Story Submission by Ross, Age 19 In early 2012 I went to Brisbane to stay with my brother for a month, as something of a holiday over the Christmas period. A few days before we left home, I had started noticing bouts of shortness of breath and an impending feeling, but I couldn’t quite explain...
Story Submission by Kimmie, Age 18 I used to wake up every morning and wonder if there was any point in getting out of bed and starting the day I had ahead of me. I avoided social situations and had self-image issues. I was scared of everything and didn’t want to live my life anymore....
Story Submission by Tracey, Age 25 I’ve suffered depression since I was 15. From my diagnosis until I was 18 years old, I did everything I possibly could to ease my emotional pain. I found that causing physical pain to myself gave me a release, albeit only very little. I fell in love when I...
Story Submission by Mark, Age 23 I never thought it would happen to me; the world we live in makes us think that depression and anxiety are terrible things, but you never really stop to think about how often it happens or how serious it really is. On the surface I was friendly and outgoing,...
Story Submission by Wayne, Age 52 The thing that saddens me about doing this is reading through the previous submissions and seeing the age of the people; all under 30 years old. But the best thing about reading them is that they’re still here to write about it. I’m Wayne, I’m 52 years old and...
Just over 1 week ago, it was reported that actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found deceased in the apartment of his bathroom from an apparent drug overdose. He left behind his partner of 15 years, Mimi O’Donnell and their 3 children, Tallulah, Willa and Cooper Alexander. Hoffman was the 2006 Oscar winner for Best Actor...
Australian Olympic swimming legend Ian Thorpe has reportedly returned to his family home from rehab whilst battling depression and alcohol abuse. Last week it was reported that Thorpe was admitted into hospital following a shoulder injury due to a fall and was released from medical care not long after. His friends have revealed that Thorpe...
Almost 20 years ago, writer Andrew Solomon fell into a deep depression. In this TED talk, he speaks eloquently and openly about his struggle with “the family secret we all share,” but that no one wants to talk about. If you are a human or know a human, you have to watch this talk. “The opposite...
Story Submission by Chris, Age 19 I started feeling depressed about 6 years ago. I was young and I had no idea what was going on. I was terrified. I didn’t want to tell anyone because I thought I was a freak, so I hid it. I tried and I tried to force it back...
Story Submission by Anonymous, Age 18 From a young age, I’ve always felt down but never knew why. I have never told anyone. I’ve kept it bottled up inside and perhaps this is why I come off as aggressive at times. I used to be bullied at school. I never had the best time at...
Story Submission by Anonymous, Age 16 I can’t remember how long I’ve suffered from depression for but I can remember how dull and dark my days used to be. Depression is something you don’t realise you have until after a while or when you read about the symptoms of the disease. For me, getting out...
A message from Berty – Soon the clock will tick over and 2012 will have begun. A brand new year and at times I’m sure you will face up to a few battles. Because I am human and you are too. We all wake to the human condition of living with problems of pain. I’ve...
