Get support
Open Arms counsellors and staff understand veteran and military culture. We can provide the specialised support and care you need.
Open Arms can help you with:
- Relationship and family issues
- Transitioning to civilian life
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Anger
- Sleep difficulties
- PTSD
- Alcohol or substance misuse.
Together, we can find effective solutions to improve your mental health and wellbeing.
Free and confidential counselling, and group programs
Open Arms offers individual, couples and family counselling, and group programs to help current and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families.
Some of the warning signs
If you, or someone you know is feeling or behaving differently for an extended period of time and experiencing the warning signs below, it’s time to talk.
- Feeling stressed out, on edge or flat
- Withdrawing from social events
- Losing interest in intimacy
- Thoughts of hopelessness or suicide
- A general sense of nervousness
- Feelings of panic or being overwhelmed
- Frequent distressing thoughts or memories
- Feeling irritable, angry or aggressive (including road rage)
- Changes to sleep patterns
- Difficulties falling or staying asleep
- Regular nightmares
- Increased conflict in relationships, including with children
- Difficulties concentrating or managing everyday tasks
- Increased or excessive use of alcohol (including binge drinking)
- Abuse of prescription or illegal drugs
- Avoiding social activities and friends
- Loss of interest in activities that were important or enjoyable before, including intimacy
- Physical symptoms including headaches unrelated to an existing injury or illness, or unexplained aches and tension
- Difficulty coping or planning ahead, or continuing day-to-day activities
- Reduced self-confidence
- Feeling unsafe for no apparent reason
Community webinars
Open Arms webinars draw on the lived experience of members of the veteran and ex-service community, coupled with the expertise of clinical professionals.
Our webinars are designed to start a discussion on how to identify, treat and recover from military trauma.
We can help
Help is available and help can make all the difference. Call Open Arms on 1800 011 046.