Cilla Pershouse is the kind of woman that lights up a room, but when that light began to dim after the birth of her third child, she felt isolated and overwhelmed.
Living remotely and with growing caring responsibilities, she experienced mental health challenges she found "scary and unfamiliar".
"It creeps up on you - the workload, living in the bush. You just feel disconnected from the world," Cilla said.
"I hadn't really experienced this feeling before."
Equally at home performing in the touring children's theatre she developed, or mustering cattle on her central Queensland farm, Cilla considered herself motivated and resilient.
But when baby Sydney arrived, managing three children under five, her farm, and her projects became overwhelming.
"He was a particularly fussy baby and I just felt like I had nothing left in the tank," she said.
"I lost my sense of self, I wasn't able to draw myself out of feeling exhausted and dull and miserable and a little bit closed off from everything."
But for Cilla, help came in the unexpected form of a new colleague on the farm - a border collie puppy named Ash Barky.
"Dogs are incredibly intuitive, they can read your mood ... they can see your fear, your anxiety. There's no fooling a dog," she said.
"There's this understanding of honesty and friendship and teamwork."
More than just a pet, Ash is a working dog, training to manage cattle as part of ABC TV's Muster Dogs series.
"I needed to do the best that I could for Ash because she deserved my best self, my whole heart, my undivided attention," Cilla said.
"That was integral to breaking out of a rut, breaking out of a not-healthy headspace.
"She really propelled me forward and together we have been able to achieve such beautiful things."
How do pets work as therapy?
Dogs and humans have been bonding for more than 8,000 years, which Dr Susan Hazel from the University of Adelaide said can be as strong as the connection between a parent and child.
"The brain chemistry is all quite similar," the Associate Professor at the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences said.
She said oxytocin, which is often referred to as the 'love hormone' because of the bond it creates between people, is also involved when we interact with pets.
Dr Hazel said having a working relationship with the animal, such as with a muster dog, deepened the effect.
"At a very simple level, animals can give people a reason to get up in the morning," she said.
"If the dog is related to something like working and that's something that you really enjoy doing, then that's on top of just the simple companionship."
But while there are benefits to pet ownership, Dr Hazel said it's not the same as accessing a registered and trained assistance animal.
"You need to consider, do we have time for this? If you don't have the time, it's often the dog that would suffer," she said, warning that people need to consider their personal circumstances, and the challenges of pet ownership before committing.
Finding your Ash Barky
While Cilla was not diagnosed with depression, Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) figures show one in five women and one in 10 men do experience depression in the perinatal period — the time from conception to a child's first birthday.
In early parenthood, strong emotions and feeling tired and disconnected is very normal, PANDA national helpline manager Jenny Addy said.
About 12,000 people a year call the helpline, which is staffed by a mix of trained psychologists, social workers and parents with lived experience.
"The version of parenting and motherhood particularly that you see in the media is one of joy, that this is a special, glorious time and you should be exuding happiness," she said.
"When that picture doesn't quite match up to your experience, it feels quite isolating, and you feel like you're the only one not doing it like everyone else.
"A lot of people think there's something wrong with them, rather than [that they are] experiencing something that's really, really common."
But Ms Addy said there are some symptoms or feelings that indicate further support might be needed.
"There's a broad spectrum of perinatal mental health challenges that go all the way from mild anxiety up to perinatal psychosis," she said.
"It depends on what your experience is, but generally perinatal mental health issues are very responsive to both talk therapies and medication."
PANDA advises support can come in different forms including: counselling, self-care strategies, peer support, exercise, nutrition and medication.
Anyone experiencing severe symptoms should access urgent healthcare or call Triple-0 if needed.
Do something for yourself
Ms Addy said all parents should try to find ways to prioritise themselves, even if they can only spare 15 minutes.
"Your role as a parent is enhanced by, not sacrificed by, doing the other things," she said.
"So, if you really loved cooking, try and incorporate that more. If you really love exercise or whatever it is that makes you feel like you, do that as much as you can.
"It's difficult with the burdens of parenting, but that's where your community of support comes in."
Loading...With filming Muster Dogs at an end, Cilla said support is what will allow her back on the road touring her theatre this year.
"We need to stop doing things 'as well as...' because our burden is just getting bigger and bigger," she said.
"What I'm talking about is doing something 'instead of' - having someone else cover that hour or two of the day.
"Sacrifice some things to actually do something for yourself."
Follow Cilla's journey on the latest season of Muster Dogs on ABC iview.