'I'm not alone anymore' - Dundee woman says talking's key to battling mental health
Leigh Addis volunteers for charity foolish optimism which has launched Scotland's first 'hope hub' - a space for youngsters to open without fear of judgement
A dundee woman who's battled inner demons for the last seven years says talking is the key to overcoming mental health problems.
Leigh Addis volunteers for charity Foolish Optimism - which has today launched Scotland's first 'hope hub'.
It's a place for youngsters to open up without fear of judgement.
The 26-year-old says anyone who's struggling needs to remember they're not alone.
"I've met a lot of people who've been in the same situation as me, some of them are even half my age," she said.
"It's shown me I'm not the only one who's going through issues.
"People don't want to live with mental health problems, it's very tiring being like this and trying to operate like a 'normal' person.
"A lot of people would see me and say I look completely fine, but on the inside I'm not completely fine."
Leading mental health specialist Zoe Chouliara wants to see more done to teach children about mental health.
The Abertay Uni Professor said: "The evidence shows that the more we build up resilience in children, the better they are going to do in life in terms of well-being and their own development.
"If we manage to work with children and prevent some of the mental health issues early on we can cut down on difficulties arising in adulthood, up to 30%.
"That is very significant."
She's delivering a public lecture at the university today as part of World Mental Health Day.