say more serious mental health problems need specialised help.
Mental health 'red flags'
Dr Blashki said people should look for "red flags" that can appear when it's time to get more specialised help.
These include being unable to sleep, getting into arguments at work or at home, complaints about work, drinking too much alcohol and withdrawing, or not answering texts and phone calls.
"Then more generally, that sense of despair and then further down the list, obviously, serious thoughts of self harm or suicide always needs to be taken seriously," he said.
He said people in these categories should see a GP or call Lifeline for help.
The Better Access program provides Medicare rebates for up to 10 sessions a year with clinical psychologists and social workers, though Ms McAleer said the demand for services outweighed supply.
"This is a troubling fact that has illustrated that we need to take small steps each day to bridge this gap," she said.
Look after yourself
Dr Blashki and Ms McAleer both urge people to take care of themselves during this time of high financial stress.
"A few great steps to address mental health concerns are to leave the house each day in order to move your body. Even if this is only for ten minutes, it's been shown to provide much broader benefits than you may first realise," Ms McAleer said.
Dr Blashki recommended avoiding excess alcohol, which he says makes things worse, and recommended trying to be "your best self" in relationships, where it can be easy to get into blaming and anger.
"If you're not getting enough sleep, you don't think well. So try and put your phone out of your bedroom overnight, plug it in somewhere else," he said.
"(Put) paper next to the bed (so) if you wake up stressing, write it down to deal with in the morning," he said.
Ms Westin has her own ways of coping with the mental health pressure caused by her financial situation.
"I try to meditate as much as I can," she said.
"Be creative, so I like to paint when I can, which helps. That's sort of like a meditation for me as well," she said.
She wants people to have compassion for what everyone is going through.
"I know all of Australia is finding it difficult at the moment, regardless of what your income is.
"But you know, I don't see myself as a poor person, but at the moment, I feel like I'm living pretty poorly."
