Today I
read about the mental health struggles of 2 people who, on the surface, appear
to be two of the strongest, most accomplished people on the planet. One is an
internationally renowned singer/songwriter/rock and roll legend who plays to
packed out stadiums for almost 3 and a half hours at a time. The other has won
every major honour that any footballer could ever dream of and is consistently
lauded as one of the best midfielders of all time. I remember his debut and in
a 20 minute cameo, he ran the show.
Bruce
Springsteen and Andrés Iniesta might be known all over the world, have more
money than God and may be lavished with praise on a daily basis but they’re
just like everyone else, they’re vunerable. Whether it’s clinical depression in
the case of The Boss or something triggered by the loss of a friend in the case
of Barcelona’s captain, it needs to be addressed. Springsteen’s wife Patti
described it as a freight train quickly running out of track that needed
stopping but too many people, men especially, are still brushing off issues
with their mental health as signs of weakness and eventually running out of
track.
I did
exactly that for years and I eventually realised how foolish and naive I was to
think that I could brush things under the carpet and completely ignore the
times I felt a little under the weather in the head department.
Only the
other week I had a difficult couple of days that were the culmination of a load of
different stresses, pressures and events that eventually got the better of me.
The only thing I could do is take myself out of the situation I was in and do
what I wouldn’t have done if it had happened a few years ago. I turned to
people for help. I spoke to some of the most important people in my life and I
talked it out. I was able to see what might have triggered various feelings and
being able to understand and rationalise it was comforting in itself.
In the
grand scheme of things my issues weren’t all that great and I realised that.
It’s important to put everything into context but it’s equally important to be
comfortable with the fact that whatever happens, however you’re feeling, is a
massive deal in YOUR world.
Nobody is
immune to feeling a bit shit. Nobody is immune to struggling from time to time.
Nobody should be afraid of asking for help. It’s amazing how helpful and
understanding friends and family can be, mainly because they probably went
through something similar themselves. You also feel a tonne lighter once you
say it out loud.
As a
society we’re getting better at talking and asking for help but we still have a
long way to go, especially men. The world of mental health is littered with
clichés but it’s genuinely good to talk, it really is. If you’re feeling shit
then get in touch with a friend, meet in person if you can, go for a coffee and
talk about it. In my experience they’re more supportive and understanding than
you ever gave them credit for.
Just don’t
forget to ask how THEY are.
