Niall breslin

Larianne

Wilberto wrote: »

I've never seen this before but now that I have my respect for him has increased dramatically.

Before that, I never really paid any attention to him. Not that he wasn't any good at what he does or anything, it's purely just that he never really featured on my radar, ever.

Can I ask, has it made you think differently about mental illness?

nc19

What a know jockey imo

lufties

nc19 wrote: »

What a know jockey imo

Is that a cross between a knob jockey and a know it all?

nc19

feckin new phone. was meant to be knob

Wilberto

Larianne wrote: »

Can I ask, has it made you think differently about mental illness?

As long as there are no follow up questions, it was actually because I could relate to it.:(

Larianne

Wilberto wrote: »

As long as there are no follow up questions, it was actually because I could relate to it.:(

Oh. I won't ask any more questions.

I do hope it has helped you in even a small way.

Tarzana2

LexieOnRale wrote: »

He's a ride.

Beady eyes and a puffed up rugger's body. Pass. I'm sure he's gutted! :pac:

Tarzana2

FunLover18 wrote: »

The Blizzards were ridiculously underrated imo.

Nah, they were Blandy McShíte.

VEN

Aidric wrote: »

Likewise. He should be commended for his honesty on the struggles he has experienced with anxiety.

its always a good story for a known person to come out with. i heard it myself, didn't seem like he was in the pits tbh. active, rugby, tall, good looking, musician. anxiety, not a depression where one would say "f*** he crawled back from that". some people fire about that depression word like its tuesdays blues, or a 2-3month downer.

then the other about the kid who died from cancer, with a message for those who are suicidal. grand and all but not the same thing and given a pat on the back from those who can carry on saying "get up off your a*** sure look at those people dying in the cancer wards"

hmm yeah.

lufties

VEN wrote: »

its always a good story for a known person to come out with. i heard it myself, didn't seem like he was in the pits tbh. active, rugby, tall, good looking, musician. anxiety, not a depression where one would say "f*** he crawled back from that". some people fire about that depression word like its tuesdays blues, or a 2-3month downer.

then the other about the kid who died from cancer, with a message for those who are suicidal. grand and all but not the same thing and given a pat on the back from those who can carry on saying "get up off your a*** sure look at those people dying in the cancer wards"

hmm yeah.

Yeah, I'm wondering is it actually about spreading awareness and a profile boost being an offshoot, or vice versa..

'Jaysus that bressie fella, shur he has the same thing as me..well he's a sound fella in my book'

Son Of A Vidic

lufties wrote: »

Cue the 'who's he' replies..

Yes, I had to Google the name because I had no idea who he was. My rarely watching Irish TV probably didn't help.

AlanS181824

Mentioned him to a friend and all I hear back is her going... Oh he's a ride.

Thanks AH, real feckin helpful.

Soft Falling Rain

He comes across very well and it's hard not to like the chap. You also have to admire his stark honesty because there's nothing really to gain from being so open. I mean due to The Voice he already had a big enough profile in Ireland so I don't see anything cynical.

What I find gas though is the attitude on here towards him. I remember one particular poster who suffered from depression saying in the previous thread that he didn't like Bressie because he felt he didn't represent "the real side of depression" i.e. because he's good looking with a high profile.

Kind of ironic given the old mantra of depression having many faces.

The Wild Bunch

Don't know him personally, never met him, but heard horror stories from mates on college nights out where he was djing who said he was ride an obnoxious.

His bird, on the other hand- I'd use her sh*t for toothpaste

VEN

lufties wrote: »

Yeah, I'm wondering is it actually about spreading awareness and a profile boost being an offshoot, or vice versa..

'Jaysus that bressie fella, shur he has the same thing as me..well he's a sound fella in my book'

yea its a profile boost, no doubt. anxiety and depression are not the same. they can come together though. "yea i couldn't go outside the door, or if i'd game on i couldn't go, or i couldn't get up on the stage and dj" yea social anxiety. he just needed a few more rides and his career to take off, grand then. not a bother on him now i bet.

Venus In Furs

Just seems to me like he's speaking about his depression publicly, in order to help others. Brave thing to do IMO, particularly when he has already cultivated a non vulnerable persona.
The hostility towards him is probably jealousy - of the way he's considered really good-looking, and has been a rugby-player, musician and presenter. I do not say such a thing lightly, but he comes across as a completely unremarkable, benign person, so why else would be people be full of venom towards him?

Aongus Von Bismarck

Many us will have a major depressive episode at some stage of our lives. Others, unfortunately, will have continuing and ongoing problems with depression. I think it's really admirable that he has come out and spoken about his depression with such candour and honesty. If even one person decides to get help as a result of his openness about this then it has been a hugely worthwhile endeavour.

He's not preaching rocket science. He extols the virtues of talk therapy, exercise, good diet, mindfulness and learning to appreciate who you are. It's all very practical stuff. Good on him.

weldoninhio

He seems to be a jack of all trades, master of none. RTE seem to have hitched their wagon to him and are giving him a platform. He must have connections in there.

Fair play to him for speaking out about mental illness. Though that's no reason to have him on the Voice and all the other RTE nonsense he appears on.

Venus In Furs

Wasn't he on all those things before talking about his depression though?

I wouldn't blame him for RTÉ recruiting mediocrity.

P. Breathnach

Venus In Furs wrote: »

... he comes across as a completely unremarkable, benign person, so why else would be people be full of venom towards him?

This is AH, so people who like to have a go at others are likely to turn up and have a go.

But I have just checked back over the thread, and it seems that there are more posters in favour of his speaking out about depressive illnesses than there are posters against it. Don't be misled by one energetic opponent.

lecker Hendl

If Bressie is the definition of a ride then I'm a 6 month cruise

BetterThanThou

I personally like the guy. His music isn't terrible, not great, but it's not terrible, he supported Bon Jovi when I went last year, and he put on a decent performance. I also appreciate his work on mental health awareness. As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, I personally think it needs to be normalised, so people aren't afraid to seek treatment, I know a few people who suffer from depression who refuse treatment, even though they know it works, simply because they feel it makes them "abnormal". Overall, I like Bressie, don't see why anyone would dislike him.

Omackeral

lecker Hendl wrote: »

If Bressie is the definition of a ride then I'm a 6 month cruise

Probably of the Somali Pirate variety though..

AngryHippie

What's your opinion, a worthy role model or hyped up annoying, smug pratt?

Given the options in the OP, I would have to say he's a hyped up annoying smug pratt.
He's actually a decent enough sort, and his honesty about mental health has to be admired on some level, but I don't think that any celebrity anywhere should be taken as a role model.
We are all human. we should all blaze our own trails, putting people on a pedestal as role models just sets them up for a fall when the inevitably do something human, then they are forced to publicly apologize for something the rest of us would just chalk down to experience.
The whole cult of celebrity is fcuked up.

Feckthis

BetterThanThou wrote: »

I personally like the guy. His music isn't terrible, not great, but it's not terrible, he supported Bon Jovi when I went last year, and he put on a decent performance. I also appreciate his work on mental health awareness. As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, I personally think it needs to be normalised, so people aren't afraid to seek treatment, I know a few people who suffer from depression who refuse treatment, even though they know it works, simply because they feel it makes them "abnormal". Overall, I like Bressie, don't see why anyone would dislike him.

+1 well said. he has brought ireland on leaps and bounds as regards stigma towards mental health. He has been through it and has come out the other side. To answer the OP question, he is s great role model.

VEN

"I don’t suffer from depression, I suffer from anxiety. It’s slightly related, but it’s not the same thing." - breslin

how many more times have i to say it?

all light shed is great but tbh nobody, nobody understands unless they've gone through depression themselves and is why many people, no matter how much news it will get, will still have doubt and dread towards someone they 'see' that doesn't look too well - they run away.

read about it, but if you've never been stuck in a barrel or looking down a barrel for years on end theres no way of knowing. you can try to understand but thats about it.

VEN

Feckthis wrote: »

+1 well said. he has brought ireland on leaps and bounds as regards stigma towards mental health. He has been through it and has come out the other side. To answer the OP question, he is s great role model.

he sounds like he's been through it alright

we don't need role models to tell us whats out there and to be aware. we have specialists and support centres that do that. a role model can't make a depressed person think "oh i'm going to be like that, they've done it, so can i" when they know they're not that person, they're not the same. anyways thinking about that could perhaps make them even more depressed - eg. high standards/pressure on young women to look like their celebs/role models, we know where that often ends… eating disorders and what not.

role models can help achievers with their ambitions when they are well and in good health.

its all profile raising and making use of the exposure for a good cause… and for themselves of course but it has already been exposed.

Letree

He is a decent guy imo. The boards mob is going easy on him so he really must be alright.

The Wild Bunch

Thread needs more pics of his missus

Daith

lecker Hendl wrote: »

If Bressie is the definition of a ride then I'm a 6 month cruise

Pics or gtfo.

The Diabolical Monocle

Well we have a good sized market of teeny emo girls maturing.

sparkle_23

I'm from Mullingar same town as Bressie and I always thought he was a bit of a dick. I lost my brother to suicide early December. My sister and I were in the pub christmas Eve and he was there. He was lovely and so so nice. My opinion has changed completely and nice to hear someone talk about their mental health so openly!

lufties

sparkle_23 wrote: »

I'm from Mullingar same town as Bressie and I always thought he was a bit of a dick. I lost my brother to suicide early December. My sister and I were in the pub christmas Eve and he was there. He was lovely and so so nice. My opinion has changed completely and nice to hear someone talk about their mental health so openly!

Nice to hear that..I'm sorry to hear about your bro. I had a cousin who committed suicide last year. Can't imagine how its been for his immediate family.

Royce McCutcheon

I genuinely dont know any people in real life who would say in response to the speech he made that he is spreading awareness of depression for his own publicity... Genuine question to anyone who is criticising Bressie over this: is it just an internet thing where people feel they can leave snide anonymous remarks criticising him over his music/looks in the hope of recieving "thanks"? or do people genuinely feel people like Bressie or Conor Cusack are telling these stories so to further their careers??

Nearly every person in the country under the age of 20 knows who he is and long may he continue speaking out and making people aware of something tat has been brushed under the carpet too long