Leese

Being a 17- year old female in a middle class family in Ballarat, Victoria, depression is something that has always been looked down upon. If you have it, which NO-ONE does (we?re blind when we choose to be), then it is considered to be a personal weakness and definitely not something to be talked about.

I was not able to tell anyone about my depression because once my parents found out, they were also told that it was because of sexual abuse by my brother. I felt so alone and like everywhere I went I was the only one with depression.

I still remember the first time I found Dnet because I was so hyper and I felt like someone actually understood me and was going through the same thing. The thread ?Lost For Words? is also an amazing thing because incest is NOT something to be talked about, especially around the family. And now 1 ? years since I first told my parents, the topic is still avoided at all costs.

Dnet has given me a place to be myself, where I can fel how I really am inside and drop the mask, to be able to ask questions about my illness that I would otherwise probably never ask. These wonderful people are always here for me, as I try to be for them, ALL of the time. Unlike psychs who you have your appointment, but may need them numerous times before your next visit and after hours and on weekends, when I seem to get worse.

The supportive atmosphere of Dnet is a lifesaver for me, that?s all I can say. They?re the most wonderful group of people and it?s because of them that I am still here fighting this illness. Thanks guys.