Caroline Flack’s shock suicide highlights need for mental health focus

The suicide of Caroline Flack, TV presenter and media personality has created shockwaves throughout the UK.  The former Love Island presenter took her life after a concerned friend who had been staying with her went to the shops. She was one of the many celebrities in the UK that openly discussed her struggles with her mental health, opening up repeatedly over the years both to clarify her own position as well as to provide a message of hope to others. She said that her battles with depression and anxiety started shortly after she won Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.

However, her attempts to have conversations about her mental health were not always well received.  In an Instagram post dated 14^th Oct 2019, Caroline wrote that she had been told she was ‘draining’ after trying to discuss her feelings of ‘being in a really weird place’ and anxious.

 

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I wanted to write something about mental health day last week but I was knee deep in work. And some days it’s hard to write your feelings of your not in the right place. The last few weeks I’ve been in a really weird place… I find it hard to talk about it .. I guess it’s anxiety and pressure of life … and when I actually reached out to someone they said I was draining. I feel like this is why some people keep their emotions to themselves. I certainly hate talking about my feelings. And being a burden is my biggest fear…. I’m lucky to be able to pick myself up when things feel shit. But what happens if someone can’t . Be nice to people. You never know what’s going on . Ever

A post shared by Caroline (@carolineflack) on Oct 14, 2019 at 11:50am PDT

Caroline had clearly reached a point of crisis.  Many people are pointing blame at the tabloids who have hounded her incessantly after an argument in her flat last year with her partner ended with her being arrested for domestic violence. Others have criticised the producers of the hit TV show Love Island, citing the suicides of several former contestants as proof that their care of their staff is lacking. It has also  been suggested that she was let down by crisis services and that she should have received urgent psychiatric care after paramedics attended her flat on Valentine’s Day.  There are many people in the UK who are currently struggling with feelings of anxiety and depression; the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) writes that roughly 1 in 7 people are affected at any one time.

If you are one of these people, before things reach a crisis point you may find it beneficial to access private mental health services. Working with a hypnotherapist can provide compassionate, fast and effective help for your situation. You’ll work together with your chosen therapist to learn skills and new ways of thinking about the situations in your life that have been negatively affecting you.

Hypnotherapy is considered a ‘brief therapy’, unlike traditional forms of therapy which can take months or years to feel the benefits, you might start to notice a positive shift in your mood and mindset from the first session.

You can find a fully-trained, accredited and insured hypnotherapist near you by using the NCH directory, with nearly 2,000 trained and accredited therapists around the UK help is near to hand.

If you are struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts or have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org to speak to someone at any time.