“Never be to proud to admit you have struggled. It happens to us all. 1 year on and life couldn’t be any different. The mind is a wonderful and dangerous thing. If you’re struggling, talk. Speak to somebody. It will get better. We all have our vulnerabilities.”

“I couldn’t see the logic of my own life. It felt like a futile existence.” In the new issue of Men’s Health, @Joey7Barton opens up to @campbellclaret about his encounters with depression and suicidal thoughts.

https://twitter.com/menshealthuk/status ... zrYxb2mptA

I loved Barton as a player for us, but - allegedly kick your wife in the head? No problem, just blame it on mental health problems…

I’m sorry, but my sympathy doesn’t extend that far.

BurnleyFC wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 2:01 pm

allegedly

I’m sorry, but my sympathy doesn’t extend that far.

- You clearly have not suffered from a mental breakdown. I have a period of around five years where I have very little memory of anything I did… one of my few memories was in Whalley. Where I stood outside the Spar and in a moment of rare lucidity I froze on the pavement with not a clue where I was or how I had got there. I stood there frozen in place, terrified.

I have a lot of sympathy for someone who allegedly did anything, because quite frankly I have no idea what I did prior to arriving outside Spar with a bag full of shopping.

Further to this, I had no idea why people I had known all my adult life suddenly did everything they could to avoid me… people I liked and respected avoided me because they could not recognise the me they knew… I had no idea I’d changed. I even managed to get married to a money grabber during my illness the formally infamous ‘ClaretFi’… who controlled me seven years before I became lucid enough to see she was a major part of my downfall.

Yes I have a lot of sympathy for anyone currently going through that!

But Barton has a history of doing things like this over a period much longer than five years.

The cynic in me says it’s to garner some sympathy for his upcoming trial.

Of course I have every sympathy with people going through genuine mental health struggles.

BurnleyFC wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 2:54 pm

But Barton has a history of doing things like this over a period much longer than five years.

The cynic in me says it’s to garner some sympathy for his upcoming trial.

Of course I have every sympathy with people going through genuine mental health struggles.

Not having a go but My Doctor told me that I had been suffering from Advanced Clinical Depression for probably about ten years previous, in fact I remember sitting in his surgery and him going mad I hadn’t been to see him earlier… though he thought it remarkable I had hid the condition so long without a complete breakdown.

It turns out that unknowing I had dyslexia and possibly even mild autism… I saw the world differently than ‘normal people’ as my mind reacts differently. I just wondered why everyone seemed to find everyday life so much easier. The mind is a very complicated thing. The one silver lining for me, and I hope it helps others - I threw myself into my real passion and claimed a BA with Honours - despite my dislexia not being diagnosed… which has had Universities falling over themselves to get me into their universities for a MASTERS DEGREE now that my condition has finally revealed itself.

The conclusion for those struggling is; if you think its wrong don’t internalise get it out there PEOPLE WILL HELP and there is a reason behind your issues and once you can nail them life opens back up to you.

I understand people struggle with Mental Health, but lets have it right...Joey is playing on this

Only at weekend did he call out one of hid players and basically say he should go back to Ireland to ply his trade as he was no longer wanted. Lets not use MH as an excuse for one's sins. Which is basically what he is doing

Great footballer, horrible person

I think there's been an unfortunate trend as society's understanding of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety of come on leaps and bounds, understanding of the extremities of these conditions and other more serious mental health issues has absolutely been left behind.

It's absolutely rotten to accuse someone of using MH as an excuse when you've got less than a surface understanding of what they've been through.

BurnleyFC wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 2:54 pm

But Barton has a history of doing things like this over a period much longer than five years.

The cynic in me says it’s to garner some sympathy for his upcoming trial.

Of course I have every sympathy with people going through genuine mental health struggles.

It's a cop out to keep blaming all your mistakes on mental health, like it is for Doctors to keep giving out anti depressants

Top Claret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:34 pm

It's a cop out to keep blaming all your mistakes on mental health, like it is for Doctors to keep giving out anti depressants

Anti - Depression pills, I call them Zombiefiers. 90% of depressives are ABOVE average intelligence, nulling the senses does nothing but make it impossible to find the underlying cause (or at least was for me).

You clearly have no understanding. Mental conditions can last for YEARS unchecked and hidden by the person struggling, even from themselves… I lost TEN years. I suggests you take a course because this is just the kind of ignorance I have encountered time and time again.

Glen Turner - “ If only it were that easy“
Joey Barton - “Every journey starts with a step”

For those needing help (but afraid to engage on here)….

BURNLEY OFFICIAL: In today's notes, @AlanPaceBFC congratulates @andysmanclubuk and @VeteransFdn on becoming our charity partners for the season, as well as looking forward to #BURHUL

https://twitter.com/burnleyofficial/sta ... zrYxb2mptA

Andysmanclub and VeteransFdN…. Great informal initiatives. WELL DONE BFC

Cleveleys_claret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:30 pm

Only at weekend did he call out one of hid players and basically say he should go back to Ireland to ply his trade as he was no longer wanted. Lets not use MH as an excuse for one's sins. Which is basically what he is doing

Any different from Stan and his notorious “they will never play for this club again” moment?

Elwa, two things:

1. I’m so glad that you’re feeling to be in a much better place. That’s so good to hear and it’s fab to read that you’re heading into a Masters course.

2. Fi…met her (with you) a few times and had no idea that she had done this to you. I’m glad that you’re well shut (I hope) and wish you all the best for the future

jdrobbo wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:18 pm

Elwa, two things:

1. I’m so glad that you’re feeling to be in a much better place. That’s so good to hear and it’s fab to read that you’re heading into a Masters course.

2. Fi…met her (with you) a few times and had no idea that she had done this to you. I’m glad that you’re well shut (I hope) and wish you all the best for the future

Thanks JD, appreciate it (I know you struggled with me on the few occasions we did meet)… life’s kin great, I’m skint and I’ve just pulled the plug on my supporting business, but it’s been a long long time since I felt this content with my life’s journey.

Mate, to be frank, I didn’t struggle with you: I think I found the company you held to be awkward and it kind’ve makes sense now. I’m glad you’ve spoken up

Elwa - your posts on this thread are amazing. I hope you keep speaking out about mental health issues because it's people like you who are breaking down barriers.

Sausage wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 5:34 pm

Elwa - your posts on this thread are amazing. I hope you keep speaking out about mental health issues because it's people like you who are breaking down barriers.

Strongly agree.

Sausage wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 5:34 pm

Elwa - your posts on this thread are amazing. I hope you keep speaking out about mental health issues because it's people like you who are breaking down barriers.

Thank you, it took a long time for me to confront ‘me’ and I fully understand how resilient suffers need to be. It’s never over until you give up, it’s never beat you until you give in fighting it.

elwaclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:08 pm

It turns out that unknowing I had dyslexia and possibly even mild autism… I saw the world differently than ‘normal people’ as my mind reacts differently. I just wondered why everyone seemed to find everyday life so much easier. The mind is a very complicated thing.

There's a lot of middle aged adults wandering around with undiagnosed autism in various forms.

This in turn can lead to these people suffering with depression

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 6:57 pm

There's a lot of middle aged adults wandering around with undiagnosed autism in various forms.

This in turn can lead to these people suffering with depression

Absolutely, I’m 51 - diagnoses still yet to be confirmed.

elwaclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 7:01 pm

Absolutely, I’m 51 - diagnoses still yet to be confirmed.

42 and confirmed as having ASD (Asperger's) about 2 months ago.
Also had to start the process to be checked for ADHD as they can go hand in hand.

I only got checked because my daughter was diagnosed with it last year when she was 6 and 85% of people get it from a family member and like Paddy McGuiness' wife, I hadn't thought about it until my kid got her diagnosis and then it all fell into place.
It's also why I suffer bouts of depression and most likely always will do.

People need our support unconditionally without question to properly overcome their demons &:get better with their mental health problems, questioning or judging the past isn't the way forward.

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 7:21 pm

People need our support unconditionally without question to properly overcome their demons &:get better with their mental health problems, questioning or judging the past isn't the way forward.

I would make that close if not lesson one for depressives themselves too: It is called the past for a reason, eventually with practice you can spot when negative thoughts are brewing and mostly shut the box before they fully form, but that for me is what took years to master. Once you first sense it… quickly distract yourself and close the thought down, worked for me, eventually.

elwaclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 16, 2022 10:42 pm

I would make that close if not lesson one for depressives themselves too: It is called the past for a reason, eventually with practice you can spot when negative thoughts are brewing and mostly shut the box before they fully form, but that for me is what took years to master. Once you first sense it… quickly distract yourself and close the thought down, worked for me, eventually.

If it works it works, good luck with maintaining that approach.

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 17, 2022 11:22 am

If it works it works, good luck with maintaining that approach.

It was something I read on an internet Mental Health group, at first it seems impossible but gradually it becomes almost an instinct… what is that thought… where will it lead, will it spiral into a host of damaging flashbacks… ok, distraction… Burnley news, BBC, own interests etc (just find something else)… within seconds (eventually), you can then close down the distraction almost as quickly… bug removed.

I was a sceptic for a long time, it just seemed impossible to interrupt the depression spiral… but like anything else the more you do it the easier it becomes, I found… but it takes persistence.