Helplines in New Zealand.

Struggling to deal with the effects of physical illness? Get support from a hotline in New Zealand

The news and reality of a physical illness can have a disruptive impact on your life. You may have trouble doing things that seemed effortless before. You may feel alone, burdensome, or isolated from your friends and family. In New Zealand there are 2 helplines you can contact for support whenever you feel:

• That life isn’t worth living, given the limitations and pain associated with your medical condition.
• Isolated from friends and family due to the physical and mental effects of your condition.
• Fear that you'll be defined by your medical condition, instead of who you really are.
• Isolated from those who don’t comprehend your discomfort or the seriousness of your condition.
• Anxiety, tension, fear, sadness and helplessness about your condition and what the future holds.
• Cut off from your family and friends who cannot understand what you are going through.
• Unsure how to process the reality of death or come to terms with your mortality.
• Depression about the life you've lost, things you cannot do, and places you cannot go.

Illness is usually unexpected, and it sometimes seems unfair. Perhaps the news or consequences of your illness has made you feel numb with shock and disappointment, or overwhelmed with powerful emotions. The inability to think straight or function may make you feel frustrated, anguished or useless. You are still valued.

You have the potential to face the challenges of illness with resilience and grace – but you do need support. By reaching to a helpline in New Zealand, you can talk with counselor or volunteer who understands the unspoken, emotional effects of physical illness. Contacting a helpline doesn't mean you're weak – it simply shows that you are human.