Sharene Dearlove felt completely out of her depth as she watched her 20-year-old daughter “sobbing on the floor” and unable to bring herself to return to university.

Her eldest daughter, Morgan, had always been shy. She was compassionate and relaxed, always sure to put other people’s needs before her own. When she, in Sharene’s words, “just cracked one day,” the family had no idea how to react.

Speaking toMamamia, Sharene said they had not seen this coming, and at the time had absolutely no idea what to do.

“There hadn’t been a history of mental illness in our family that we knew of. But once something like this happens, the stories start to emerge,” she reflected.

Morgan just "cracked one day". Image via iStock.

When I asked what elicited the breakdown, Sharene reflected that it seemed to be a sense she wasn't "succeeding" in her uni course.

"I suppose that was because she felt like she might not be studying the 'right' thing," she added.

Since beginning her studies to become a disability development educator, Morgan had become increasingly withdrawn. Then one day, she was overwhelmed by a sense that she "couldn't do it" anymore.

Mia Freedman on how she manages her anxiety. Post continues below...

She became increasingly isolated as her depression and anxiety worsened. She was unable to work, and couldn't perform day to day tasks like going to the shops. Sharene was at a loss.

First, they attended the local GP and Morgan was prescribed an anti-depressant. Sharene then sourced a local psychologist who specialised with young people, but learned that she was not taking any new patients.

That's when Sharene discoveredheadspace.

After an initial phone call, Morgan was set up with a counsellor and clinician. The medication she had been speedily prescribed by the GP, which by this point had presented a myriad of adverse side effects, was carefully reexamined. It was concluded that the medication was not appropriate for a woman of her age, and was not specifically for the issues Morgan was experiencing. Specialists then prescribed a new medication.

Theheadspacecenter connected Sharene to parenting courses for support, and even organised appointments with counsellors at Morgan’s university to help get her back on track.

But that's not where Sharene's association withheadspaceended.

Her youngest daughter, Georgia, suffered from anxiety beginning in early adolescence. It began with concerns about going to school and issues with friends, which Sharene interpreted as fairly normal. Yet over time, Georgia's anxiety worsened.

Georgia too sought help fromheadspace. As she finished high school and planned to move out of home,headspaceworked through her anxieties and prepared her for the obstacles to come. Since, she has traveled to Africa and now lives interstate.

Today, Sharene still gets emotional recalling her daughters' lowest moments. As a mother, all she desperately wanted was to protect them from the overwhelming pain they were suffering.

"I still get upset talking about it," she told me, fighting back tears.

When she initially contactedheadspace, Sharene expected it to be a "quick fix", recalling, "I thought, 'She'll go in for a few sessions and then she'll be OK.'"

Mental health services in Australia

The Butterfly Foundation

The greatest strength ofheadspace, according to Sharene, is that it is tailored toward young people. She told me how hard it was to "find a clinician who is young person-friendly", because they might have a different set of anxieties and fears.

"[At that age] they need to be looked after and be asked the questions they need to be asked," Sharene added.

Headspacealso included their entire family, briefing them on what was happening, and offering a "bit of a pick me up about what to expect...

When I asked Sharene what a life withoutheadspacewould look like, she said simply, "I wouldn't want to think about that".

For Sharene and her family,headspacehas changed the course of their lives.

So to answer the question, "What do you do with a 20-year-old sobbing on the floor?"

It's simple: you callheadspace.

Tuesday October 11 is Headspace Day. Here are three ways you can support the cause:

1. Wear– Wear a headspace day “Access all Areas” wristband on the day. You can pick one up at any headspace centre or through one of their partners. You can also print one off here and make your own.

2. Share– Post your support on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #headspaceday

3. Donate– Make a donation at www.headspaceday.org.au