#13 The Kids Aren't Alright
What is happening with our Youth Mental Health crisis and what do we need to do to solve it.
Hi friends,
I’m finally back in Sydney! The jet lag is rough so please excuse the tardiness of this week’s email - we’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming (Thursday emails) from next week!
I want to start this week’s edition with a personal story…
When I was eleven, I was diagnosed with OCD. It was a pretty rough experience for me. I remember being stuck in my head all the time, completely tormented by these compulsive thoughts and not able to imagine a world where I didn’t feel that way. It was hell.
Thankfully, I had extremely caring, astute parents who realised something was up and were able to get me the help I needed.
I responded well to treatment and was able to get rid of all my symptoms within a few months.
This is one of the reasons I care so much about Mental Health - because I know what it’s like to feel like complete shit in your head. And I also know that people can get better when they get the right treatment.
When I see a young person struggling with their mental health, my heart actually breaks.
Mental illness is tough for people of all ages, but there’s something about a kid struggling with anxiety or depression that feels so wrong.
Shouldn’t childhood be care-free, full of play and exploration?
But the rates of mental disorders in young people has been skyrocketing.
In Australia, 32% of Young People experienced an anxiety order and 14% experienced a depressive disorder in 2022. This has increased significantly since 2007.