Mental Health Expert: Your Mental Health Battle Started Before Age 14

Mental Health Expert: Your Mental Health Battle Started Before Age 14

Here’s a short story about me.

In 2014, I arrived in Australia as an international student chasing a better life. What I didn’t know then was that while the dream looked beautiful, the journey toward it would be wild, lonely, and unpredictable.

Depression wasn’t a word I understood back then — but soon, it became my reality. The fear of failure, anxiety about the future, and the constant worry of having to return home with nothing to show became my daily battle.

In this episode, I sit down with Deb Leve, a mental health expert, to unpack what really happened — why I slipped into depression without even realising it, and how unhealed childhood trauma might have played a bigger role than I ever imagined.

We also dive into the power of healing, therapy, and self-awareness — the tools that can help anyone break free from silent battles.

If this sounds like your story, please know this — you’re not alone.

There’s help, there’s hope, and there’s healing waiting for you.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Short Introduction
01:56 – A Short Backstory Of Emmanuel’s Life
03:58 – Deb Breaks Down Emmanuel’s Mental Health Struggle
08:35 – Deb’s Definition Of Anxiety
09:50 – Deb Reveals Mental Health Terms And Breaking Down The Symptoms
11:58 – How To Protect Yourself From Mental Health Issues?
16:08 – Do Some People Tend To Have A Higher Chance Of Going Through Depression
17:29 – Revisiting Anxiety
18:41 – Medically Are Mental Health Issues Manageable
19:20 – To What Extent Does Medication Help
20:56 – What is Psychotherapy?
25:15 – Different Situations And How It Can Affect Mental Health
26:50 – What Is Burnout?
32:58 – How To Manage Burnout
35:38 – How To Manage Rest As An Entrepreneur
38:52 – What Are Neurotransmitters?
39:34 – Debs Advice To Her Younger-self On How To Stay Fit
43:56 – What In Deb’s Childhood Would Have Pushed Her To Seek Therapy?