Friday 10 October 2014 12:39, UK
Former England and Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes the key to beating depression can be as simple as just talking to someone.
Hendrie, who tried to commit suicide following the end of his footballing career, financial problems and the breakdown of his marriage, was a guest on Sky Sports News HQ’s ‘Morning View’ on World Mental Health Day.
The last decade has seen several high-profile sportsmen – including Marcus Trescothick, Frank Bruno and Paul Gascoigne - speak out about their own battles with depression, and Hendrie says every person who speaks out can help another sufferer.
“Depression has always been in the game,” Hendrie said. “But we just never had the facilities to cater for it, whereas now, looking at all the support groups there are, it’s starting to raise awareness and it’s fantastic.
“I got to a stage where I bottled it all up and it just mounted up. But the more you speak to people about how you feel – I found it hard to do that because I felt embarrassed about the situation - the more you do that, the more it helps.
It seems so far back because I’ve come far – but it’s all been small steps. I feel so much better now and I’m hoping my experiences have helped others.
“With me, I was coming to the end of my career - I was suffering with injuries and couldn’t get a contract. My life had been football – in at 9am, finish at 12.30. Suddenly there was nothing and I found myself in a rut I couldn’t get out of.
“There were money problems, I went through a divorce – I forgot who I was and I forgot my family which was disappointing as I had young children.
“Looking back I wish I’d got help earlier but unfortunately it got to a stage where I tried to take my own life.
“It seems so far back because I’ve come far – but it’s all been small steps. I feel so much better now and I’m hoping my experiences have helped others. I think it has – I’ve had ex-pros and people still in the game contact me and ask for help.
“Old pros always used to say ‘sort yourself out for after football’ but now there are people who can actually help you do that.
"Don’t be embarrassed – come and speak to someone because if you can nip it in the bud you’ve got a chance to move forward.”
It is a view echoed by Jason Ratcliffe of the Professional Cricketers’ Association.
“A lot of this is about education and we’ve been lucky that we’ve had people like Marcus Trescothick come forward and say they need help,” said Ratcliffe.
“I think what that has done is create a landscape in cricket where it’s ‘okay not to be okay’ and that has created a much bigger awareness and understanding of the issues.
“The worst-case scenario is when people stay silent and then problems can manifest themselves - and that’s the strong message: talk to somebody because that will be the start of getting help.”
