Mental health and wellbeing

It is not uncommon for people to experience emotional distress following a road accident and it is considered part of the healing process. 

When recovering from a traumatic event, it is important to look after yourself.

If you’re feeling distressed or anxious, it is easy to neglect basic needs such as getting enough sleep, eating balanced meals, implementing exercise into your schedule, and staying social. 

Mental health includes your emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. Maintaining good mental health helps with your:

• coping mechanism or dealing with different levels of stress
• productivity at home and at work
• engagement with the community 
• relationship with family and friends

If you have any concerns about your mental health, we encourage you to talk with your doctor who may refer you to a specialist, such as a psychologist, for counselling support or to see a psychiatrist who can also prescribe drug therapies. 

MAC will cover necessary and reasonable treatment for psychological injuries resulting from your road accident. Please talk with your TIO MAC case manager who can assist you with approval for the treatments you may require.

Healthdirect is a national, government-owned, not-for-profit service that supports Australians in managing their own health and wellbeing. They provide information about post-traumatic stress disorder and a list of websites that you can access with further information and resources.   

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

There are a range of other supports available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week which can assist you in your local state or territory if you have an acute need to speak with someone:

• Beyond Blue — call 1300 22 4636
• headspace — call 1800 650 890
• ReachOut.com (youth mental health service)
• MensLine Australia (men only) — call 1300 78 99 78
• SANE Australia — call 1800 18 7263
• Lifeline — call 13 11 14
• Suicide Call Back Service — call 1300 659 467
• Mental Health NT - Grief, loss, or trauma (mentalhealthnt.com.au)
• FriendLine supports anyone who's feeling lonely, needs to reconnect or just wants a chat. You can call them 7 days a week on 1800 424 287, or chat online with one of their trained volunteers. All conversations with FriendLine are anonymous.
• Kids Helpline — call 1800 55 1800

In case of an emergency, please call 000. 

If you need urgent care, please go to the emergency department at your local hospital.