At the age of 37 Tracee Te Moananui became unwell.…
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Helena Sonar is young and vibrant and enjoys dedicating her time to peer support. She also has…
I come from Hong Kong. As a result of family tragedies and discrimination by others, my mental…
When Beck Eleven, a columnist for The Press in Christchurch, wrote a frank, honest blog about…
Nelson teenager Elisha Fleming is a rising star in the Young Enterprise world, but a venture with a…
How can you support a friend who has an eating disorder? That question bothered Imogen…
Driving a tuk-tuk 3000km across India isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it was an adventure of a…
Personal fitness trainer Vesna Aroha Radonich is an inspiration to many different people.
Ange Sampson was diagnosed with depression (and later anxiety) when she was 18, just after she…
Jana Lucas first started showing symptoms of bipolar when she was 17, living in Bristol.…
I was 25 years old when I was first diagnosed with schizophrenia.…
My name is Maria. In November 2003, I was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder first came to light for Robyn Yousef as a teenager. Determined to keep…
Everyone except their doctor said it couldn’t work; two people with bipolar living together.
Andrew Blythe has been interested in art and writing for as long as he can remember.…
When I was given my first diagnosis (borderline personality disorder), I was halfway through a…
Rapper and performance poet Chris McMurray is drawing on his personal experiences to help challenge…
Guy Baker’s road into depression was fraught with drinking (which masked his symptoms), difficulty…
Cantabrian Colleen McClure shares her story about her husband’s passing just hours before the…
Cantabrian Maria Thackwell describes how she fell apart after the earthquakes and what helped her…
Writing in my diary helped me process the magnitude of the September 2010 quake.…
When Colin Slade talks about the stigma experienced by suicide survivors, he's speaking from…
Bronson Price hopes his music might help any listeners contemplating suicide to think again. The…
I was in the music department at school, which was located in the basement of the bus exchange, when…
I had my first episode of depression when I was 14. My parents had split up; me and mum went to live…
Ben Lockie has everything he could wish for in life: a beautiful wife, fantastic kids, a home, and a…
One drizzly afternoon in 2010, Christchurch teacher Duncan Woods was out running when he spotted…
Nearly every time Katie Christison has ever felt low, she’s either dyed her hair or got an “out…
Comedy act Kade Nightingale and Jeremy Rolston have more than just their stand-up profession in…
Gary Watts was 12 years old when he first had symptoms of depression.
Good things come from bad experiences. That’s what 17-year-old Celia Painter believes after her…
At a very young age Amy Evans experienced emotional and physical neglect, as well as sexual abuse…
Meet friends Don and Tony, who met as Abbeyfield residents four years ago.Their one-bed studios come…
Laying the foundations for wellbeing in your later years: Take a piece of neglected land in South…
The Dallows are a West Auckland family that play together and stay together: on stage and in real…
Going flatting in her 80s wasn’t exactly part of her life plan, but to Edith, the opportunity to…
Charlotte and 93-year-old father Herbie, who is blind and has Parkinson’s disease, are enjoying…
At 62 and 66, partners Helen Cresswell and and Jill Freeman are not your stereotypical retirement…
Susan Fowke and cat Freddy are 2 of the younger residents of Leighton House, a Gisborne rest home…
If anyone knows about community living it's Colin Cole. Born at the Riverside community near Motueka…
For Amrita, renting a cottage at Riverside has meant being surrounded by beautiful countryside which…
A visitor to Ahuriri is assured of a warm welcome.The four permanent residents of this supported…
From small beginnings 20 years ago, the Pacifica Arts Centre has developed into a vibrant,…
There aren’t many places where you can learn a new skill and get a free feed at the same time. But…
As a keen skier for most of his 57 years, Kevin (Kev) Harris uses his expertise in the snow to help…
A group of women sit around a large table, knitting or crocheting. There’s an atmosphere of quiet…
Jo laughs when she thinks of her earlier fantasies of herself in retirement. The actual picture is…
Classroom theory flies out the window when Kirsten helps her 80-year-old father make a major change.
Josie might be forgiven for wanting a little time to herself now she’s 67 and have a bit of a rest…
Laurel Stowell and Richard Thompson can recall conversations with friends over the years about how…
"Care for yourself, care about yourself," is Areta’s advice when asked about successful ageing.
Wayne Leong knows what it’s like to be a stranger in a strange land. But he’s always been up for…
Her full name is Tufuga Holatu Lagatule and at 75 she has a lot to be proud of.…
Having a tranquil place to come home to is important to Northland clinical psychologist Margaretanne…
“At age 43 I crashed and burned,” says Malcolm Dixon. That was almost 25 years ago, and at the…
Bryan Moore is never one to wake up asking himself what to do with the day. The retired veterinary…
Rob Calder is strongly connected with a number of communities. As a gay man he’s been a long-time…
Ruth Brown remembers lying in bed with tonsillitis and waiting for the doctor. When he arrived, he…
An ‘honorary’ boomer (she was born during World War II in England), Dr Judith Davey is Senior…
“Prior to urbanisation it was a lot easier to maintain integrated whānau units where older people…
More housing needed to support good mental health.
Unlike their great grandparents' generation in which many people were dead by the age of 60, today's…
Life and work are closely interwoven for Dr Cherryl Waerea-i-te-rangi Smith. She's a grandmother of…
Fifty-something Ngaire Kerse can't wait to be old.
Psychiatrist , ageing specialist and baby boomer Chris Perkins has her own "ways to wellbeing" that…
Dr Juliet Batten, author and psychotherapist, helps us prepare for our later years with these…
Catherine Wells and her husband Matt are happily self-employed, Picton-based, apiarists.…
Zoe has always struggled to live what she calls “a normal life”.…
Plumbing apprentice Caleb Ihaia has learned the hard way that mental health needs to be talked about…
