This Is My Story: Story 1

“I’ve been through 20 years of personal mental health struggles. I’m confident and brave enough now to make myself intentionally vulnerable, share them with the world and hopefully save some lives.

This is only the beginning – I have already made Don’t Hide my passion, life’s work and purpose in life, something inside my mind since I have started this project and I am not letting it go.”

It’s Been One Hell Of A Journey

From my very first experience with mental health until today, the day I am writing this exact blog, it’s 20 years – 2 decades of battling what I call the ‘dark clouds’.

So much has happened between 2006 and 2026, but this blog will touch on the key moments which I feel are worth sharing with others. As I walk you through my journey of navigating the tricky subject of mental health, the only things you’ll find are openness, honesty, transparency and hopefully some support and guidance.

 

I vividly remember working in Currys (TVs, washing machines & cameras etc.), being at the back of the store and having feelings of extremely low mood, as I sat alone, head in my hands, tears were streaming down my face and plummeting to the ground below. I didn’t know what was happening to me, the feelings were extremely overwhelming.

One of the managers came over to me and put his hand on my shoulder, offering not only words of comfort, but reassurance that this wasn’t the end of the world. I didn’t like this manager up until that point, due to his oppressive nature and management style, but after this incident, I saw him in a different light.

 

Retrospectively, he could have been the metaphorical arm reaching into the water to save me from drowning; it wasn’t the water which was the worry, it was thoughts and feelings inside my own head.

These events were a defining point in my life, they changed the course of my life forever and it’s a moment of history to store in my mind. It’s important to me that I can vividly recollect certain dates and happenings because I use them to judge how far I’ve come; how much I have grown and how much stronger I have become.

 

Never in a million years, did I ever imagine I would be writing about how I felt mentally, intentionally rendering myself vulnerable, and publishing it live to the world.

Irony is at the forefront here, because I don’t really like reading, yet I am publishing this for others to read, digest, and hopefully find common ground or ‘solidarity’ to realise, that yes, the cliché is coming – ‘you’re not alone’.

Mental Health In Modern Society

It’s a tough cookie, the old ‘mental health’. It’s something which I believe has been present for many decades, in fact, it’s probably been here for hundreds of years. The way in which it’s perceived, dealt with, handled, manipulated, scrutinised and judged is what has changed dramatically over the past 10-15 years.

Without blowing my own trumpet here, the sales skills I have taught myself and mastered over the last 2 decades or so, dating back to my very first day at Currys retail store, on 12th December 2006, I believe with the right mindset, combined with tenacity, determination, persistence and vision, I can change the way mental health is perceived and pave a new path for those who are struggling.

 

The blog I am putting together may be difficult for some people to read. Whether it is a friend or family member, or someone who relates to an anonymous or author-written post, some of the content may be upsetting. However, I believe these raw and honest details are necessary for people to grow.

I’ve had to crawl through the ‘mental-health dirt’ to come out much cleaner on the other side, so to speak, and if others are prepared, willing and able to do the same, it could benefit them greatly.

One thing I can assure all readers and followers is that there will never be any links, advice, or harmful content relating to suicide. This blog solely exists to provide hope, understanding, solidarity and a constant reminder that no one has to face their struggles alone.