Former England footballer Aaron Lennon reveals being sectioned saved his life

The Independent

England footballer reveals being sectioned saved his lifeThe Overlap

Transcript

00:00Seven years ago, I was in a really, really bad place.

00:03Like, severe depression.

00:04And it probably actually started before that,

00:06but I actually at the time didn't know what was going on.

00:09Just waking up each day,

00:10not realising why am I feeling this way, why not?

00:13Energy's low, not really wanting to join in

00:15with the lads in training,

00:17not wanna join in with the banter.

00:18But I didn't know it at the time,

00:19so I was just, and I was one of them

00:20quite old school person, I am, quite-

00:22Keep yourself to yourself.

00:23Yeah, keep myself to myself.

00:24And I used to always try and look after everyone else.

00:26There was never a time where I thought,

00:27should I go and ask, like, tell the doc,

00:29I'm not feeling all right here.

00:30So I just tried to just push it aside

00:32and I was just getting worse and worse.

00:34Was there anything that pinpointed that?

00:36I don't know, you just started to feel down.

00:38Feeling lower and lower.

00:39You get to a stage where you can't even get out of bed.

00:41Just not wanna be around people,

00:43just wanna be in the dark, not wanna see anyone.

00:46And I was just putting on a mask,

00:47so I could walk into a room and you'd think he's fine.

00:49I could go in and go, oh yes, lads, you all right?

00:51Nice one.

00:52Do my training and get off.

00:53But then I'd go home and literally just get back in bed.

00:55And I did that for a long period of time.

00:59Just before, when I was at Everton,

01:01probably the last 10 days of that,

01:03honestly, I was struggling to get out of bed.

01:05I was struggling to, I couldn't get out of bed.

01:07I couldn't function.

01:08At what stage did you know it's mental health

01:11and not, you know, I'm just having a bad few days?

01:15How long through did you realise this was something serious?

01:18So at the time, I'm just like, this will pass.

01:20I'm not sleeping.

01:22I'm not enjoying football.

01:23I'm not enjoying off the pitch.

01:24I'm not even enjoying, like I said,

01:25a night out or whatever with the lads anymore.

01:27But at the time, I'm just like, this will pass.

01:29This will pass.

01:29I'll be all right.

01:30Do you think that comes down to the competitive brain

01:32in respects of us playing football and saying,

01:34I've just got blast through this?

01:36Yeah.

01:37Yeah.

01:37Do you think that plays a part?

01:38100%.

01:39And I was just like me, I'll get through this.

01:40I don't need any help.

01:41I'll deal with this.

01:42And I'm one of them as well.

01:42I didn't want to put it on anyone else.

01:43Didn't want to ring my dad.

01:44Didn't want to ring my family.

01:45I've got good friends, good family, good mum and dad.

01:48And I was like, no, I'll sort this.

01:49And then got to a stage where I was like suicidal thoughts.

01:52Like I said, I couldn't get out of bed.

01:54So eventually, like I said, I got assessed

01:56and I was sectioned.

01:57I was literally put in hospital.

01:58I still wouldn't have gone in.

01:59And that's what I tell people to this day.

02:00Like if I didn't get sectioned,

02:01I probably wouldn't be here having this conversation.

Category

Transcript

Recommended