Posts by Mark Henderson

Jodie, 45, Brisbane, is a happily married mother to two  teenage girls who have special needs. She has battled depression since the age of 36, which she is managing with the assistance of medication. Following a traumatic and arduous battle with blood cancer in 2006, Jodie was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety in 2007.…

In 2007, Clare, then aged 16, Adelaide, broke down in tears in a singing lesson during the final year of her International Baccalaureate (IB). For some time, Clare had been struggling with feelings of hopelessness and restlessness, but mistakenly assumed this was due to the compounding stress of her studies. Confiding in her singing teacher,…

Full-time forensic science student and musician, Kayla, 19, Melbourne was diagnosed with depression at 14 years of age following a medical issue that significantly compromised her health and wellbeing. The illness took a great toll on Kayla’s daily life, affecting her mood, preventing her from completing her school work, and rendering her unable to secure…

For much of his life, Sean, 29, Melbourne has battled the so-called “black dog.” At age 11, Sean, together with his family, undertook a group psychology session, in order to work through the emotional baggage that was crippling their family dynamic. Despite their best efforts however, by the time Sean celebrated his 13th birthday, his…

In April 2010, while working as a probation officer in London, Carly, then 29, slipped a disc in her back, which rendered her at home, unable to work or exercise. Prior to her injury, Carly had used exercise as a “coping” mechanism, given she had just emerged from a challenging relationship, and a year earlier,…

On November 5, 2010, then 28-year-old marketing manager, Leola, Sydney was in the bathroom at work, when she collapsed and fell to the floor. After waking up eight hours later in hospital, Leola was shocked to learn she had experienced a near-fatal brain aneurysm – a terrifying ordeal which would soon lead to a diagnosis of…