Fiona – I was 18 going on 19 years of age I just left home to go down to go to university and I was down there probably for about six months and things weren’t right.I wasn’t quite sure what was wrong I just felt sick all the time I felt really angry, I just struggled to get out of bed. I just didn’t feel free.
Claire – I was working very long hours I was quite isolated, I was living about an hour and a half away from my family and things just became quite overwhelming and to the point where I wasn’t really able to cope.
Barry – I was really enjoying going around to these obscure Whistlestop libraries feeling really good and until one particular evening, then I guess the depression or the anxiety simultaneously snuck up on me and it was like being hit with a feather. I just I was baking in a large library all of a sudden I lost my history I lost my way I lost my voice.
Danielle – My depression came on through circumstantial things that happened in my life my dad committed suicide I broke up in a long-term relationship I was accused of stealing money and I was chugging along okay until I did a knee injury and up until that point exercise had been I suppose my way of coping and when that was taken away from me I floundered very badly I just wasn’t able to sleep I wasn’t able to eat I didn’t want to do things that I normally did I was crying a lot I but still saying there’s nothing wrong with me.
Kevin – I didn’t notice until people pointed out to me that I was having socialising problems I was getting angry I didn’t realise that you know it’s just and I just thought that was it’s just life.
John – After a while I realised it wasn’t normal to wake up in the morning and have these as her feelings of helplessness and and you know this blue sort of cloud that would envelop me and and then realise that you know I should start speaking to someone and only then I start speaking to family and friends and started to realise it hang on a minute this is not normal behaviour and there are other people out there that that are in the same situation.
By the time I sought help I was hardly able to function effectively I was scared to go outside scared to go to you know to it to work I didn’t have the confidence to to get a job to study I couldn’t keep my my thoughts together enough to to read or to write.
Barry – ……and they said you’ve got clinical depression and serious anxiety and they gave me a referral to a city clinic.
Danielle: then I was hospitalised and that that that and my mum just saying no we’re not gonna you can’t push me away can’t keep pushing me away we’re gonna talk with this we’re gonna deal with it that started my road to recovery so I then had to admit to myself that yes I did have a depression and then I started in conjunction with medication I also had some counselling as well and that started me on my road to recovery.
Claire…..and it wasn’t until I my depressive symptoms reduced and I was able to engage in therapy that I actually then accepted the diagnosis and acknowledged that that I did have an illness.
Fiona……they diagnosed me with having depression and I was in counseling for a long and on medication and that’s how it all started.