Living with Depression: A Footballer's Story

Kerrydude1981

If you have a few minutes to spare then read this,powerful and brave stuff from a lad so young.

http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/2/2605130949-a-footballers-story/

wow sierra

Please read it all - but if you don't want to take the time try this bit:

The key thing for anyone who is feeling depressed is to always remember there is light at the end of the tunnel. And if you ever get to a point where you are struggling to see it, like I did, then that is the moment to reach out for help. Opening the vault that had become my head was crucial in lifting my depression.

I'm only 22 years of age but that dark spell has taught me so much about myself. Over the past two years I have felt depressed when actively involved with a football team and when I have been idle from GAA. I have experienced depression whilst in love and when single. It's hung over me when living with friends and been there when staying with family. It has been there as a student and been there at work.

The common denominator in all those things is me. What's very easy to forget though is that I have also felt happy during most of those stages too.

ProudDUB

Wow. That was hard to read but I am glad that I did. Fair play to him for having the bravery to write all that. And fair play to the GAA powers that be (especially in my own county, Paul Flynn in particular) for getting involved in drives to promote mental health initiatives and suicide awareness.

qwerty93

What a fantastic article. Brilliantly written too.

BobBobBobBob

I take my hat off to Alan. Very brave of him to speak about this. I hope it will help other GAA players and the general public who are in a dark place.

Well done lad.

listermint

Read that yesterday on the journal. moving article and extremely well written by him.

Fantastic for him to put that to paper for people to gain some insight or understanding of what goes on in people battling depression. Because it is very hard for the 'average' person to grasp it.

yop

Seems it can be very hard to distinguish a "bad day" from depression, as he said there he was happy but suffering depression. I think that level of confusion could push some people over the edge.
Fair play to him, very hard for a young lad to come out and talk about it, though herein lies the problem, why should it be? We aren't all made of steel and balls of stone.
Until Irish men figure out its not a laughing matter if a mate says he is feeling low then to try and help him out. Easier said than done.

blue note

Fair play to him. An incredibly brave article. I'm sure there will be many people who will find comfort reading it.

Lemlin

listermint wrote: »

Read that yesterday on the journal. moving article and extremely well written by him.

Fantastic for him to put that to paper for people to gain some insight or understanding of what goes on in people battling depression. Because it is very hard for the 'average' person to grasp it.

He studied journalism in DIT so that's why the article is particularly well written.

It's a fascinating piece of how a footballer attains a high and then finds it difficult to match. That U21 team was the first in Cavan to make an All-Ireland final at any grade since the U21 team back in 1996. There was a huge buzz about the team and their trip to Croke Park. You can only imagine what it's like in a county which loves its football but has been starved of success for so long.

Moving on from that euphoria to the seasons that followed with the senior team has to have been tough. Hopefully though new excitement will be created by the seniors now starting this season.

Hidalgo

Reading the article, sport seems to just one of the causes for the lads problems.
But it must be a huge adjustment for lads playing at the top level when they eventually retire. What can replace the buzz of big summertime championship?
Its been noted that in Amercian Football that when this buzz goes players can feel empty.

Huge amount of credit to Alan for writing this, if it helps one other person to seek help in time, then that's a great thing. It must take a lot of courage to seek help for a young man, even more to publicly talk/write about it. Hopefully its another step in helping him get back to a better place mentally.

Credit also to the GPA for having counselling services in place for its members. Simply have someone there to reach out to for anyone suffering with depression.

Thinkstoomuch

Hidalgo wrote: »

Reading the article, sport seems to just one of the causes for the lads problems.
But it must be a huge adjustment for lads playing at the top level when they eventually retire. What can replace the buzz of big summertime championship?
Its been noted that in Amercian Football that when this buzz goes players can feel empty.

Huge amount of credit to Alan for writing this, if it helps one other person to seek help in time, then that's a great thing. It must take a lot of courage to seek help for a young man, even more to publicly talk/write about it. Hopefully its another step in helping him get back to a better place mentally.

Credit also to the GPA for having counselling services in place for its members. Simply have someone there to reach out to for anyone suffering with depression.

Yeah it is in other sports too.Alan Quinlan has battled it and talked about hes fight with depression.He 's started after missing the last lions tour.
When guys like O Meara and Quinlvan talk about it ,it can only raise awarness about the problem that exists.Fair play to them for speaking out.

brandon_flowers

It is a great piece especially with the current mental health problems and high suicide rate in rural parts of the country. The main problem is that a lot of people simply don't know they have depression and some that do know feel very stigmatized by it. I would go as far as to say that Donal Og probably came out as being gay before anyone GAA player had ever publicly stated they suffered from depression. In team sports it can be very difficult to admit to anything. We had a team-mate hang himself the morning of a game a few years ago, to say no-one saw it coming was an understatement.

Fair play to the GPA/GAA for being pro-active in this, you can imagine the ribbing a lad would get on the field if people knew he had phoned the Samaritans, calling the GPA is a far easier option I would say.

The resemblance in what Alan says about reaching highs and then nothing is also very much attributable to how many ex GAA stars become alcoholics in later life. When the GAA is everything you have and provides everything you need and then suddenly it stops it is very difficult to replace. Paidi, Tim Kennelly, John Egan, Seamus Darby, Jimmy Keaveney, Ciaran Carey, John Leahy, Frank McGuigan just off the top of my head all suffered greatly from this.

jkmanc1974

Unreal article and just read this now....light at the end of the tunnel etc....

Brgds
Johnny

gowley

i read it in the sunday independent and thought it was very moving. big respect to him and i hope things go well for him in the future. we need more role models like this for our kids

gapaddyga

Hello lads, I've been there for altogether different reasons, but even the method of destruction was eerily similar. I have a blog that seems to attract a few people with issues similar to me (gambling). I always welcome advice and help so feel free.

http://betfair2ga.blogspot.ie/

Alan is truly an inspiration.