At 16, Mike Young felt like he was always being watched and followed.

He could feel people’s stares boring into him as he walked down the hall. And he was sure he could hear them talking about him. He didn’t realize at the time that he had clinical depression. Nor did he know that his depression was triggering a psychotic episode.

He started missing classes. He stopped calling friends.

It was only four years later that a friend told him he thought something was wrong.

“I wouldn’t have gotten help if it wasn’t for him,”said Young.

Today, Young is 28. He’s been off antidepressants for three and a half years.

He has long dark hair and a beard. Tattoos of flames and guitars crawl up his arms. He plays bass for a Vancouver rock band, the Matinee.

He and his band are part of an education program, ReachOut, which visited Whitehorse this week to speak about psychosis.