Although I have obviously heard of Ant McPartlin, I have never seen a single programme he has presented. I am told by people who know about these things that he and Declan Donnelly, Dec, as he is better known, are the best presenters on telly. I will take their word for it. Although I won’t be watching Britain’s Got Talent, Simon Cowell’s talent show, I am glad he is back to work. My loyal reader will know about McPartlin’s miserable story of late and he ended up in rehab. No matter how many millions they have in the bank, anyone’s life can end up in a mess.
I do not want to belittle McPartlin’s issues one little bit but there was one thing his great wealth was able to provide: treatment. Having hit rock bottom, finding the funds to aid his recovery was never going to be a problem. Clearly, this is not the same for everyone.
If, for example, he was a shop worker on the minimum wage, what would have been his options? A lengthy queue to get a GP appointment, for sure. And then what? A trip to rehab? Hardly. A selection of anti-depressants would likely be it, followed by a place on the waiting list for therapy. Where I live, the wait can be up to 14 months. When you are at rock bottom, then think of that one. You might get help towards the end of July 2020. Until then, try not to do anything silly. But hang on. At least then you might end up being sectioned. Light at the end of the tunnel? Hmm.
McPartlin’s issues became very public, as we all know. His fame catapulted him on to the front pages in ways he would surely have not welcomed. Fighting his demons in public. Christ, it’s bad enough dealing with this stuff in private, without having an army of reporters and protographers on the street outside the Priory, or wherever he was. As a fellow human being, I wish him nothing but well.
I don’t follow the gossip magazines so can’t comment on whether McPartlin intends to put his experiences to good use by campaigning for better care for people of all means to be better cared for when things go wrong. He probably has enough on his plate rebuilding his public image and career. I hope he does. It helps when famous people cite their own examples, not least to show everyone else they are not alone.
The former swimmer Rebecca Adlington has gone public with the fact she suffers from anxiety related panic attacks. She was interviewed on BBC Radio Five Live and gave a moving account of how they affect her. I am not going to make this all about me – yes, I know I have a tendency to do so – but everything she said resonated. I have friends who have confided privately to me that they suffer from panic attacks. One man I know told me he is far too embarrassed to say so in public because he fears it might affect his life in all manner of negative ways, such is the continuing stigma with mental health. Someone like Ms Adlington, who is greatly liked and admired for her achievements in swimming, could make it easier, given time, for people to open up. Panic attacks, or any forms of mental illness or addiction, should not be hidden away. The people with problems are those of us who judge.
It’s good to talk, sometimes. And it’s good to listen to others. We do not want to see more people dying because of mental health and addiction issues, or ‘just’ suffering. Sometimes, it’s worth saying, “Sod it, this is me, this is who I am and I suffer from (insert debilitating condition or illness).” I wish I’d done it more than half a lifetime ago. There can be a better way. We just have to be encouraged to find it.
