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DURING THE WEEK, Bressie stopped by for a High Table Interview about mental health.
He spoke candidly about his struggle with depression, anxiety and self-harm.
More than 500 people in Ireland die by suicide each year. Not all suicides are recorded as such so the actual figure is likely to be higher.
The majority of those who take their own lives in this country are men.
Bressie spoke to us about why the stereotypes of people who are depressed are “lethal and dangerous” and can lead to people who need help not seeking it.
He said many people put themselves under undue stress due to “the complete need to achieve all the time”.
If I’m a 35-year-old man I have to have kids and I have to have a mortgage – that’s a load of shite. You don’t have to have any of those things.
Bressie said it’s “really naive” for people to think they’ll never have an issue with their mental health as everyone will have to deal with traumatic experiences and no one knows how they’ll handle something like a death or a job loss.
He noted how it’s strange that depression is “the most common illness in the country”, yet it’s the one illness that most people don’t seek help about.
Bressie also has some advice for the loved ones of a person suffering from depression.
He thinks people need to educate themselves on the subject and not tell the person they’re better off than a lot of other people and should ‘snap out of it’ – as this just adds guilt to what they’re already feeling.
Bressie explores many issues related to mental health in his new book Me and My Mate Jeffrey. He also set up the blog My 1,000 Hours to help people look after their mental health.
People think the mind you have is the mind you’re given and that’s just that, which is not true. It’s like saying that you can’t improve your physical fitness. Of course you can, it takes a bit of time and dedication and commitment, it’s no different for your mental fitness.
Helplines:
Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
Console 1800 247 247 – (suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)
Aware 1890 303 302 (depression, anxiety)
Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie – (suicide, self-harm)
Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)
Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)
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Isn’t it time there is only one colour diesel.. I’m sure the farmers could claim back the vat /payment difference… both governments should wake up!
@Michael Holland: that’s happening in North April
@Michael Holland: Isn’t it time taxes were cut on fuels. €1.65 per litre is a rip off.
@Michael Holland: I have a couple of questions. Why sell diesel at two different prices? Why is the problem only occurring in border counties and not elsewhere in the country?
I’m sure the Government in waiting will sort this problem out. You can’t beat inside knowledge.
@Tony Mc Grath: is that why the current government dealt with a redress scheme recently for all the murdered babies in the mother and baby homes ?
@Tony Mc Grath: ‘inside knowledge’ is that why the current government dealt with a redress scheme recently for all the murdered babies in the mother and baby homes ?
@James Beattie: great deflection! That will make everybody forget about ‘good republican’ diesel.
Take any Easter lily from the middle shelf.
Plus the cost of cars wrecked by running on washed diesel.
@B: Mary Lou still owes me 1k for that.
But all the free stuff will make up for it.
They havent gone away yoi know..
@David Dineen: they’re away washing diesel.
And beating the odd lad to death, just to show they haven’t gone away.
They are good republicans.
Be cheaper to make a better effort in stopping diesel laundering
@James Gorman: Is it fair to assume that in order to need laundering, the laundered diesel is stolen diesel in the first place? So many euphemisms are used when NI is involved, it’s tricky to follow what they’re saying – or more usually what they aren’t saying!
I’ve a couple of questions for someone out there:
Whey sell diesel at two different prices?
Why does the problem occur only in border counties?
Waste of money. Just drop the price instead
Sure why wouldn’t they do it. If the fines were equivalent to the amount being spent on the clean ups with a jail sentence thrown in on top. Then it would stop pretty quickly. Govt don’t want to update legislation to increase fines because it might offend their buddies
have your say