Watch NZH Local Focus: Walking off Depression and Anxiety

Each day Nick Mason laces up his shoes and takes to the pavement.

He does it because he knows it puts him in a better frame of mind.

"The benefit, the endorphins, the dopamine that kind of good feeling you get from exercise," is what Nick says is the secret.

The 30-year-old turned to exercise to help him deal with a darker time in his life, three years ago, when he was experiencing a period of psychosis.

He describes that time as "soul crushing".

Nick is grateful his parents could help fund specialist treatment.

"If I hadn't been staying with my parents and I hadn't had access to a top notch psychiatrist I probably would have been sectioned," he says.

"I made a promise to, I guess God, or the universe or whatever you would call it, when I was going through the psychosis that if I came out of it then I would do my best to help other people."

So that is what is he's doing, by offering a casual walking group, sharing his experience and offering support to others.

"I think a lot of people want help and they want to better themselves but I think the mental health system often puts people in the too hard basket."

Cost, fear of stigma, or discrimination is often a deterrent - but not with Nick's group - and that made it an easy option for Mike Cribb.

"Just going for a walk and talking about even what happened today or the day before, or an experience that I've had," is what Mike says helps him.

He has suffered from depression most of his life.

"Obviously I couldn't work anymore and we didn't have any money, so you have to go to Work and Income, and to go and see a psychologist or something you've got to go to mental health and there's a bit of a waiting list and sometimes it's even too late."

Mike says he feels "they just try to palm you off".

And, he says he's not the only one facing a financial barrier to seeking help.

"Unless you've got someone behind you or you've got some kind of income coming in it's just too hard, it's too hard for a lot of people."

"This is going to become a generational thing like alcoholism, like our society does with alcohol, suicide and mental health is going to end up like that," Mike says.

Nick says he has spoken to people who are desperate for a safe place to talk without feeling like they carry a stigma, and through his walking group, he can offer that.

"I feel like a lot of people with their families and friends they feel like they're not allowed to talk about those kinds of things and if they do there's some kind of fear of judgement."

The New Zealand health system does not currently offer free ongoing counselling support, but there are brief intervention services available at certain DHBs. Some NGOs provide low cost counselling services and run peer support services.

But for now Nick knows he's filling a fraction of that void in Hawke's Bay.

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