DURING THE WEEK, Bressie stopped by for a High Table Interview about mental health.
He spoke candidly about his struggle with depression, anxiety and self-harm.
More than 500 people in Ireland die by suicide each year. Not all suicides are recorded as such so the actual figure is likely to be higher.
The majority of those who take their own lives in this country are men.
Bressie spoke to us about why the stereotypes of people who are depressed are “lethal and dangerous” and can lead to people who need help not seeking it.
He said many people put themselves under undue stress due to “the complete need to achieve all the time”.
If I’m a 35-year-old man I have to have kids and I have to have a mortgage – that’s a load of shite. You don’t have to have any of those things.
Bressie said it’s “really naive” for people to think they’ll never have an issue with their mental health as everyone will have to deal with traumatic experiences and no one knows how they’ll handle something like a death or a job loss.
He noted how it’s strange that depression is “the most common illness in the country”, yet it’s the one illness that most people don’t seek help about.
Bressie also has some advice for the loved ones of a person suffering from depression.
He thinks people need to educate themselves on the subject and not tell the person they’re better off than a lot of other people and should ‘snap out of it’ – as this just adds guilt to what they’re already feeling.
Bressie explores many issues related to mental health in his new book Me and My Mate Jeffrey. He also set up the blog My 1,000 Hours to help people look after their mental health.
People think the mind you have is the mind you’re given and that’s just that, which is not true. It’s like saying that you can’t improve your physical fitness. Of course you can, it takes a bit of time and dedication and commitment, it’s no different for your mental fitness.
Helplines:
Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
Console 1800 247 247 – (suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)
Aware 1890 303 302 (depression, anxiety)
Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie – (suicide, self-harm)
Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)
Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)
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