‘Anxiety and depression run in my family and I’ve probably had symptoms to some degree since childhood. But three years ago it hit me hard. I had a very stressful job and was trying my best to ignore my growing anxiety. I led an unhealthy life, ate a poor diet, did no exercise and had no outlet for the stress.
‘It all came to a head and I walked out of work, took to my bed and spent much of the next few months there. It felt as if I had nothing to offer the world and, at my lowest, I was suicidal. If I’d been on my own I’m not sure I’d still be here today. Thankfully, my wife Danielle made sure I am, by taking me to the doctor, who diagnosed clinical depression and got me the medication I needed. There’s so much stigma surrounding mental health, but as the doctor told me, depression is a chemical imbalance in your brain. If you have severe clinical depression, no amount of therapy or exercise will work until the drugs have started to correct that.