Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Hansard source

'Mental health. Sitting in the corner not knowing what is going to come next. Will it be my fear or my concerns? Why is it never my dreams, my happy place? Does it always have to be worried and bad times? Something good would be nice for a change. Treacherous thoughts running through my head, mad am I, all alone, mindless of my surroundings. I want to dissolve into the atmosphere one part of my body at time until I'm as thin as air and go swish in the wind. Mum's always worrying if I'm okay. She thinks I am hurt. Checking in on me every day. Fighting fears, fighting concerns. It feels like I am trapped in a dark, empty room trying to get out. Waves of emotion. Every day I swim through gloomy waters. I can never see the shore. Hope and luck, things I don't have at the end of the day. I hate my body in every single way. Depression is a silent film. Underwater where nobody can help I am drowning because I won't talk about it. I cannot get out of my bed. Anxiety is always holding me hostage inside my hurting head. When people ask me, "Where am I?" they should just ask, "Where have I gone?" I don't have hope. I am dwelling in my darkness. What is hope? I have forgotten how it feels to smile and laugh. But I know joy will find me and let me run free. And I know that I am perfectly imperfect. I cannot go through these things alone. And hopefully out of the darkness help will come.' This is from Georgia Scantlebury, Trinity Lutheran College, Gold Coast

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