A teenager who struggled with anxiety which then developed into depression is speaking up about her issues to help others.

Three years ago, Georgia Douglas-Brown, 16, of Workington, had an asthma attack that changed her life. Although she had always been anxious, for some reason the asthma attack triggered severe anxiety.

She said: “I couldn’t leave the house. I couldn’t go up and talk to people. I was an anxious child but nothing on this level.”

Seeking help, Georgia went to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service run by the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. There she received cognitive behaviour therapy but she didn’t find it that useful.

“I just found it very clinical,” said Georgia. “They tried their best as a team.”

Georgia’s anxiety issues are made worse by her insomnia and eventually her anxiety triggered depression.

Georgia wrote a couple of posts on her Facebook describing her battle with mental health.

She said: “At first I wasn’t open about it at all because I got bullied for it a bit. But I found when I was more open, I’d get an inbox off people saying, ‘I’m going through this’, and ‘I thought I was alone’.”

People kept telling Georgia they found her posts helpful so she started a Facebook page dedicated to battling mental health. She launched Not Just Another Statistic in July 2015. At the time she was slightly concerned her mum might be the only person who liked it, but a year and a half later she has 265 likes.

Georgia puts up posts about how she is feeling and coping as well as inspirational quotes. On January 8, she posted: “Going through a phase at the minute where I feel like no one believes anything I say and I have to prove myself, good old trust issues. #stopthestigma”

She wrote in November: “Some days I smile and feel positive, some days I’ve tears in my eyes and feel negative.

“And some days I feel both. And you know what, that’s okay.”

Sometimes parents contact her for advice. She said: “It’s nice for them to have someone who is going through it rather than a professional who’s reading about it in a text book.”

Now Georgia, who is studying for a child care qualification, wants to start up a support group for young people with mental health issues and their parents.

“Mental health issues in young people are rising. If we come together then it’s better for each individual person,” she said.