Australia's National Prison Newspaper

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Prison Newspaper

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ISSUE NO. 6

December 2024

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Reintegration

Dealing With Anxiety and Depression on Release

Helpful tips for managing your mental health when it comes to ‘gate fever’, release and adjusting to life on the outside.

The Community Restorative Centre is the lead provider of specialist throughcare, post-release and reintegration programs for people transitioning from prison into the community in NSW.

'Going Home Anxieties' by Tony, Boom Gate Gallery

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Do you have ‘gate fever’?

It’s normal to feel anxiety or ‘gate fever’ as the date of your release approaches. This is more likely the longer you’ve been inside. As well as feeling excited about your release, you may also be feeling fearful that something will go wrong so that your release will be delayed, or that you won’t be able to make it once you’re released. You may even notice physical signs of anxiety, like difficulty sleeping, obsessive thoughts or feelings of agitation and restlessness.

Here are some tips about dealing with the emotional side of being released.

They don’t know where you’ve been

You may feel like everyone can tell you’ve been in prison and that they have you marked out. But after a while you will realise that most people are too busy thinking about what’s going on for themselves to pay much attention to any signs you feel may give away where you’ve been. You will gradually stop feeling so separate and different and worried that people will find out.

It’s normal for people to look you in the eye

In prison you learn to look away so no one will get the wrong idea and think you want to take them on. It may feel uncomfortable when people look you in the eye when you get out, and it will likely take some time for you to adjust to this. Remind yourself that it’s normal for people to look you in the eye now that you’re out.

Not everything is personal

It can be difficult to respond to behaviour that feels personal when you’re released, when a lot of what happens on the inside has been personal.

When things don’t go your way, it can help to pause and think about what else might have caused the situation, like “they’re having a bad day”, “they don’t know me”, or “I know I did what I could”. This can help you distance yourself and not take things personally.

You forget how busy and noisy things are

Driving away from prison at 60kph may feel like speeding, and even crossing the road can be a challenge, so take things slowly, and be careful until you get used to it all again.

You can stop watching your back

You may have to unlearn lots of things you did in prison to make sure you were safe. When out in public, you may need to learn to relax, and not check everybody out to see where they are and what they are going to do.

Don’t push yourself too fast

Pace yourself and don’t try to do everything at once.

It helps to get out of the house

You may feel anxious around other people and not want to go out much. Try going out once a day, even just to go to the shops, or go for a walk, and after a while it may get easier to go to more places and stay out for longer.

You have to learn to make decisions again

This can be anxiety-provoking, as on the inside, most of your decisions were made for you and you may be out of practice. Let others help you and try not to worry too much about getting things right all the time. It can take a long time to get used to having so many choices and deciding for yourself again.

Ask for help dealing with anxiety and depression

If anxiety or depression are making it hard to get on with life, see a doctor and talk to them about what you’re experiencing and what may work best for you. It may be helpful for you to take prescription medication for a period of time,or to talk through your feelings with a doctor, a counselor or health professional. While using drugs or alcohol may make you feel better for a brief time, they are not helpful or sustainable long-term..

Signs that you may be anxious include:

  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Feeling restless and agitated
  • Feeling sick
  • Losing your appetite
  • Panic attacks (feeling sweaty, shortness of breath, heart racing).
  • Signs that you may be depressed include:
  • Feeling continually sad and hopeless
  • Not being able to enjoy anything in life (it all seems ‘grey’ or pointless)
  • Having a lot of negative thoughts about life and yourself
  • Lacking motivation to do anything, even to get out of bed
  • Losing your appetite, or overeating
  • Being unable to sleep, or sleeping too much
  • Thoughts of suicide.

You can expect to have some of these feelings as you adjust to life outside. However, if you find these feelings go on for more than a couple of months, or become so severe that you’re unable to function as you normally would (feed yourself, meet parole commitments, etc), then seek help. Talk to your doctor or a social worker you trust. You can also call the services at the end of this article.

Keeping Your Cool

After you leave prison you may have lots of reasons to lose your cool, especially in the first few months when plans might fall through, people don’t understand what you’re adjusting to, or you have to wait for things you need now.

Keeping your cool can help you keep your freedom. If you can find ways to avoid “getting aggro” with others, it’s worth it in the long run. It may help to:

  • Remind yourself about what could happen if you lose it
  • Take time out
  • Take 10 deep breaths
  • Stay away from people or places that cause you to get aggro
  • Find ways to relax and stay calm
  • Anger management courses can help you learn more ways to manage your behaviour.

There’s plenty to be frustrated about when you come out of prison. Particularly in the first couple of months, you may find yourself under intense pressure. Things will go wrong, fall through, or take longer than expected. You may feel like you’re constantly hitting your head against a brick wall. If you ‘lose it’ and lash out at someone, whether it’s your partner, your kids, a social worker, or someone at the pub who you think is looking at you the wrong way, the consequences may see you end up back inside. Here are some tips from people who’ve found ways to keep their cool, even when times are tough.

Positive self-talk

Learn positive self-talk

You just get worked up if you let yourself think things like “they’ve got it coming to them”. Instead, say to yourself “I won’t let this get to me”, “I can handle this”, or just “chill”. Positive self-talk can help you to stay calm.

Think about the consequences

Think about what will happen if you lose your cool and remind yourself there’s no way you want to lose your freedom. Then when you’ve walked away, give yourself a little pat on the back for keeping it together.

Time out

Sometimes you’ll just have to walk away from the situation. Go somewhere else, or for a walk until you feel calmer.

Take some deep breaths

If you take some deep, slow breaths, it can really help calm you down. If you notice yourself getting worked up because you start breathing faster, stop and take 10 slow, calm breaths.

Danger signs

Learn to read your warning signs, so you can remove yourself  from the situation, or if you can’t leave, try to calm things down. Warning signs can be when you hear your voice getting louder, or you start to feel hot and sweaty. Knowing how your body reacts, and recognising your response, can help you take action to calm down and stay in control.

True strength

Acknowledge that it takes a really strong person to be in control of their feelings and take charge of their life, and that makes you strong for trying. If you let other people wind you up, you’re really just letting them run your show.

Be assertive

Be assertive, rather than aggressive. This means talking about what you want, without shouting at people or trying to scare or threaten them. You don’t have to use force to get your point across. Being assertive but not aggressive can lead to people engaging with you more and you getting what you need or want, because they don’t feel frightened or threatened.  

Do things to help you relax

Find activities that help you relax. This could be working out, walking, swimming, participating in a sport or finding a hobby that keeps your mind and hands occupied, like painting, wood work or gardening. Finding activities that relax you can help you to feel focused and calm, and channel your energy into something positive. Be prepared.

Try to think ahead and avoid problems. If you’re already feeling worked up, try to stay away from people and places that might make you feel worse. If you know that you have to go somewhere or do something that might stress you out, take some time to relax first to help you have a clear head and a calm attitude.

Services that can help you:

  • Lifeline: 13 11 14
  • Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
  • Mindspot: 1800 61 44 34
  • Head to Health: 1800 595 212
  • Mensline Australia: 1300 78 99 78
  • Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
  • 13Yarn (for Aboriginal and Torres
  • Strait Islander people): 13 92 76
  • QLife (for LGBTQIA+ people): 1800 184 527

Do you have ‘gate fever’?

It’s normal to feel anxiety or ‘gate fever’ as the date of your release approaches. This is more likely the longer you’ve been inside. As well as feeling excited about your release, you may also be feeling fearful that something will go wrong so that your release will be delayed, or that you won’t be able to make it once you’re released. You may even notice physical signs of anxiety, like difficulty sleeping, obsessive thoughts or feelings of agitation and restlessness.

Here are some tips about dealing with the emotional side of being released.

They don’t know where you’ve been

You may feel like everyone can tell you’ve been in prison and that they have you marked out. But after a while you will realise that most people are too busy thinking about what’s going on for themselves to pay much attention to any signs you feel may give away where you’ve been. You will gradually stop feeling so separate and different and worried that people will find out.

It’s normal for people to look you in the eye

In prison you learn to look away so no one will get the wrong idea and think you want to take them on. It may feel uncomfortable when people look you in the eye when you get out, and it will likely take some time for you to adjust to this. Remind yourself that it’s normal for people to look you in the eye now that you’re out.

Not everything is personal

It can be difficult to respond to behaviour that feels personal when you’re released, when a lot of what happens on the inside has been personal.

When things don’t go your way, it can help to pause and think about what else might have caused the situation, like “they’re having a bad day”, “they don’t know me”, or “I know I did what I could”. This can help you distance yourself and not take things personally.

You forget how busy and noisy things are

Driving away from prison at 60kph may feel like speeding, and even crossing the road can be a challenge, so take things slowly, and be careful until you get used to it all again.

You can stop watching your back

You may have to unlearn lots of things you did in prison to make sure you were safe. When out in public, you may need to learn to relax, and not check everybody out to see where they are and what they are going to do.

Don’t push yourself too fast

Pace yourself and don’t try to do everything at once.

It helps to get out of the house

You may feel anxious around other people and not want to go out much. Try going out once a day, even just to go to the shops, or go for a walk, and after a while it may get easier to go to more places and stay out for longer.

You have to learn to make decisions again

This can be anxiety-provoking, as on the inside, most of your decisions were made for you and you may be out of practice. Let others help you and try not to worry too much about getting things right all the time. It can take a long time to get used to having so many choices and deciding for yourself again.

Ask for help dealing with anxiety and depression

If anxiety or depression are making it hard to get on with life, see a doctor and talk to them about what you’re experiencing and what may work best for you. It may be helpful for you to take prescription medication for a period of time,or to talk through your feelings with a doctor, a counselor or health professional. While using drugs or alcohol may make you feel better for a brief time, they are not helpful or sustainable long-term..

Signs that you may be anxious include:

  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Feeling restless and agitated
  • Feeling sick
  • Losing your appetite
  • Panic attacks (feeling sweaty, shortness of breath, heart racing).
  • Signs that you may be depressed include:
  • Feeling continually sad and hopeless
  • Not being able to enjoy anything in life (it all seems ‘grey’ or pointless)
  • Having a lot of negative thoughts about life and yourself
  • Lacking motivation to do anything, even to get out of bed
  • Losing your appetite, or overeating
  • Being unable to sleep, or sleeping too much
  • Thoughts of suicide.

You can expect to have some of these feelings as you adjust to life outside. However, if you find these feelings go on for more than a couple of months, or become so severe that you’re unable to function as you normally would (feed yourself, meet parole commitments, etc), then seek help. Talk to your doctor or a social worker you trust. You can also call the services at the end of this article.

Keeping Your Cool

After you leave prison you may have lots of reasons to lose your cool, especially in the first few months when plans might fall through, people don’t understand what you’re adjusting to, or you have to wait for things you need now.

Keeping your cool can help you keep your freedom. If you can find ways to avoid “getting aggro” with others, it’s worth it in the long run. It may help to:

  • Remind yourself about what could happen if you lose it
  • Take time out
  • Take 10 deep breaths
  • Stay away from people or places that cause you to get aggro
  • Find ways to relax and stay calm
  • Anger management courses can help you learn more ways to manage your behaviour.

There’s plenty to be frustrated about when you come out of prison. Particularly in the first couple of months, you may find yourself under intense pressure. Things will go wrong, fall through, or take longer than expected. You may feel like you’re constantly hitting your head against a brick wall. If you ‘lose it’ and lash out at someone, whether it’s your partner, your kids, a social worker, or someone at the pub who you think is looking at you the wrong way, the consequences may see you end up back inside. Here are some tips from people who’ve found ways to keep their cool, even when times are tough.

Positive self-talk

Learn positive self-talk

You just get worked up if you let yourself think things like “they’ve got it coming to them”. Instead, say to yourself “I won’t let this get to me”, “I can handle this”, or just “chill”. Positive self-talk can help you to stay calm.

Think about the consequences

Think about what will happen if you lose your cool and remind yourself there’s no way you want to lose your freedom. Then when you’ve walked away, give yourself a little pat on the back for keeping it together.

Time out

Sometimes you’ll just have to walk away from the situation. Go somewhere else, or for a walk until you feel calmer.

Take some deep breaths

If you take some deep, slow breaths, it can really help calm you down. If you notice yourself getting worked up because you start breathing faster, stop and take 10 slow, calm breaths.

Danger signs

Learn to read your warning signs, so you can remove yourself  from the situation, or if you can’t leave, try to calm things down. Warning signs can be when you hear your voice getting louder, or you start to feel hot and sweaty. Knowing how your body reacts, and recognising your response, can help you take action to calm down and stay in control.

True strength

Acknowledge that it takes a really strong person to be in control of their feelings and take charge of their life, and that makes you strong for trying. If you let other people wind you up, you’re really just letting them run your show.

Be assertive

Be assertive, rather than aggressive. This means talking about what you want, without shouting at people or trying to scare or threaten them. You don’t have to use force to get your point across. Being assertive but not aggressive can lead to people engaging with you more and you getting what you need or want, because they don’t feel frightened or threatened.  

Do things to help you relax

Find activities that help you relax. This could be working out, walking, swimming, participating in a sport or finding a hobby that keeps your mind and hands occupied, like painting, wood work or gardening. Finding activities that relax you can help you to feel focused and calm, and channel your energy into something positive. Be prepared.

Try to think ahead and avoid problems. If you’re already feeling worked up, try to stay away from people and places that might make you feel worse. If you know that you have to go somewhere or do something that might stress you out, take some time to relax first to help you have a clear head and a calm attitude.

Services that can help you:

  • Lifeline: 13 11 14
  • Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
  • Mindspot: 1800 61 44 34
  • Head to Health: 1800 595 212
  • Mensline Australia: 1300 78 99 78
  • Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
  • 13Yarn (for Aboriginal and Torres
  • Strait Islander people): 13 92 76
  • QLife (for LGBTQIA+ people): 1800 184 527

Getting a Job After Prison

Getting a Job After Prison

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By VACRO
By VACRO

Getting a job after prison is hard for most people. If you had a job before you went in, you may not be able to go back to it, or you might not want to.

Reintegration

ISSUE NO. 8

10 MIN READ

Identification

Identification

Identification

By About Time
By About Time

We all need identification. Identification (or ID) is a document that proves who you are.

Reintegration

ISSUE NO. 4

13 MIN READ

Studying After Prison

Studying After Prison

Studying After Prison

By Community Restorative Centre
By Community Restorative Centre

Studying after you leave prison may be a good option to help you learn new skills and give you more options and opportunities for employment. Studying can also help keep you motivated after leaving prison.

Reintegration

ISSUE NO. 5

7 MIN READ

Survival on the Outside: Family and Children

Survival on the Outside: Family and Children

Survival on the Outside: Family and Children

By Community Restorative Centre
By Community Restorative Centre

If you’re returning to your partner, it’s normal to feel anxious about living together again. Talk about your hopes and plans before release and keep talking once you go home. Listen to them, and get help early if you’re having relationship problems.

Reintegration

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Getting a Job After Prison

By VACRO

Getting a job after prison is hard for most people. If you had a job before you went in, you may not be able to go back to it, or you might not want to.

Reintegration

ISSUE NO. 8

10 MIN READ

Starting Fresh: A Journey to Reintegration and New Beginnings

By Whitney Collis

For many of us, the idea of re-entering society after incarceration can feel like standing at a crossroad, unsure of which way to go.

Reintegration

ISSUE NO. 7

6 MIN READ

Studying After Prison

By Community Restorative Centre

Studying after you leave prison may be a good option to help you learn new skills and give you more options and opportunities for employment. Studying can also help keep you motivated after leaving prison.

Reintegration

ISSUE NO. 5

7 MIN READ

Identification

By About Time

We all need identification. Identification (or ID) is a document that proves who you are.

Reintegration

ISSUE NO. 4

13 MIN READ

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About Time.

A place for news and education, expression and hope.

Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.

Donate Here

Newsletter

Be the first to learn about our monthly stories, plus new initiatives and live events

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Something went wrong when we tried to register your details. Please try again.