Need for more focus on mental health

The recent death of former England cricketer Graham Thorpe brought many tributes relating to his playing days. A great batsman and a family man. Thorpe was just 55 when he died. Strangely, at the time, there was no mention of cause. At time of death there is a tendency to only dwell on the positives. But weeks later it appeared that he killed himself by stepping in front of a train. There had been a previous suicide attempt a couple of years ago. A real tragedy for Thorpe, his family and no doubt the train driver. His wife, Amanda said: "Graham was renowned as someone who was very mentally strong on the field and he was in good physical health. But mental health is a real disease and can affect anyone. Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him he did not get better." Graham Thorpe had mental health problems, still a taboo subject for many, though, less so today than in past years. I had a friend who I used to go running with a few years ago. A school teacher, a larger than life character for much of the time. But he could descend into dark depressions. There seemed no way out. He attempted suicide a number of times before finally succeeding. His family were devastated. More than two thousand people turned up for his funeral. Life is a precious thing that needs to be valued and nurtured. There is physical and mental health, both are equally important. The focus until recently has largely been on the physical, with mental issues very much secondary. Fortunately, things are changing with greater recognition of mental health issues but more needs to be done. There is also a move towards greater isolation in our modern world. Less contact, people living more in virtual reality silos - cut off. The COVID pandemic exasperated these things. People are still coming to terms with that period health-wise today. Greater resources need to be put into mental health care. But everyone can be more aware, ask if someone is ok and just greet people on a daily basis. Make the world a friendlier, more inclusive place. Be aware of the tendencies to become isolated and get cut off. And isolation is not limited to physically being alone, people can feel lonely in family units. We all really need to be more aware of our own mental health, and nurture it - as well as doing those little things on a daily basis to help others. It is so easy to start slipping down the slope to mental health breakdown. The hardest step maybe recognising the problem and seeking help. But there is no shame in it, the sooner that helps comes the quicker things can begin to improve. Thankfully, most people don't take their own lives but we all need to do more to help each other out when it comes to mental health issues.