Darren is 21 and has experienced depression from the age of 16 for about a year. He has epilepsy and has had brain surgery which made the depression worse. He now experiences occasional low moods, mainly after seizures. Darren enjoys sleeping and drawing cartoons.(White British).

Loz is 17 and lives at home with his family. He's experienced depression and anxiety since he had an accident and ended up in a wheelchair at the age of 14. Over the years, having a great counsellor and close support from his family has helped him the most. (White British)

They have all found that drinking at university is very different from drinking at school. They drank a lot more but think that now they are a bit older, and after the first year at university, they will be more responsible with drinking.

In her teens, Stephanie would drink a lot and smoke cannabis with friends. She had concerns about short-term memory loss and cannabis smoking so asked her GP for medical advice. She stopped smoking cannabis four years ago and feels that her memory, energy levels and motivation have all improved.

Jen used to drink as a teenager but has always been cautious about drugs. She grew up in a small village where there was a drug problem. A few of Jen's friends would take pills at raves. After seeing videos at school about the effects of pills, she has always been terrified of them. Jen drank a lot at University but doesn't drink so much now that she has a full-time job.

Kim used to drink in the park during her early teens and started going clubbing around the age of 15. She would smoke a small amount of cannabis if offered when she was at school, but she wouldn't have bought it. She didn't like the effects of it. She doesn't do drugs because she is concerned about being addicted, and it doesn't interest her at all. She doesn't going out drinking with friends as much as she used to because she is trying to save money.

When Raphael was younger he and his friends would go out to get drunk three or four times a week. Now he spends more time with his fiancée than in the pub. Raphael smokes cannabis but says that he will stop using it when he and his fiancée decide to start a family.

Joe used to drink a lot at parties when he was a teenager. When he moved out of home he started to smoke cannabis regularly. For a time, Joe was going to drum & bass nights regularly where he would often use ecstasy. He has stopped using drugs and drinks alcohol less often because he has become more interested in health and fitness. He goes out to pubs and clubs far less often now.

Sam first experienced drugs at fifteen, when he smoked a cannabis resin with friends. Sam has experimented with many illegal substances including skunk, ecstasy and crack cocaine. In his early twenties, Sam decided to give up drugs completely, though it took around three years to do so. He started by giving up smoking weed.

As a teenager, Stefanie worked in a pub where she drank a lot. In her teens, Stefanie tried cannabis once and it doesn't seem to have had any effect on her. She has never been interested in experimenting with illegal drugs. Stefanie doesn't smoke cigarettes either but alcohol is an important part of her life.