JUST four years ago, depression was getting the better of Scott.
He was taking 17 pills a day for various health disorders, weighed 185kg, ate masses of junk food, and spent time researching how he’d end it all.
Scott was searching the pages of newspapers in search of the “thing” that would complete the puzzle, yet instead he found an advertisement for a Depression and Anxiety Recovery Program (see page 11 of this newspaper) at Greenbank.
Scott, above, in 2015.
Above: Scott, now in 2021.
He’s now 83kg, having lost a massive 102kg in an effort to regain his health.
He knows how to manage and combat the signs and onset of depression, and is enjoying life with a small home business. Scott has turned his life around.
He’s learning to be a counsellor, and volunteers his time to help others at the Greenbank program, which launches again on February 15.
“I really didn’t know where to turn. All that I knew was that I felt miserably sad, did not want to be with other people, did not get any satisfaction from whatever I did, and the will to live became less and less as time went by,” Scott said.
“People are really happy to talk about the flu. But they’re not so happy to talk about depression.”
Scott said things weren’t always bad. He’d have ups and downs.
At its worst, the illness took over.
“There was no meaning for life for me, and I ate the days away, to the extent that I weighed 185kg, had type 2 diabetes, my kidneys, liver and pancreas began to show signs of malfunction, my blood pressure could no longer be controlled, and I took 17 tablets per day, just to get through,” he said.
He discovered the Depression & Anxiety Recovery Program.
“I thought I’d give life one last go, and I attended the program,” he said.
He’s now on one pill a day, for reflux. He’s rediscovering his creativity, and loves helping others.
“I can identify very quickly during a conversation whether someone has signs of depression,” he said.
“I’ve been there, so I know what it’s like. I enrolled in a counselling and therapy course because I wanted to help those with depression and to see how things work from a psychological aspect.
“The least I can do is to share my experiences and my journey. It gives me great satisfaction when we’re able to help people through, and within a couple of weeks they’re smiling again.”
Scott will be at an information session at the Park Ridge Community Centre and Men’s Shed, Greenbank, on February 8 starting at 6.45pm.
If you are suffering from depression or anxiety, phone Kim on 0467 299 575.
