Let's talk about our freight trains.

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.