There was a time when Queensland photographer Yvette Fenning would sling her camera over her shoulder, hop on her bike and cry the whole ride to her next photo shoot.
She didn't dread the visits – just the opposite – photographing pets was the one hobby guaranteed to make her feel better amid the debilitating effects of depression.
"Sometimes when I would go to someone's house to photograph their cat, I'd cry all the way to the house, then gather myself together and go in," she said.
"But then photographing the cat and talking to the person who owns it would always make me smile."
The Rockhampton local and former zookeeper credits two things with helping her survive 2020 and 2021 — the worst two years of her life — animals and photography.
As well as helping her through an incredibly challenging period, her passions also lead to the publication of her first book Waggable Tales.
About five per cent of Australia's population has depression in any one year, according to Beyond Blue's clinical lead Grant Blashki.
Like others, Ms Fenning said though her struggle was far from over, focusing on a passion project helped her immensely.
She hoped the book would inspire others to create strategies "to pull them through their own dark places".
'I needed to get out of bed'
After leaving her zookeeper job in 2020, and enduring a series of personal challenges, Ms Fenning said she found the deepest and darkest places of her mind.
She sought professional help from a GP and psychologist, and as well as receiving treatment, was also encouraged to get out of bed each day and try exercising.
"You cannot understand how hard it is to just get out of bed," she said.
"But I needed to get out of bed, I needed to do exercise.
"They encourage you to do the things you used to do that you enjoyed, even though those things have now lost all the enjoyment out of them."
She got on her bike, and would ride around town collecting cans, as it made her feel good to be addressing environmental issues.
She decided to start taking her camera with her and was inspired to take photos of dogs that she saw and find out their story, similar to the social media phenomenon Humans of New York.
"It took me a long time to get the courage to stop and ask someone if I could photograph the dog. But when I finally did it, I was amazed," she said.
Though asking people to photograph their pets didn't get any easier, she continued.
She then decided to expand the idea to include a variety of animals and put the call out for volunteer pet subjects on social media.
She was met with an "incredible response" and the book began to form.
From household pets to farm animals, insects and reptiles – she ended up snapping 197 pets.
Different treatments
Dr Blashki said although every person's experience was different, treatment for depression was often broken down into three main categories: lifestyle, psychological techniques and medication.
He said as a GP he also frequently saw people like Ms Fenning become immersed in a passion as part of their recovery.
"It helps you distract yourself from often what is quite painful and difficult negative thinking," Dr Blashki said.
"For many people who've been through the bumpy time of a mental health issue, it's something they sort of manage a bit in the background that ebbs and flows … they know there's a bit of a risk it could raise its head again."
He said it was important to work on relapse prevention, being aware of any signs that things "might become unstuck again" and addressing it early.
It's something Ms Fenning is familiar with, stating in her book's introduction: "I look forward to the day when getting out of bed isn't a struggle, when I no longer have to force myself onto my bike every day, and when laughter once again comes freely and easily to me."
She said her project also led to a budding pet photography business, and the possibility of more books.
