When faced with life's challenges we all find our own ways of coping and we often do the best we can with what we've got. Sometimes this is enough, but at other times it's not and the problems we may be facing just don't seem to go away. Often we just don't know what else we can do.

If this sounds like how you feel at the moment, there are people and services that are available to help you.

• Lifeline is a telephone counselling service (ph: 13 11 14). You can call and speak to a counsellor anonymously. They are there to listen and to help you through the times when you may have no one else to talk to. They are available 24 hours a day.
  
• Your doctor is also a good person to speak to. Doctors see many patients a day who are trying to cope with difficult life situations or health problems. Your doctor may know of services in your area that can help you to work through your current situation. These may include psychological services.
  
• Psychological services are there to help you if you need to talk to someone about what is happening in your life. Remember, psychologists are just people like you and me, but they have special training in helping people deal with many life situations. They may give you a different perspective on your situation; strategies for coping; or they may just act as a sounding board for you to get all your thoughts and feelings off your chest! It's also good to remember that you do not have talk about anything that you do not want to talk about. It's all up to you and you can take it as slow or as fast as you like.
  
• Friends and family can be great sources of support when we least expect it. Some friends or family members may be better listeners than others and some may be more understanding. As such, it's important to choose the right person and the right time to tell them what's happening in your life. Sometimes we avoid telling family and friends because we don't want to burden them with our problems. It can be helpful to think about how you would feel if the situation was reversed. That is, if you had a friend who was struggling with a problem or with how they were feeling about life, I am sure you would want them to tell you so that you could help or be there for them when they need it. Your friends and family probably feel the same way about you.
  
• Websites such as beyondblue, the Black Dog Institute, and Ybblue may also have some information on ways to better understand and cope with how you are feeling.

Remember, don't try and cope with everything on your own. Seeking help is a powerful thing to do as it is the first step to making a change. As a wise man once said, if you do not change anything, nothing will change.