The Mandurah mother of four has suffered with it since her teens.

But, refusing to let it beat her, Ms Cotterill has set up a Facebook page for other sufferers which has, in turn, helped her.

Black Dog – WA was launched two months ago, and has already grown to include close to 300 members.

“I could see that people wanted to talk about depression,” Ms Cotterill said.

“I created a closed group and within a few days we had 80 members.

“I’ve done no publicity at all; it’s just grown via word of mouth.”

The page provides a forum for people suffering from depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses to talk about their experiences and share ideas.

And, with a dearth of mental health services in the Peel region, according to Ms Cotterill, it’s a resource that is providing immediate help to many.

“People like the community aspect,” she said.

“They know support is close by.

“Every day I have people thanking me for creating the group.”

Now Ms Cotterill wants the State Government to do their bit and improve resources for mental health in Mandurah.

She has written to the Premier in her push for better services.

“Depression has got to stop being pushed under the rug,” she said.

“Having people who understand what you’re going through is the biggest thing.

“It takes just one voice to help, and this has made me realise so much more needs to be done.

“We need to talk about it.”

If you, or someone you know needs support, call LifeLine on 13 11 14.

Black Dog – WA can be found on Facebook.