Aaron Lennon health fears

[The_Viper]

So you're saying no one should report this?

While it is indeed a private thing, it's good in general for the nation to talk about mental health, it's not something to be ashamed of. Perhaps the Mail could be more respectful in the way they report something like this, but I'm not sure that no paper should report on famous people having mental health problems.

Agreed, especially in a sport dominated by men, given the male suicide rate and depression stuff. The more this is given a spotlight the better, needs to be talked about.

 

[Eeyore]

Agree. The article doesn't do anything apart from report some facts.

I did feel a little bit uncomfortable with the "stay strong" comment from his agent though.... old attitudes towards mental illness? Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

You're not. When someone close to situation says ''Stay strong'' it is a bit like when people say "It'll be alright". What it really means is "I don't know how to handle this" or "I really don't want to get involved".

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Clarke Carlisle

 

[JonathanLivingstonSeagull]

Agree. The article doesn't do anything apart from report some facts.

I did feel a little bit uncomfortable with the "stay strong" comment from his agent though.... old attitudes towards mental illness? Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

I think your instincts are on point. Some mental health issues exist in part on an "unreachable" (at first...) fault-line between how the person feels, and how they think (know) they are expected to feel, be or behave. Isolation is surely always a feature... "Staying strong" in such a situation (real or imagined) is a Herculian necessity, not a piece of good advice.

"It's OK to feel overwhelmed" might just about be a careful and non-condemnatory thing to offer such a person, but it's so difficult to reach the true heart. They have been strong within for a long time... That doesn't get credit. So often it has been "going on for a long time", before it manifests in unusual (cry for help?) behaviour. They feel like they have let people down too... the stigma for these things is brutal and lesser-examined, even in our more enlightened (trying to be...) times.

Between the strength it takes to "carry on", and the true fact that finding themselves means loosening the tight strictures of perception on which they have found themselves so mortified, or confused, or simply hurt... which means understanding confusion is not weakness...

So tricky. Mental Health problems are like inverse enlightenment - even featuring some of the same heart-states, but a lost and inverse rendition of them. May all who come to suffer so find their way out, their way home.

Art and the creative act might be key... Exploring their own real truth... Mapping it out in ink or pencil or brush... Planning out that which seems wrong, reforming it... Quietly and patiently... If and when we can reach ourselves and see...

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Disgraceful yet again by the DM. It's not news and absolutely no one else's business but his. Salacious ****s.

Yep, blame the Daily Mail, as usual. Oh, hang on. it was all over Talk Sport this morning. Salacious ****s. Actually, it's important to get the message out. And it's news when it's a well known personality, so it's going to hit the news outlets.

 

[Worthingite]

Yep, blame the Daily Mail, as usual. Oh, hang on. it was all over Talk Sport this morning. Salacious ****s. Actually, it's important to get the message out. And it's news when it's a well known personality, so it's going to hit the news outlets.

I mean it's not news right now. It's his own business and I'm certain friends, family and colleagues would appreciate the privacy. It could be news, and as mentioned previously it would be helpful to highlight, but maybe by him, after his recovery. I think the poor bugger needs the time and space, unfortunately the British press don't allow that to happen.

 

[OzMike]

Luckily he will be in a good financial position to get the best kind of help available.
I wish him and his immediate family well,as they will be at the forefront of any problems.
This kind of exposure will not help, but I suppose it was inevitable.
For some reason I get locked out of these sort of threads, so I will leave it there.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The PFA has said that 62 players have asked for help with mental health problems.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I think your instincts are on point. Some mental health issues exist in part on an "unreachable" (at first...) fault-line between how the person feels, and how they think (know) they are expected to feel, be or behave. Isolation is surely always a feature... "Staying strong" in such a situation (real or imagined) is a Herculian necessity, not a piece of good advice.

"It's OK to feel overwhelmed" might just about be a careful and non-condemnatory thing to offer such a person, but it's so difficult to reach the true heart. They have been strong within for a long time... That doesn't get credit. So often it has been "going on for a long time", before it manifests in unusual (cry for help?) behaviour. They feel like they have let people down too... the stigma for these things is brutal and lesser-examined, even in our more enlightened (trying to be...) times.

Between the strength it takes to "carry on", and the true fact that finding themselves means loosening the tight strictures of perception on which they have found themselves so mortified, or confused, or simply hurt... which means understanding confusion is not weakness...

So tricky. Mental Health problems are like inverse enlightenment - even featuring some of the same heart-states, but a lost and inverse rendition of them. May all who come to suffer so find their way out, their way home.

Art and the creative act might be key... Exploring their own real truth... Mapping it out in ink or pencil or brush... Planning out that which seems wrong, reforming it... Quietly and patiently... If and when we can reach ourselves and see...

Problem with 'staying strong' is that it often means 'keep it quiet' as it will blow over further it is impossible to 'stay strong' once you are in the grip of mental health issues. The key to dealing with mental health issues is to recognise you have a problem and then seeking professional help.

 

[mikeyjh]

He's a PL footballer, and an England international. Of course it's news; sad news certainly, but news all the same. The item doesn't sensationalise it - just reports the facts. Poor fellow, I hope he gets well soon, and stays well.

As someone else said this is news, as sad as it may be. It shows these sort of illnesses can affect anyone regardless of fame, job and wealth, it may well help someone else who has similar problems at the moment seek the help they need.

Agree. The article doesn't do anything apart from report some facts.

I did feel a little bit uncomfortable with the "stay strong" comment from his agent though.... old attitudes towards mental illness? Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

So you're saying no one should report this?

While it is indeed a private thing, it's good in general for the nation to talk about mental health, it's not something to be ashamed of. Perhaps the Mail could be more respectful in the way they report something like this, but I'm not sure that no paper should report on famous people having mental health problems.

VAST majority of the time, I would agree with you. But in this instance, as long as it doesn't hurt the man himself, I actually think the publicity that mental health issues effect, rich, young successful people as well helps a lot with understanding. When it's someone who leads a lifestyle so many would dream of, it stops the uneducated treating someone with depression with a stupid "just fecking cheer up".

I think what happened to Stan Collymore all those years ago was a major turning point in the understanding of depression, for that very reason.

Yep, blame the Daily Mail, as usual. Oh, hang on. it was all over Talk Sport this morning. Salacious ****s. Actually, it's important to get the message out. And it's news when it's a well known personality, so it's going to hit the news outlets.

I think some of you missed the original DM article, it has been completely changed - The original talked about £50k per week, his lavish lifestyle, previous encouters with the fuzz etc. It's referred to here - https://www.joe.co.uk/life/people-a...il-over-shameful-aaron-lennon-headline-124044 - but the tweet is gone and the article much changed.

 

[Triggaaar]

I think some of you missed the original DM article, it has been completely changed

Yes I missed the original, but knowing it was the daily hate I hedged my bets anyway, and replied to the comment that "It's not news and absolutely no one else's business but his" because IMO it is news, it just needs to be reported properly.