
Let us help
Self-help is not for everyone. If you need additional support, Open Arms is here for you. Our counsellors and lived experience peers offer a safe space to talk through how you are feeling. Call Open Arms on 1800 011 046.
The most common reason for seeking Open Arms counselling is stress.
High levels of stress and anxiety are a common problem in modern society. If you or your partner have served, there’s a chance you would have experienced:
Stress affects everyone differently. What’s stressful for you, might not be for someone else. What’s important to acknowledge is that it’s how you feel.
Stress is the body’s reaction to a real or perceived threat.
This can trigger a fight-flight-freeze response in your body. You may experience:
These symptoms can happen within a few seconds, but may take a while to ‘run their course’. While the human stress response is useful in life threatening combat situations, high levels of threat or exposure to repeated threats can lead to:
We function best at medium levels of stress. Deadlines and a small amount of pressure can bring out our best work.
But, too much stress for too long can make people feel overwhelmed. It can affect quality of life and cause problems with physical and mental health. It can also lead to behaviours that are harmful to our relationships with others.
Posttraumatic stress refers to a group of reactions that can occur after someone has experienced a traumatic event.
Some steps that might help you manage stress are:
Self-help is not for everyone. If you need additional support, Open Arms is here for you. Our counsellors and lived experience peers offer a safe space to talk through how you are feeling. Call Open Arms on 1800 011 046.
Practical skills that can be used in everyday life to de-stress.