Jeremy, 22, Jerrabomberra (Canberra)

Hobbies: Photography, DJing.

What was your experience of depression?

A few years ago, my father lost his battle with terminal cancer and we laid him to rest. After the grieving process, when life was meant to return to normal, things steadily got worse. I lost my passion, motivation and all of my energy. Some days were so tough, just getting out of bed was a morning-long struggle. The ups came less often and the downs lasted weeks at a time.

After an incident of self-harming, I realised I desperately needed help and spoke to my doctor. We talked about what was happening in my life and made plans to improve and monitor my mental health. Soon I began to recover, and I got my life back on track. These days managing my mental health is a lot easier and I keep myself resilient when things get tough.

What do you think young people need to know about keeping mentally healthy?

Keeping mentally healthy is a lot like keeping fit. Our minds are just like our bodies, and in the same way that we eat right, exercise, play sport or hit the gym to keep our bodies healthy, we need to make sure our minds are healthy.

Keeping mentally healthy could be as simple as talking to a family member, friend or even a doctor about how we feel, and keeping track of our emotions. If something is out of the ordinary, it’s important to talk to someone and get the right help, just like we would if we caught the flu.

What does the National Youth Week theme ‘Live it Now!’ mean to you?

‘Live It Now’ means don’t let this time pass you by - get outside your square and get involved with the great things about life and being young! It’s all about living in the moment and catching every opportunity. Youth week is a great chance to get involved with other young people around Australia, and since it’s run by young people, I hear it’s going to be one hell of a week!

What’s the best thing about being a young person?

Although we have our whole lives ahead of us, we never forget to live in the moment and enjoy the great things about life. Being young means being active, energetic and excited about what we have, and what we have to look forward to. I love how we are always ready to make new friends, but we never let go of the old. We grab every opportunity, and we get to sleep in late!