Denise Welch talks to depression sufferer for MHFA England
Jake Humphrey, 42, began his career in television after leaving school. His first work for the BBC was for the children’s TV channel CBBC, although a switch to sport from 2006 saw him become the youngest ever host of their football shows, Football Focus. Throughout this time, Jake struggled with his mental health.
The journalist and BT Sport host opened up about his struggles with depression and his dark thoughts regarding suicide.
Jake laid bare his battles in an interview on Blank Podcast in which he said that he was “really struggling” and had stopped eating.
“I genuinely believed I was mad basically, it was a really weird time,” he began.
“I went from this super confident guy on the telly, and I was still working every day on Children’s BBC, to this guy who was not eating and getting thinner and thinner and really struggling.
“I remember one time looking on the internet to see if I could hire a bodyguard to be with me all the time to make sure I didn’t do anything mad, but that in itself was madness.”
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Lots of people struggle with depression throughout their lives and it can impact on them in many ways.
However, some may struggle to talk about their feelings or reach out for help, which can mean their depression gets worse over time.
“Men seem to suffer from depression just as often as women, but they are less likely to ask for help,” says the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
This may be because they believe that depression is a sign of weakness, or that they should ‘man up’, which can lead to some men trying to downplay how they’re feeling or cover it up.
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Depression is a mental health condition that causes people to experience intense and persistent feelings of sadness and despair.
It’s entirely normal to feel ‘down’ or upset from time-to-time.
However, if you find that this is becoming difficult to cope with and is preventing you from functioning in your daily life, it may be that you’re suffering with depression.
Symptoms of depression include:
• Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
• Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters
• Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports
• Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
• Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
• Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
• Anxiety, agitation or restlessness
• Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
• Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide
• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches.
One of the first steps for anyone suffering with depression is opening up about it to a loved one or friend.
There are a number of treatment methods which can help with symptoms of depression including talking therapies or cognitive behavioural therapy.
Exercise is one of the best ways to help ease symptoms of depression.
Jake has learned to be kinder to himself and has also praised his wife of 12 years, Harriet, for helping him become a successful presenter and a doting father to their two children – Florence, six, and Sebastian, four.
For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 or visit a local Samaritans branch.
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