Thomas, 20, Sydney

Hobbies: Playing music, AFL, football, shopping, travelling.

What was your experience of depression and anxiety?

As a kid, I was more anxious than most. The tipping point came when it started interrupting my life, to the point where I had trouble sleeping and found normal activities I used to like, intimidating.

I’d worry constantly about things that were trivial and irrelevant. When I found myself feeling unhappy on the overseas trip of a lifetime at age 19, I knew something was wrong. I was uninspired, unmotivated, constantly tired and didn’t have the energy to do anything. Getting help has changed my life. I learnt that anxiety and depression are treatable and I now feel that I’m well on my way to a successful recovery.

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

Never underestimate the value of talking. Keeping in regular contact with friends and family seems to have a dramatic effect on how happy people are. From my experience, girls are better at this than guys, but thankfully young men are getting better at talking about emotions.

Looking after your physical health is definitely important. Being aware of your own state of mind and looking out for any change is absolutely vital to staying mentally healthy too.

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

To me, ‘Live it Now!’ is all about making the most of life (original, I know) and making things happen for yourself. I think it’s so easy to just coast along and accept what comes your way, but the best things in life happen when you create opportunities and take advantage of them. I also think the theme reflects the idea that you have to live in the moment to make the most of what you’ve got. Unfortunately, mental illness is a significant barrier to this sort of outlook, hence why I see it as such an important issue.

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

Knowing that I still have so much life ahead of me is a comforting thought. Freedom would also be up there - not being locked into any path in life is pretty exciting. Most of all though, I’d have to say other young people. Generation Y cops a lot of flak in the media, yet from what I’ve seen, we’re tolerant, genuinely care about each other, look after our mates and juggle just as much as other generations. I think the future of the world is in pretty good hands.