It's time we helped ourselves.

I've watched the BBC documentary on Depression in sport.

Firstly,without ambiguity,i believe that any tv or radio show that deals with this subject in 2012,is A) very very welcome,and B) long overdue.

I'm not going to talk about individual experiences with Depression as they are varied in severity,in length,in symptoms and everyone has varying trigger points that lead to bouts.

I would say however that i hope that BBC,ITV,Channel 4/5 and satellite broadcasters continue to explore the illness,highlight it,and put pressure on government to give the illness equal status to other serious illness.

I remember an excellent documentary in 2004 i think by Prof Lewis Wolpert,who is an expert in the field of Depressive illness,and who's documentary was truly groundbreaking at a time when Depression was still at best misunderstood,and at worst maligned as some kind of personality weakness.

This documentary in my view was not followed up,and as a consequence,in 2012 we are having to rely on sporting and celebrity tales of experiences,however welcome to make people believe that what they are going through is somehow validated because a celebrity goes through the same.

I find this really worrying as celebrity endorsements,trends,and awareness raising tend to be lauded in the short term but forgotten in the medium to long term.I hope i'm wrong but having seen so many false dawns over 15 years in this regard,unless government are lobbied,unless broadcasters produce more programming to highlight,with experts and real life stories from everyone in the UK,momentum will be lost,and we will still be banging this same drum in 2112.

The tide is turning though,from every section of our society now feeling willing and able to tell their stories through twitter,blogs and forums.This to me is where the real breakthrough will be made,alongside any high profile people who can find it in themselves to speak up and speak out.For that,Freddie Flintoff,Neil Lennon,Marcus Trescothick and many more are to be applauded.

There could be 20 million Depression sufferers in the UK,and i don't know any other illness with such a large spread of people from every walk of life,in every part of the country that has such a small voice at present than Depression sufferers,so the question i ask to everyone struggling,or know someone who does is...

"When are we going to stand up,mobilise,and put this illness at the top of the agenda in 2012,and make this year more than any other one where real progress is made to educate,raise awareness and break the stigma,allowing people simply to get well,and have tools available to stay alive,happy and contribute fully in our society?"

The NHS has to cut it's cloth in a recession,and in conversations with mental health professionals in the public and private sector,mental health funding is always one of the hardest hit when it comes to cuts,so it's even more important for Depression sufferers in the UK to come together to make sure that 20 million people are not a scattered bunch at the bottom of the care pile but at the very top with every other serious illness.

Anything else in 2012 is not acceptable.


So i ask every one of you reading this to join one of the charities at the bottom of the page,to demand proper information and care from your GP,and to lobby your local MP to keep the illness and the conversation at the top of the agenda this year.


I can deal with Depression.I can't deal with ignorance and a lack of professional support.


It's time we helped ourselves.Please.


Stan Collymore