QuoteWhen Michael Yardy flew home from the Cricket World Cup this week suffering from depression, he joined a long list of elite sportsmen who have made the difficult decision to seek help for a mental illness.
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Boxer Frank Bruno, Celtic football manager Neil Lennon and All Blacks rugby union star John Kirwan have also talked openly about their depression.
Admitting there is a problem is something sports people find extremely hard, not least because they are conditioned to be both physically and mentally tough.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12860916I have to say that I view this news as one of the biggest steps forward in dealing with mental illness since the 1959 Mental Health Act.
Mental health isn't about personal weakness or failure. It's about being human. When society accepts that and treats mental illness like any other illness, then those suffering, and they do suffer, can be more confident about seeking help. More importantly, when mental health stops existing in the shadows, practiced by those medic graduates who lack the ability to become GPs, the better qualified will increasingly be drawn to this essential field.
When I first read this and similar articles, I had to resist the temptation to cry.
