Shropshire Star comment: A message well worth listening to
Shrewsbury Town defender Omar Beckles deserves our admiration for raising the issue of mental health.
Though not all people suffer with such issues as depression and anxiety, his association with such troubles makes him a credible voice.
He fears that in the machismo world of football, too few people talk about mental health issues. And he wants people to open up and talk about what goes on beneath the surface, so that fewer suffer.
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His intentions are laudable and mirror those of Princes Harry and William, who have both encouraged men to talk more openly and be more honest about troubles they face.
Mental health remains taboo. It is difficult to understand why that is, for people are quick to talk about the physical ailments that affect them.
Perhaps in the male-dominated world of football, people are unwilling to talk because they believe it would be a sign of weakness to admit they are suffering. They might also fear the barracking from the terraces as rival fans – and sometimes their own – seize on any area they might to undermine a player.
Lonely
And yet professional football can be a lonely business, as can other walks of life. And rather than simply putting on a smile and deciding to grin and bear it, or telling a colleague to man up and say nothing, we ought to talk more.
Too many people suffer in silence; and not just footballers. We must recognise that the same matters apply across society.
Mental health services are chronically underfunded by the Government and there is absolutely no doubt that we neither prioritise the issue nor do enough to tackle it. Stigmas that have become entrenched in society ought to be removed and we should take a new approach to it.
Omar is leading by example and showing that there is another way. And we can but hope that he will inspire a younger generation and get them thinking about mental health in a different way. It is unwise to be stoic and inflexible when it comes to conditions such as anxiety and depression. We must be more tolerant and more willing to look at what can be done to help those who are suffering.
Omar has shown many the way. Society and individuals must follow his lead.
