By Goya Dmytryshchak
At 16, Lucy* has experienced anxiety her whole life.
The Williamstown girl is among those who would like to see a headspace youth mental health support service established at Newport.
Hobsons Bay council is campaigning for a satellite headspace to be set up at Newport Community Hub, in the lead up to the federal election.
Lucy has been involved with Hobsons Bay UP, the council’s youth services at the hub, since year 9.
“I’m a part of Leaders Of Today [LOT] and our main thing is to raise either funds or awareness for issues that we feel a connection to or want to do that for,” she said.
“When I was young and in primary school, I’d cry all the time. I was quite anxious by nature but my home life was quite strained.
“My father wasn’t the best person – let’s just say that – and he sometimes physically abused my mother.
“My nervous system was very wired when I was a little kid and that kind of kept going on and on from when I was very little up until now.
“Anxiety’s always been a big thing, usually in the form of sudden mood swings sometimes when I was younger, like fighting, getting nervous when it came to going home or doing stuff at school.”
When Lucy started high school, she said she had a falling out with her father and her panic attacks became worse.
“I stopped seeing my father and everything was smooth for a little while … but then during the middle of last year and the beginning of this year, things really began to drop again.”
Hobsons Bay mayor Jonathon Marsden said the council had identified youth mental health as one its top three priorities.
He said there was currently a 10-week waiting time for youth counselling in Hobsons Bay.
“In a 2017-18 youth survey, Deakin University found a high prevalence of depressive symptoms across Hobsons Bay’s primary and secondary school students,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the journey of a young person from Hobsons Bay attending a headspace session in Sunshine or Werribee can take up to three hours.
“The Newport Community Hub is an ideal location for headspace as the hub is centrally located, with bus and train stations nearby. It would also offer the advantage of being co-located with the Hobsons Bay UP youth services’ designated youth space, as well as with a library.”
Anyone needing support should call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
*not her real name
