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Rebecca Gibney: 'We need to shine a light on mental health'

"You can only really look after others when you look after yourself," says actress Rebecca Gibney. Photo: Michelle Holden


For many years, Rebecca Gibney remained silent about the anxiety that plagued her since she was a teenager.

Experiencing severe anxiety from the age of 15 until her early 30s, Gibney, who turned 50 last year, initially kept her struggles to herself.

“In those days no-one really talked about anxiety, we just thought ‘Well I’m a bit stressed, so I’ll just deal with it on my own’,” she says in the latest issue of Prevention, on sale today. “Then of course the anxiety got worse and worse and culminated in bit of an emotional collapse in my early 30s.”

More: Eight steps to manage daily anxiety

With a supportive family and a career going from strength to strength, the much-loved Aussie actress found it challenging to share what she was going through with those closest to her. “I couldn’t explain it because on the surface my life looked perfect,” she says. “I had a wonderful job, great friends and a fabulous family, so consequently I felt guilty.”

Mental health conditions don’t just affect a handful of Australians. According to Beyond Blue, it’s estimated that nearly half of us will experience a mental health condition at some point in our lives. According to Beyond Blue One in six will experience depression; one in four will deal with anxiety and almost one in 10 women experience antenatal depression.

Gallery: Five steps to a calmer you



But despite their prevalence, mental health issues are something many of us struggle to talk about. And that’s something Gibney wants to see change.

She wishes she had sought help for her anxiety earlier than she did, and believes that having frank and open conversations about mental health is the best way to raise awareness. “We need to make it something that’s like going to a doctor for a physical problem,” she says. “We need to shine a light on mental health so that people who are suffering feel like they aren’t alone.”

More: 9 ways to prevent depression

While it has been a long time since Gibney had an anxiety attack, learning to manage them taught her the necessity of making time to care for herself, and how important it is to reach out to others who might be struggling with their mental health. “Often people can’t talk about it, but knowing there is someone there when they are ready to talk, that can really make the world of difference.”

Need to talk? Call Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14

National Prevention Week (March 23 to 29) is a nation-wide initiative of Prevention Magazine, with ambassadors including Rebecca Gibney, Michelle Bridges, Natarsha Belling and Chris Bath. Read their full stories in Prevention magazine's April/May issue on sale now.

Watch: Our exclusive behind the scenes video from this year's amazing shoot.