When Marcus was in Year 6, he began to realise that he was gay. And despite receiving love and support from his parents, Marcus found his sexuality difficult to accept. For the next 10 years, Marcus embarked on a journey of self-destruction, first through an eating disorder, and then through drug abuse.

Then a visit from a mental health professional changed things in Marcus’ life forever.

Contrary to what many people think, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) isn’t just about wanting things ordered, neat and clean. Although it can be this way for some, it is more often not how it is experienced.

For Luisa, her OCD creates disturbing, intrusive thoughts and she’s had to battle a burning building inside her head since she was a teenager. The idea that she is an evil person has been a recurring theme throughout her life, and her mental health journey has involved trusting in others, and learning to love herself.

Adrian has lived a full, and often challenging, life. Domestic violence, homelessness, substance abuse, and battling personal demons held him back from chasing his dreams for most of his 32 years.

Then Adrian grew tired of lying back and just looking at the stars. So he decided to do something about it.

When Brooke was 13, she met a 19 year old man online and fell in love. She was too young to understand the power imbalance, and too low in self-esteem to care. For years she kept the realities of that relationship hidden, even from herself. Until one day, she’s scrolling through social media, and sees reports about Harvey Weinstein, and the birth of the MeToo movement.

The host of this podcast, Hannah, is a former Swinburne student and passionate advocate for mental health. In this final episode of The Things I've Thought, Hannah gets out of the recording studio and heads to the Wellbeing clinic to learn about what's on offer for Swinburne students.

The Things I've Thought is out on April 8th.