Bronwyn, 21, Bundoora

Hobbies: drawing, soccer, basketball, supporting Geelong cats and spending time with friends.

Tell us about your depression.

I was first diagnosed with clinical depression when I was 15 years old and I had just started Year 11 VCE. This was not my first experience of depression and anxiety, as I had been showing symptoms of withdrawal, depressive mood swings, suicidal feelings and loss of appetite over the past two years before this. It was hard to fathom that I had depression, as I didn’t know much about it because it was a taboo topic in the country town where I grew up.

I have always been a really outgoing, social and happy person. My parents thought these changes were due to me being a moody teenager as I didn’t tell them about my diagnosis and true feelings for quite some time.

I am now in my last year of university, I see my GP and psychiatrist regularly, play sport each week and have a strong support network of family and close friends. It hasn’t been an easy journey, but once I started seeking treatment and found a doctor who I was comfortable with, I found myself progressing forwards and I now live my life as fully as I can. I accept that I will still have bad days and need to take it easy to manage my health.

What do young people need to know about staying mentally healthy?

I have found physical exercise helps me keep calm and releases built up tension and stress. Regular check ups with your doctor are important. And then there is the obvious benefit of getting a good night’s sleep and maintaining a healthy diet. We hear it so often, but it does make a huge difference to mental health if you are looking after your physical health.

What does Live it Now! mean to you?
For me, it means live life as it comes and to try to keep positive when things look bad. Life isn’t always a smooth ride and can get pretty bumpy, but just tighten your grip and hold on, because the good moments do outweigh the bad.

It won’t always be easy, but you should always push through the hard days, because when the sun comes out, it feels great, and you really appreciate the things you’ve achieved through it all.

And the best thing about being a young person?
The energy and enthusiasm I have about my future and the many things I want to do. We live in a world full of so many opportunities that I’m always thinking of new adventures. Although I don’t want time to fly by and I want to live every moment, I just get really excited about the prospect of going overseas and travelling, graduating from university, landing a great job and just experiencing life to the full extent.