Phillip Schofield says ‘talking saved me’ in message about male suicide
Television presenter previously said he felt ‘hopeless’ before coming out as gay in February this year
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Your support makes all the difference.Phillip Schofield has shared a message about the importance of speaking openly about mental health, stating: “Talking saved me.”
Earlier this month, a fundraising page was set up in memory of Morgan Mcglynn, a young man who took his own life.
On the JustGiving page, it states that the money being raised will be donated to Guernsey Mind to support others and “to help prevent further suffering”.
Schofield shared a link to the fundraiser on Twitter, emphasising how Morgan’s story resonated with him.
“Another heartbreaking story,” the This Morning co-presenter said. “There is a strength in talking. Please don’t try to fight your head on your own. Talking saved me.”
Earlier this year, Schofield opened up about the significant toll keeping his sexuality a secret took on his mental health.
After coming out as gay in February, the 58-year-old told The Sun that “there is no doubt living with this kind of secret can take people to the darkest of places”.
“And there is no question for me it got very dark, because it felt hopeless,” he said.
“There is no question, in those moments, when I couldn’t see a way forward, it was Steph [his wife] and my girls – through their strength – who hauled me back.”
Schofield continued, saying he understands “completely why so many men and women in this country get to the point of suicide”.
The television presenter stated that as he had his spouse and his daughters, he doesn’t think he “could have left them like that”.
“But if I hadn’t have had their support, then who knows?” he added.
Suicide is the “single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK”, mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) states.
The organisation adds that in 2015, three quarters of all UK suicides were male.
If you are in need of support, you can contact the nationwide CALM helpline at 0800 58 58 58 or the London helpline at 0808 802 58 58. The helplines and web chat service are open 4pm to midnight every day.
You can also contact Samaritans by calling the free 24/7 helpline at 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org.
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