Mother's plea for answers after son's 2005 disappearance

A Sydney mother is appealing to the public, desperate to find her son 14 years after he disappeared.

Ashley Bindon was 25 years old when he was last seen by a friend in Rose Bay back in 2005.

His mother has spent every day since then trying to find out what happened to her only child.

"You know, if he chose to go missing, I would understand. But not knowing hurts me a lot," Jeni Bindon told 9News.

Ashley is one of 2,600 Australians listed as long term missing – a term used for family members who haven't been seen for more than three months.

Ashley's case is being used to raise awareness for National Missing Persons Week.

"A minimum of 12 people are affected by every person that goes missing, and I think that is very conservative," Australian Federal Police's Trish Halligan said.

"It is a much wider impact and families feel this profoundly."

She said the emotional toll of not knowing can be worse than the knowledge that someone has died.

Ms Bindon's search for her son continues, with his 40^th birthday just days away.

"Hey Ash, whatever the story is, just let us know you're okay if you can," she pleaded.