Simon Reeve, 47, is known for his reportage around the globe. He has made travel documentaries for the BBC and has written books on his adventures. Speaking to The Telegraph earlier in the year, he shared a story a lot closer to home. The journalist opened up about his battle with depression and mental health issues.
I remember the years of helplessness
Simon Reeve
Reeve revealed he had first experienced depression and mental health issues in his early teens. The condition caused him to lose confidence, friends and a sense of hope in life.
At his lowest point, he found himself clutching the railings of a footbridge over a busy arterial road near to his home, on the brink.
He said: “I can genuinely still feel the railing on the side of the bridge.
“What frightens me is how it could have so easily ended in me becoming yet another statistic. I could so easily have died there and then. It is desperate for me that it took me to the edge before I then began to build a life afterwards.”
Reeve added: “I remember the years of helplessness; a sense of being lost, incapable, and pathetic and frightened.”
As the NHS explained, depression is more than simply feeling unhappy or fed up for a few days. It is a persistent feeling of sadness for weeks or months, rather than just a few days.
Feeling a sense of hopelessness, as in Reeve’s case, is a common symptom of depression.
Other symptoms may include:
- Low self-esteem
- Lack of energy
- Problems with sleep
- How to treat depression
The appropriate course of treatment will depend on the type of depression a person has, explained the NHS.
How to treat depression
The appropriate course of treatment will depend on the type of depression a person has, explained the NHS.
“Treatment for depression usually involves a combination of self-help, talking therapies and medicines,” the health body noted.
Reeve found the desire to keep going and the search for meaning helped him to to address his mental health issues.
Following that fateful night on the bridge he decided to take a trip to Glencoe and hiked up a mountain in the Scottish Highlands.
He started volunteering in charity shops and applying for any job he could find.
Despite being on the other side, the travel journalist never wants to forget the hard times: “We are talking about years of bloody torment, frankly, and beating myself up. But I wouldn’t want to forget that because I want to cherish more what I have got.”
He is also keen to encourage a robust “national conversation” about mental health and its current pertinence: “There is a lot more we need to accept about our fragility.
“We are sold a vision of perfection more than at any point in the history of our species.
“Actually, I’m a fragile human being who can stand on a stage in front of 1,000 people, but still has moments of worry and weakness and concern and deep fear about the fundamentals.”
For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 or visit a local Samaritans branch.
David Walliams also faced a mental health battle. Find out more here.
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