Mental Health in the media

It was revealed today that England Cricketer Michael Yardy has flown home from the Cricket World Cup because he is suffering from depression.

According to the BBC he said,

"Leaving at this stage of the World Cup campaign was a very difficult decision to make," the 30-year-old said.


"But I felt it was the only sensible option for me and I wanted to be honest about the reason behind that decision."

I'm deeply saddened that he is suffering from this condition and I wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.

I also applaud him for being honest about his condition. It's not an easy thing to do, particularly given that he is a man and there is a stigma against revealing mental health issues. Statistics have shown that men are less likely to suffer from depression, but I suspect this may be because men do not often report their symptoms.

For this reason I'm very grateful that he has chosen to reveal his condition. His example may encourage other men to seek help with mental health conditions, or at least feel that they can talk about it.

Well done Sir.

OCD in the media

In today's Daily Mail is an article about a woman's experience of suffering from OCD. It's a pretty moving and sad article. Of course I'm grateful everytime that the media highlights OCD because I hope that it provides a wake up call for people who might be suffering from OCD but don't know it.

Unfortunately I think the headline is a bit sensationalist and doesn't really match the tone of the article. It's pretty aggressive and accuses Sarah, the OCD sufferer, of nearly destroying her marriage. The title says "Sarah's obsessive, irrational fears have almost destroyed her marriage . . . Would YOU stay with a wife terrified of everyday life?" For a start her partner says that while he's found it hard to cope with her OCD, he has sought help, tried to understand her condition, been supportive and ultimately loves her and doesn't want to leave her. To me, the title suggests that the opposite and that there is something almost miraculous in a person wanting to stay with a person who has OCD.

Daily Mail article