Health professionals often ignore their own health and delay seeking care, and this is particularly true for mental health problems. Many turn to other mechanisms to cope with stress, but this can often be more harmful. You can find support services to help manage addictive behaviours here.

  • Alcohol

    Nearly 1 in 5 Australian dental practitioners reported risky or hazardous alcohol consumption. This was higher in males, older practitioners and those working in regional or rural locations.

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  • Drugs

    Whether it’s prescription medication or illicit substances, reliance on drugs can be harmful to mental health. Up to 13% of Australian dental practitioners reported using illicit drugs at least once in the past 6 months (higher in males, younger practitioners and those who worked more clinical hours).

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  • Gambling

    Many people gamble as a way of managing anxiety. As they gamble, people often report being separated from their anxious feelings or projecting their feelings of anxiety onto the excitement they feel when they partake in their gambling activity of choice.

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  • Denial

    Denial is a type of defence mechanism that involves ignoring the reality of a situation to avoid anxiety. Defence mechanisms are strategies that people use to cope with distressing feelings.

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Alcohol occupies a significant place in Australian culture and is consumed in a wide range of social circumstances. In general, alcohol is consumed at levels of low immediate risk. However, some people may drink at levels that increase their risk of developing health problems over the course of their life, as well as increasing their risk of alcohol related injury.

One in four people (25.8% or 5 million people) aged 18 years and over exceeded the Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol in 2020-21. This includes those who either consumed more than 10 drinks in the last week and/or consumed 5 or more drinks on any day at least monthly in the last 12 months (12 occasions per year).

Want to check if your drinking is putting you at risk of harm? Take this quick, confidential assessment to find out more.

If you, your colleagues, or your loved ones are concerned about problematic drinking or alcoholism, speak to a health professional, trusted friends and family, and/or a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous.

Denial is a type of defence mechanism that involves ignoring the reality of a situation to avoid anxiety. Defence mechanisms are strategies that people use to cope with distressing feelings. In the case of denial, it can involve not acknowledging reality or denying the consequences of that reality.

If you are in denial, it often means that you are struggling to accept something that seems overwhelming or stressful. However, in the short term, this defence mechanism can have a useful purpose. It can allow you to have time to adjust to a sudden change in your reality. By giving yourself time, you might be able to accept, adapt, and eventually move on.

But denial can also cause problems in your life, particularly if it keeps you from addressing a problem or making a needed change. In some cases, it can prevent you from accepting help or getting the treatment that they need.

There are a few signs that you or someone you know might be using denial as a defence mechanism. Some common signs:

  • You refuse to talk about the problem.

  • You find ways to justify your behaviour.

  • You blame other people or outside forces for causing the problem.

  • You persist in a behaviour despite negative consequences.

  • You promise to address the problem in the future.

  • You avoid thinking about the problem.

In addition to these signs, you might find yourself feeling hopeless or helpless. On some level, you know there is a problem that needs to be addressed, but you feel that nothing you do or say will make a difference. When other people try to offer advice or help, you might brush off their concern by pretending to agree or telling them to mind their own business.

Read more about denial here.

Drugs can refer to any substance(s) other than food or water that alter the way the body functions (physically or mentally). 

People use drugs for many reasons; to relax, for enjoyment, to be part of a group, out of curiosity, as a coping mechanism or to minimise physical and/or psychological pain and trauma.

People use drugs for the benefits (perceived and/or experienced), not for the potential harm. This applies to both legal and illegal drugs. Many Australians take at least one psychoactive drug on a regular basis - they might take medication (i.e., over-the-counter or via a prescription), drink alcohol, smoke tobacco or use an illegal drug. All drugs have the potential to cause harm. As use increases, so does the potential for harm.

Drugs can be pharmaceutically manufactured and used as prescribed or recommended by health professionals, or misused (meaning “in a manner or dose other than prescribed”) which includes taking someone else’s prescription, even if for a legitimate complaint.

If you’re concerned about someone’s drug use or have reason to believe that a colleague, friend or family member is using drugs, it’s important to reach out to a professional and get some advice on how to approach the issue with them.

Many people gamble as a way of managing anxiety. As they gamble, people often report being separated from their anxious feelings or projecting their feelings of anxiety onto the excitement they feel when they partake in their gambling activity of choice. As a result, gambling can work its way into the fabric of their everyday life, and the impulse to gamble can overwhelm the rest of their lives.

Thus, for many gamblers, reducing anxiety is a prerequisite to making any changes in gambling behaviour. Fortunately, there are a number of available supports, including professional help, to assist in managing gambling problems.

Find helpful resources if you are worried about problematic gambling here: www.gamblinghelponline.org.au or call 1800 858 858.