Welcome to Lifeline’s Holding onto Hope, a podcast in which people who’ve attempted suicide explain how they found joy in life again.Australians are the biggest gamblers – and the biggest losers in the world and nowhere do we lose more than on the pokies. Every year, it is estimated 400 people commit suicide due to distress over their gambling issues and a further 12,000 contemplate or attempt suicide. Here, Kate Seselja describes how she too despaired about the way pokies were wrecking her l...

Parental alienation is said to affect at least 10 per cent of children affected by divorce and it happens when one parent seeks to undermine their children’s relationship with the other. Victimised mums, dads and children can suffer terribly as a result. Here Matt and Amanda share their stories and explain how they’ve supported each other, rebuilt their lives… and continued to hold onto hope.

Anthony Hart's slide into depression snuck up on him, taking him and everyone who knew him by surprise. It’s actually a miracle Anthony’s still alive and what he’s achieved since is no less astonishing – a system to help everyone spot their own warning signs and get help.

Many of us who’ve had dealings with a vet probably think it’s a pretty nice life – dealing with animals, charging big bills. As equestrian dental specialist Oliver Liyou explains, they forget there’s no Medicare for pets and that vets are struggling under the weight of stress, financial pressure, long hours and massive emotional dilemmas. Oliver built his practise from scratch sharing his expertise through equipment he invented and undergraduates he trained. At the same time, though, he ...

Oliver Heywood is 23, popular, funny, smart and caring - the last person anyone ever imagined would suffer depression. But at 14, he began a slide into darkness that gradually got worseHere Oliver and his friends, Liam and Connor Holliday, Melissa Baker and Ashleigh McBride share their journey of understanding and the importance of staying connected.

Life says athlete Eric Horrie is full of if onlys, if only his mum had chosen a different partner. If only he'd driven through that intersection two seconds later. If only the hospital hadn't confused him with another patient. But along with the bad decisions that have shaped his life, there have been good ones from the moment he fell in love with partner Michelle, to the night of Lifeline volunteer recognized Eric was in crisis.

Chris Bogusis has survived three major bushfires including Victoria’s Black Saturday. The accumulated stress, however, left him with PTSD causing him to lose his home and marriage. If it hadn’t been for the extraordinary action of his dog Grizzly, he would also have lost his life. Chris’ story explains how to reduce “mental injury” by seeking help early, why it’s important to find the support that’s right for you and how looking out for your community can result in “post traumatic success.”

Gracie Gribble is 19, funny, very smart, bubbly and bursting with ideas and dreams. But her life hasn’t always been like that. From the age of eight, Gracie was dealing with the early stages of bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, when you live in an outback mining town, finding help can be tough. On top of that, Gracie had three siblings suffering with health issues of their own. Perhaps it wasn’t surprising people presumed her tears were a natural reaction to her situation

As a former fire fighter Ross Beckley had to deal with some horrific situations – anything from car accidents to house fires – and it took its toll on his mental health. Today he and his partner Ronnie, a social welfare worker, use his experience to help others. And he’s realised he doesn’t need to wear a badge to save lives.

The diagnosis of a chronic mental health condition can be devastating - not just because you're scared of how it will affect you but because you're not sure how others will react. No-one knows that better than Kieran a doctor at an Australian hospital's psychiatric unit. That's because as well as caring for patients who are suffering, he's had his own struggles with mental illness. Here, with the help of his wife Laura, Kieran explains what happened and how Laura has helped him ref...