It is a sense of isolation, of sadness, of anxiety and the list goes on. Mental health is not always something that can be tackled alone, and at times, it can feel like sand, slipping through our fingers. Asking for help is the hardest step you will have to make. 

Grow is a national charity that supports individual recovery from mental health, the organisation focuses on mutual help from people who have experienced mental illness first hand. In addition to meeting at Zac’s place in Yass, Grow supports people in developing friendships and encourages a caring and sharing community.

The Yass Valley local area co-ordinator of Grow, Jennifer is tasked with assisting people to cope with and help others, to eventually emerge from issues such as anxiety, depression, and potential suicidal tendencies.

“The program began in Sydney and I initially went along to the group after my own experiences with mental health. I thought it was a fantastic program and something that Yass was really lacking, so I decided to take on the leadership role as the coordinator in our community.”

“In a small town people have a tendency to hide these feelings away and suppress them. Grow allows people, completely anonymous to reach out and get the help and support that they need, to say whatever they want to say.” 

The program works on first name basis and is designed to create a safe environment for people to talk about mental health without the judgment or concerns about privacy. The aim is to inspire value and wellbeing within each individual. 

“We have found that by sharing experiences we are able to learn from each other. You alone can beat depression, but you can’t do it alone.”

People attend meetings right across the board; young, old and the middle aged and there are no gender restrictions.

If you are interested in joining Grow, meetings are held at Zac’s Place in Yass every Thursday from 10am until 12 noon. For more information you can contact Jennifer on 0410893567.