When you think about your health cover, you probably imagine using it for a visit to the physio or a check-up at the dentist. But the beauty of health extras is that you can use your protection for coverage across a range of different treatments, providers and disciplines. From acupuncture and remedial massage to gynaecology, the range of options in Australia is growing by the year.
Having health extras can help cover the cost of the support services you need – when you need them. In recent years, many Australians are using this as an opportunity to support their wellbeing and access mental health treatments – a challenge more and more people are now facing.
How many people in Australia face mental health challenges?
If you’re struggling with your own mental health, you’re certainly not alone. The 2021 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing estimated that over 2 in 5 Australians aged 16 to 85 had experienced a mental disorder during their lifetime. 1 in 5 people who had experienced a mental disorder had symptoms in the 12 months before the survey interview.
There are plenty of different factors that can contribute to mental health challenges. In the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a huge contributor for millions. Estimates put the rise in both anxiety and depressive disorders at more than 25 percent during the first year of the pandemic alone.
So how can you put your mental health first? In this article, we’ll cover three ways you might not have known that your extras can help you look after your mental health.
3 ways you can use extras to support your mental health
Consultations with a hypnotherapist
Hypnosis, hypnotherapy and hypnotic suggestion are all different names for the same type of therapy – one that puts people into a trance-like state to make them more receptive to suggestions. The treatment has spanned hundreds of years and its goal is to help a person learn how to better control their state of awareness by reaching a new realm of relaxation.
For those tackling mental health challenges, hypnotherapy performed by a clinical hypnotherapist can be used to treat a range of concerns, including:
- Phobias
- Sleeping problems
- Unhealthy vices
- Low self-confidence
Natural human variability means that some people are more open to suggestibility and hypnosis than others. However, the general research finds this treatment is quite successful for anxiety and depression – particularly when implemented as a complementary treatment alongside other practices. With extras cover, you can incorporate hypnotherapy into your support plan and maximise the likelihood of seeing success without adding any financial stress to your plate.
Find the right psychologist for you
There are lots of different reasons you may consider speaking to a psychologist but seeing results is all about finding the right professional – someone that you click with and feel comfortable opening up to. When looking for the one, questions worth asking yourself are: Why am I looking to see a psychologist? Am I feeling anxious? Depressed? Angry? Does it concern my relationship (s)? And if you don’t know the answers to these questions, that’s okay too! Identifying the underlying issue is just one step in the process.
The beauty of having extras cover is that it opens the door to many more options. You’ll still have access to the Medicare subsidised providers through the Mental Health Care program, but you’ll also have the ability to reach out to private operators without having to dip into your savings. This added layer of protection means you can take a little more time getting to know your options, chatting to different psychologists from a range of clinics and building out a long term support plan together.
Look into sleep therapies
There is a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Living with a mental health problem can affect how well you sleep, and poor sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health. Despite knowing how important sleep is for us, the Sleep Health Foundation found more than half of adult Australians suffer from at least one chronic sleep problem that affects their ability to live a healthy, happy life.
So, how can we help you get a better night’s sleep? There are specialists out there just for you! Sleep psychologists are skilled in the use of a range of general and sleep-specific psychological, behavioural, physiological and cognitive tests to assess and diagnose sleep and related disorders. Not only will these professionals help pinpoint the problem, they can also provide the skills, knowledge and guidance you need to get back on track.
For many, it’s a health service that feels out of reach. Whether it’s access, funds or simply awareness, the rates of adoption remain low – while the success rates are much higher. It’s a scenario that simply wasn’t adding up to us, which is why we encourage our customers to explore the possibilities of sleep therapists through their extras account or connect with the right providers through our database.
Mental health support with ExtrasJar
At ExtrasJar, we’re on a mission to protect the health of your entire family. We realise that every person is different, and that means they’ll connect with different treatments. We’ve designed an extras program for exactly that!
Simply sign up for an account, choose your package and then enjoy the absolute freedom of spending your funds on the treatments you want – no annoying caps, no restrictions and no catches. It’s really that simple.
