It's half way through Mental Health Awareness Month and locals are being encouraged to keep the conversation going.
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Headspace Bathurst provisional psychologist and youth care co-ordinator Jarred Smith believes normalising the conversation around mental health will reduce stigma and encourage people to seek help.
Although there has been progress over recent years in minimising the stigma associated with mental health, many people are still avoiding professional advice.
"49 per cent of young people would rather deal with their personal problems on their own than speak to somebody else," Mr Smith said.
"It's still something that is a challenge for a lot of young people to do.
"You go to the doctor if you've hurt your arm or you're feeling sick and it shouldn't be considered any different to seek help if your mental health is not in the right place."
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website a study in 2017-2018 reported that 30 per cent of females and over 20 per cent of males aged 15 to 24 had current long-term mental or behavioural conditions.
Mr Smith said recognising mental health problems early on is crucial for the treatment process.
Sometimes people perceive seeking help as being weak but that couldn't be further from the truth according to Mr Smith.
"I think that often people think to reach out to a psychologist you really have to be in the pits of depression or anxiety but that's not the case," he said.
"Early intervention is so important and imperative in the treatment process because if you act early you're much less likely to develop chronic or long-term issues.
"I think that normalising the conversation around mental health and seeking help is super important."
As the region begins to emerge from lockdown it's important to check in with friends and family.
Mr Smith said a big indicator that someone could be struggling with their mental health is if they're withdrawn.
Often just having someone notice and check in can feel like a weight has been lifted.
"It's all about building support around people who might feel that they don't have support there, and letting them know that they have people around to help them through points that they might be struggling with, life stresses," Mr Smith said.
"At the end of the day life stresses are always going to be there but sometimes it gets a little bit too much for us to handle on our own."
Dr Smith's tips to promote a healthy mindset are to do things you enjoy, exercise, eat well, reduce alcohol consumption and develop positive sleep hygiene.
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