Caring for your mental health

Caring for your mental health

Insights and practical advice about mental health in young people,from anxiety and depression to disordered eating.

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A week after I turned 14,I attempted suicide. Here’s what I learnt

A week after I turned 14,I attempted suicide. Here’s what I learnt

March 18,2022. It is a night I will never forget. I had been out with mates,gotten home and I was just feeling the lowest I had ever felt in my entire life. I ended up being in hospital for 16 hours.

  • byAnonymous
A few weeks ago,my teenage daughter tried to end her own life

A few weeks ago,my teenage daughter tried to end her own life

On a Friday night in March our beloved bright,super sporty,blue cheese-loving 14-year-old daughter attempted suicide. In the wee small hours when sleep evades me,when our daughter sleeps next to me,I realise I’ve learned some lessons.

  • byAnonymous
What is ‘enough’ for you? Young Australians on optimism and the future

What is ‘enough’ for you? Young Australians on optimism and the future

We asked that question of young Australians. Here’s what 12 of them said.

  • bySophie Aubrey andJewel Topsfield
‘I have a panic attack every Survival Day’:Why Western therapy wasn’t the answer for Portia

‘I have a panic attack every Survival Day’:Why Western therapy wasn’t the answer for Portia

To find true healing for her depression and anxiety,Portia Walker-Fernando has moved away from conventional Western support systems,instead leaning on methods her people have used for thousands of years.

  • bySophie Aubrey andJewel Topsfield
Melani grew addicted to the ‘trance’ of binge-eating. Then came the guilt

Melani grew addicted to the ‘trance’ of binge-eating. Then came the guilt

Melani De Sousa lived with the most common type of eating disorder for 15 years,yet the illness remains little-known and widely misunderstood.

  • bySophie Aubrey
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Alex Dalton gives advice to the parents of trans children
3:22

Alex Dalton gives advice to the parents of trans children

He always loved AFL but struggled to find opportunities to play,as a trans boy. Alex Dalton reflects on sport,mental health,friendship and coming out.

Three things Australia could do to help fix the mental health crisis

Three things Australia could do to help fix the mental health crisis

One in five Australians experience a mental health condition in a given year. So,what do experts think the incoming federal government could do to help fix the mental health crisis?

  • byJewel Topsfield
What is a panic attack and why do we have them?
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Mental health

What is a panic attack and why do we have them?

Two in five Australians will have a panic attack at some point in their life. Why do they start? What’s happening in your brain? And are they dangerous?

  • bySophie Aubrey
We’re not ‘snowflakes’:Why young people have it harder than ever

We’re not ‘snowflakes’:Why young people have it harder than ever

Today’s young people are facing challenges unimagined by previous generations. But amid their anxiety is a resilience that’s far too often overlooked.

  • byJewel Topsfield andSophie Aubrey
Breathe,talk,run:tips for managing your anxiety

Breathe,talk,run:tips for managing your anxiety

The tricks to deal with anxiety or stress often involve asking yourself specific questions. Five experts walk through their favourite strategies.

  • bySophie Aubrey