Tag Archives: depression

OPENING up about her battle with anxiety and depression, which led to suicidal thoughts, Fiona O’Brien, a 25-year-old psychiatric nurse from Kildysart, is encouraging people to talk, seek support and is reminding young people in particular that it is ok not to be ok. Last Thursday was World Mental Health Day and this year’s theme is Suicide Prevention, as set by the World Federation for Mental Health. Fiona qualified as a psychiatric nurse three years ago and had really been enjoying it but her life took a turn. The end of a relationship, coupled with pressures at work and societal pressures, led to her mental health beginning to suffer. She explained that no one thing triggered it but just “life happened”. “I suffer from anxiety and depression. It has been going on for some time. I worked through a lot of it myself. As I’m a psychiatric nurse, I know a lot of the things I need to do. I …

AN Ennis champion athlete has revealed how running helped him to overcome bouts of depression. Ultra-marathon runner, Keith Whyte, who recently won the 100km ice-marathon in the Antartic, has lauded the work of Pieta House, the self-harm and suicide prevention service. Speaking at the Clare launch of the 2015 events, Mr Whyte urged people to attend the fundraiser in huge numbers. While the 35-year-old athlete never experienced suicidal tendencies, he did suffer from depression in his early 20s and found running helped to lift his mood. In addition to raising vital funds for the charity, he said the Darkness into Light walk would help raise public awareness and general debate about depression, which is still considered something of a taboo subject. “Depression can happen to anyone at any time. I think deep down most people have suffered from depression in some form. A lot depends on a person’s coping skills and having the right people around them to prevent it …

IN 2008 Paul Callaghan ran a successful plastering company, often having to turn down work in the height of the Celtic Tiger. But that all changed when the recession hit and he was forced to close his business, eventually leading to him suffering depression. However, Paul, who lives in Barntick has turned his life around through cookery and he has launched his first book, Calso Cooks:Real Food Made Easy which is getting nationwide attention. The 34 year old who is originally from Armagh moved to Clare after making the tough decision to wind down his plastering business. “Work had been flooding in in the boom, but in 2008 around March the phone stopped ringing so I wound down the business. My sister lives in Kildysart so I was used to the area visiting her. I thought a fresh start and change of scenery would be good and I decided to move down here and do any kind of odd jobs …