When Bhiamie Williamson told a couple of friends and family members that he had been diagnosed with depression, he found their supportive reaction empowering.
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Now he hopes to use his own experiences to encourage young people at risk of mental illness to identify the warning signs and seek help.
Mr Williamson tells his story in Hang On To This (HOTT!), a new magazine targeting young Canberrans at risk of mental illness, which was launched at the National Gallery of Australia yesterday.
Mental Illness Education ACT created HOTT! to complement its in-schools education program, where trained volunteers who have experienced mental illness visit Canberra schools to talk about their experiences and to help students recognise the signs of mental illness at its earliest possible stages.
Mr Williamson said that while information on mental illness was available when he first experienced depressive symptoms, it was sometimes difficult to seek it out while feeling unwell.
''You do have to go looking for it, but it would have been helpful to have that already,'' he said.
Mental Illness Education ACT executive officer Pam Boyer said that years of myths and misunderstandings about mental illness meant that some young people were still not getting the treatment that they needed, and that reading about real people's experiences could help combat unhelpful attitudes.
''There's been a shift in understanding, but stigma is still the biggest barrier to seeking help,'' she said.
Ms Boyer said that while many young people would feel confident going to the doctor for a sore throat, they are often more uncertain about asking for help with a mental health issue.
''We want young people to have the sense that their physical and mental health are as important as each other,'' she said.
Ms Boyer said that as 75 per cent of mental illness develops in the 14- to 25-year-old age bracket, it was important that information on recognising the symptoms was framed in a user friendly, rather than a clinical way. The magazine encourages the reader to ask themselves questions how they are feeling, and directs them to seek more information or help from local health services, whereas more traditional publications may list symptoms under a diagnosis, such as ''depression.''
HOTT! will be reprinted each year and includes contact information for where to go for help in an emergency, telephone counselling services, mental health clinics in Canberra and websites for further information.
■ Support is available for anyone who may be distressed by calling SANE Helpline 1800 18 7263; Lifeline 131 114; Salvo Crisis Line - 9331 2000; beyondblue 1300 22 46 36.
