Anxiety, Worry and Physical Illness

There can be significant distress and anxiety involved when diagnosed with a serious illness. But imagine you already suffer from anxiety - a new diagnosis might be all it takes to completely immobilise you. Geoff Ahern urges you, as part of your job, his job, all of our jobs, to simply listen to your patient, help them understand why they're feeling this way, and provide them with reassurance. One of your greatest tools as a health professional is your ability to listen to your patient - will you listen when it's needed?

Geoffrey Ahern is a senior mental health clinician and educator who splits his time between working with people in a mental health crisis in the ED setting and working proactively to educate other health professionals and the community about how to better understand mental health problems, as well as substance use and addiction. Over the years, he has gained extensive experience in emergency and trauma, rural nursing, alcohol and other drug counselling, and psychiatric nursing across both the public and private sectors. He holds a masters of health science (mental health and addiction). Geoff is particularly fascinated by the impact that exercise, nutrition, community, meaning and purpose, and practices like yoga have on a person’s mental health, as well as living a simple life of reflection, contentment and wonderment.