HEALTH NEWS DELIVERING BETTER HEALTH FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 CONTENTS 2/6 CELEBRITIES AND DEPRESSION 7-9 HELPING TO BEAT STRESS 10-12 CHANGING FACE OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE 13-16 FIGHTING FOR A BETTER WAY 17-18 ALZHEIMER’S 19 TALK OF SUICIDE 20 GET INVOLVED 21 HELP AT HAND What do these celebrities have in common with one in four Scots? PRINT FIND OUT INSIDE 1 HEALTH NEWS MENTAL HEALTH EDITION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 WELCOME to this special edition of Health So what do all those stars have in News focussing entirely on mental health common with one in four Scots? issues. CONTENTS For generations the 2/6 CELEBRITIES subject has been a public and personal AND DEPRESSION taboo, despite affecting 7-9 HELPING TO up to one in four of the BEAT STRESS population. Sadly, it still carries a damaging 10-12 CHANGING social stigma. DEPRESSION FACE OF MENTAL It would be ... and it has no respect for fame HEALTH CARE impossible to cover all conditions, treatments, Celtic FC head coach Neil Lennon 13-16 FIGHTING developments and FOR A BETTER WAY support networks in a eltic FC’s Head Coach Neil Lennon is well-known both for his battling style of play on the pitch and 17-18 ALZHEIMER’S 12-page newspaper, but we hope you C his strong opinions, and he needed both these 19 TALK OF SUICIDE will find the contents qualities when he was diagnosed with depression. enlightening, helpful Neil speaks candidly of his feelings following the diagnosis, 20 GET INVOLVED and educational. made before he came to Parkhead and while still a Leicester City player. 21 HELP AT HAND Throughout the edition you will find Referring to his autobiography “Man and Bhoy” in which he signposts to various first made public his experience of depression, Neil said: “I was charitable groups, NHS coming to the end of my career and I discussed at length with websites and support the club doctor and Martin Hannan who actually wrote the book organisations. whether it would be a good idea to come forward. We begin with the “So we decided it would, because people would look at me personal stories of and think that if he can get depression, then anyone can get it. a number of well “I felt if I could help one person to come forward, get a bit of known celebrities who help, and get better, then it would be a good thing.” have had to battle Neil went on: “I was first diagnosed when I was playing for PRINT depression... Former Celtic player Neil Lennon... “you put up a barrier.” Leicester, so it was actually before I came to Celtic. 2 HEALTH NEWS MENTAL HEALTH EDITION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 How Celtic’s Neil Lennon battles to beat depression CONTENTS CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE women had after having babies.” “It was nothing to do with being a It was only because of his own 2/6 CELEBRITIES footballer or my lifestyle or anything like diagnosis that Neil learned that both his AND DEPRESSION that. mother and sister had had depression, “Now I look back it’s a genetic thing, it’s and discovered that the condition can be 7-9 HELPING TO been passed down through the family. hereditary. BEAT STRESS “But when I first had it I didn’t know “Eventually I was put on medication and 10-12 CHANGING what it was. It hit me like a hurricane. had a bit of counselling, and it helps, it For the first four or five weeks I was in a really does. For me to go and talk about it FACE OF MENTAL horrible place, I couldn’t sleep and I had to somebody was a great help.” HEALTH CARE no self-confidence, which is totally the It helped to talk to both his mother and 13-16 FIGHTING opposite of what I’m like. You put up a sister who had had depression. FOR A BETTER WAY barrier, you try and put on this façade that He says: “I think it’s better for people you are okay but inside you are actually who are suffering from it to talk to 17-18 ALZHEIMER’S dying. someone who is going through it “Especially in a football environment, themselves, and that’s why I’ve tried to 19 TALK OF SUICIDE you are sitting with a group of lads and encourage people to try and talk about they are all laughing and joking and you it. I know for many people this is difficult 20 GET INVOLVED are sitting there thinking God, I’d give because people are ashamed, they 21 HELP AT HAND anything to be back there, where I was have little self-esteem, they think it’s a before. weakness, when actually it’s not.” “After a while I was waking up every The football club doctor had some hour, on the hour, just couldn’t sleep and practical advice for the player: very anxious, all those sort of symptoms. “He told me just to treat it like an injury, “There was a club doctor there and you have a slight injury, it may take four eventually he diagnosed me as having weeks, it may take five weeks, but you depression.” will get better. Initially Neil told only his parents and ”And that’s how I tried to get through close friends, but he also had to learn my own bouts of depression. I would say more about the condition. you are not 100 per cent but you will be PRINT “I thought depression was something further down the line.” 3 HEALTH NEWS MENTAL HEALTH EDITION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 “I flew to Lanzarote where I walked around CONTENTS wearing a big hat, pretending to be Sophia Loren” one consequence would always knew she was a bit 2/6 CELEBRITIES Socialist activist “I never AND DEPRESSION washed be that she would never be mental, stuff like that.” Rosie Kane for 10 taken seriously again, and Back at home Rosie 7-9 HELPING TO OSIE Kane’s public days, I had there was an emotionally- became reclusive: “I was BEAT STRESS image is one of dreadlocks charged phone call to her lying on my couch and I felt practically. mother to break the news 10-12 CHANGING R firebrand socialist I never like the wee 2p piece that and feisty anti-nuclear moved, of her illness and the very falls down the back of the FACE OF MENTAL campaigner. I never public announcement in a settee. HEALTH CARE Before her decision to bathed, newspaper. “And I never washed for speak publicly about her I never For the next four months 10 days, I had dreadlocks brushed my 13-16 FIGHTING she “hid from the world and FOR A BETTER WAY experience of depression in hair, I doubt practically. I never moved, a Sunday newspaper, not if I ate.” went to a very dark place”, I never bathed, I never 17-18 ALZHEIMER’S many people would have ROSIE KANE and at one point went on brushed my hair, I doubt if I conjured up a picture of the holiday. ate.” 19 TALK OF SUICIDE former Scottish Socialist the right time really for me, was loathe to lie to other “I booked a flight and went But her public profile also Party MSP curled up on a on my own to Lanzarotte 20 GET INVOLVED because things progressed people about her condition: led to hundreds of messages settee, refusing to answer and got worse. “Some good friends said and pretended I was of support, including 21 HELP AT HAND her door even to friends. “But the reason I did come that they would cover for someone else. receiving leaflets and self- Rosie is very honest about out was because I was going me, well that’s what friends “I went to a place where help books. her experience and her to have to come out, some do, we’ll cover for you. But French and Spanish people Reflecting on this very low hesitancy in going public of it was selfish reasons if if I had done that, it would go and wore a big hat and period in her life, Rosie is still about her illness. you like, I was going to have have been wrong. If it was sarong and pretended I was able to make a joke. She said: “It was very, very to come out at the Scottish a heart attack, or cancer, Sophia Loren! “I think I’m quite eccentric difficult and I was very, very Parliament and pretend or a broken leg or asthma, “I came back more and flamboyant which you ill when I decided to do that. something else was wrong I would have obviously said frightened than I had can say when you are an “I’ll never know if it was with me.” that’s what it was, so why gone away. It was difficult MSP. When you are on the the right decision for me, to She had made emotional on earth pretend what I had because some sections dole you are crazy, but when be honest with you, I don’t telephone calls to her GP was anything else?” of the media were brutal, you are wealthy you are PRINT know if I did the right thing at and the Samaritans and She was frightened that sly comments, you know, I eccentric!” 4 HEALTH NEWS MENTAL HEALTH EDITION NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 CONTENTS Broadcaster Actor John TV celebrity 2/6 CELEBRITIES Claire Raynor Hannah Kerry Katona AND DEPRESSION POST-NATAL depression THE 46-year-old star of IT was back in 2006 when Kerry Former PM’s press 7-9 HELPING TO affected Claire after the big screen and television confirmed publicly through the advisor Alastair Campbell birth of each of her three has been closely involved columns of a magazine that she BEAT STRESS WHEN he became Tony Blair’s press secretary he children.