Matthew Wolfenden, 39, became a household name due to his role in Emmerdale. His rise to stardom was no easy feat, however, as painful injuries and a crippling mental health issue nearly destroyed everything he had worked so hard for. Matthew broke his back during his gymnastic days and had to refocus on a new passion due to his injury. Luckily, he found acting and his new found career path took off. Things were going well for the actor until his mental health and mood became “lower and lower.”
Mathew posted on Instagram and said: “As someone who has openly talked about my battles over the years with depression, I thought it only proper to put a little post out there on such an important day #worldmentalhealthday2019.
“Only three weeks ago I lost a friend to suicide, he was 52 and outwardly the happiest, funniest, friendliest man you could meet.
“You never know what someone is going through on the inside.
“Talk about mental health. Don’t be embarrassed about talking about mental health. Be open, talk, it WILL help.”
The NHS said: “The symptoms of depression can be complex and vary widely between people. But as a general rule, if you’re depressed, you feel sad, hopeless and lose interest in things you used to enjoy.
“The symptoms persist for weeks or months and are bad enough to interfere with your work, social life and family life.
“Psychological symptoms include continuous low mood, feeling hopeless and helpless, having low self-esteem, feeling tearful and feeling irritable and intolerant of others.
“See your GP if you experience symptoms of depression for most of the day, every day or for more than two weeks.”
For support on the issues raised in this article, visit Mind at www.mind.org.uk.
