The teenged years are often traumatic, but few young people have to cope with harrowing hallucinations and suicidal urges.

But that is where spiralling depression took Jane before a spell in the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute (MAWI) stabilised her.

Jane (not her real name) was diagnosed three years ago when she was just 16. "It all started when a friend of mine had passed away suddenly, that's when I hit rock bottom."

She had already struggled for attention at home as the focus instead went on her handicapped sister and Jane also had to cope with an unattentive boyfriend.

School was a struggle too. "I had developed early and was seen as the geek of the class."

But when Jane told her family doctor about her hallucinations she was referred to MAWI where she was diagnosed with depression.

"I knew I had something, I didn't know it was depression. I was suffering from hallucinations, from a lot of suicidal thoughts and I was cutting myself countless times.

"I was either trying to commit suicide or trying to get the hallucinations out of my head.

"One day I was walking to my school and I thought I saw a little girl who was floating on a bush. There was another one where I could see myself falling onto a road, 'splat'!

"It was really scary. I thought somehow I would be pushed off a ledge or something. The first time it happened I just froze, but I remember it vividly."

The hallucinations kept going until she got on medication.

Jane was daunted by going to MAWI but found staff there very supportive. "They told me 'we are here for you if you need to talk'.

"I was on suicide watch for about 24 hours, I knew someone was there if anything bad happened."

Jane feels she is on the mend now but there have been a few false dawns.

"I came off my medication early because I felt I was getting better and I just went into a rage of throwing things and breaking things, back to the cutting and I got admitted again.

"I was back on suicide watch and then it hit me, I needed to take control. So I kept taking the medication and seeing a medication doctor and a therapist."

All have been very helpful. "MAWI is a good place to come, everybody cares and wants to help.

"I felt like I was alone and no one had what I had, but when I came here I found other people had it. I felt more comfortable, I felt at home.

"They helped me get through this, as have my family. Now that they know what I am dealing with and how to deal with it, they can help me."

Talking through her problems was invaluable but Jane doesn't know when she will get off the medication. "I am not ready to go off it anytime soon."

The medication took a while to take effect but it is worth the wait. "I feel happier, I don't have any emotions like I used to. I don't feel I could cry any more which is good because I did a lot of crying.

"I am happy, smiling, hugging my family members which I didn't used to do telling them I love them."

And at last her life is moving forward as she is now in full-time study. "It's going really well, I love it."

Asked where the treatment would eventually lead, Jane said: "I think it is making me a better person, I can't feel sorry for myself because a lot of people have more serious issues. I am one of the lucky ones."

And as a former suicide risk she shudders to think about some of the alternatives.

"I am so glad I came to MAWI because otherwise I don't know where I would be."