“Lily had been very unwell for such a long time – both physically and especially mentally. Our relationship was fragile, and I was really scared that I would lose her.”
Like the 93% of the young people arriving at Triple Care Farm, Lily was living with a mental illness. Self-medicating and self-harm became the norm for Lily.
“I was not in control of my life from the age of 15. Desperately seeking relief from anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide, I was dangerously self-medicating,” admits Lily.
Both mum and daughter now agree, without hesitation, that Lily was headed for tragedy. Their relationship was also suffering, as they struggled to navigate addiction, mental illness and Jean’s own chronic health challenges. Something had to give, and it did the night a young person sadly lost his own life due to a drug overdose at a music festival Lily was attending.
The next day Lily put in an emotional call to Jean.
“‘I need to go somewhere,’ and Mum responded, ‘I think you do too.’ Thankfully, I was soon at Triple Care Farm. First at David Martin Place and then in the Rehabilitation program,” explains Lily.
