We should never be reluctant to ask for help with our mental health so don't be afraid to talk.
Eoghan McDermott is a face (and hairdo) that we are probably all very familiar with, from his appearances on The Voice Of Ireland and TG4 but, as a TV and radio presenter, very few people would see a more personal side of him.
Until recently that is as, in March 2014,
Eoghan posted a confessional video to YouTube in which he talked about his own mental health and how he had self-harmed in the past, a part of his life which has since become one of the main reasons behind his decision to back the excellent
Pieta House 'Darkness Into Light' event.
You can, and should,
watch Eoghan's first video by clicking here.
Eoghan has just posted a second, similarly-themed video entitled "An Update!", the purpose of which is to do three things.
One, is for Eoghan to acknowledge the huge amount of super support that he received following his first confession in March.
Two, is to read a moving email from a young sixteen year old girl who had contacted Eoghan about her own personal problems.
And three, is to encourage everyone who watches the clips, and reads this article, to try and get involved in
'Darkness Into Light', a huge awareness and fundraising campaign for
Pieta House which is happening this weekend (Saturday, May 10th 2014) all across Ireland and also in London and Sydney.
'
Darkness Into Light' is an annual run or walk of 5km organised by
Pieta House that takes place in the aforementioned locations and starts just after 4am, with participants symbolically running from the dark of the night until dawn, and raises awareness of mental health issues.
As Eoghan has rightly pointed out, many Irish people, and Irish males in particular, aren't great when it comes to opening up about our feelings, our thoughts, or anything related to our mental health. All of this is in spite of the fact that we all do have problems and difficulties of our own. Closing ourselves off from our friends and family is not the solution, however, and, as Eoghan says, "only good can come from this" so speak up.
There's always someone who can offer guidance, who can give you advice, or someone who can simply listen, even if it's just a friend.
For more information on the important work that
Pieta House do you can visit their website here and for more information on this weekend's
'Darkness Into Light' event click here.
And by the way Eoghan, we
weren't watching porn when we clicked on your video, OK?
*JOE hastily deletes browser history*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pQLamtbo5U
