Heartbreaking addiction affecting youth

Rockingham and Kwinana youth receiving medical treatment for mental health issues are often found to have alcohol and drug issues, according to headspace Rockingham.

Clinical co-ordinator Sherenne Foale said 90 per cent of cases of depression related to drugs and alcohol, reinforcing the importance of the organisation in the community, which celebrated its first birthday last month.

Palmerston South Metro Community Alcohol and Drug Service counsellor and educator Anne Smith has noticed a drop in the age of clients using methamphetamines daily from 20-plus to 18, saying it would not have been their first experience of the drug.

"Drug use numbs you from the reality and pain," she said.

"When off ice, some clients have said they feel flat, unmotivated and awful."

On average, she said it took a daily meth user about three months to feel mentally healthy after quitting, but it could take months to stop using, depending on the person.

For users under 25, Ms Smith said they first tried drugs, including ice, because they were curious.

She said the first drug most users affiliated with was cannabis but strongly disagreed it was a gateway drug.

"Not everyone who smokes pot becomes an ice addict," she said.

She said short and long-term reasons for using ice were different - initially it was used recreationally, but in time, users became dependent on it.

"They don't know how to be without it," she said.

"The body remembers how you felt - excited and happy - it's a great social lubricant which users feel they need to get out of the house."

Ms Foale said clients sourced the service's help because they noticed feelings of aggression, anxiety and depression and wanted to reduce or quit their drug use.

"It breaks my heart to see them - they're so desperate to stop and are traumatised by what they've done in the 'ice haze'," she said.

She said ice was present in all levels of society. Ms Smith admitted her client load had increased in the past year and believed it was a result of headspace and its ability to reach out to people who presented for help with issues other than drugs.

"Being here has allowed earlier prevention and intervention - it's a wraparound service at headspace," she said.