Celtic and Neil Lennon: Overcoming depression
Bouncing back to live the dream!
Something truly great happened when Neil Lennon was appointed caretaker manager of Celtic until the end of the season.
It wasn’t that Tony Mowbray was relieved of his duties.
It’s not that Celtic fans have got a returning hero to get behind.
It is not even that Rangers fans have a fresh opportunity to taunt and boo the man they love to hate.
No, the appointment of Neil Lennon to one of the top jobs in British football is further proof that depression does not need to end or derail your career.
Although from Northern Ireland, Lennon’s battle with depression came to the fore in Scotland and it has to be said, as a nation we do ourselves no favours.
The national psyche lends itself to self depreciation and large mood swings.
When something is going well, the giddying highs can be intoxicating but when the lows follow, they are catastrophic.
This volleying about between two extremes can be very upsetting.
In football terms, think about the pre-tournament hype of Argentina ’78 and then the crushing blows of the tournament itself and the dejected aftermath.
Even in elimination, Archie Gemmill conjured up one of the greatest goals of all time, only for it to mean nothing with respect to World Cup progress.
It also has to be said, collectively, the drink does us no favours either. Having a drink with your friends is great, we wouldn’t lie to you and pretend its not but too many people don’t know when to stop.
Again, the highs and lows of an evening are enough to put the mind under great pressure and when you add in that alcohol is a depressant, it is a worrying cocktail.
And yet, there is still a stigma around mental illness that means many don’t want to talk about it. Whether it’s a fear of being judged, being prevented from achieving career goals, worrying what the lads may say or an inability to express yourself, too many suffer in silence.
Except, they are damaging themselves and quite often those around them. Hurting others doesn’t have to be about physical abuse, emotional abuse can be equally draining and damaging.
Thankfully in Scotland, there are a number of groups doing great work to highlight depression and to encourage people to face up to their issues.
We talk about football but these sites, they are the real sites to follow if you are feeling down.
However, as great as these organisations are, nothing galvanises the Scottish spirit like football.
Which is why Neil Lennon getting the top job at Celtic Park will hopefully help others.
Neil Lennon shows you that depression can hit anyone. He was a boy living his dream, winning trophies and being adored by fans. He was making a very good living and as Martin O‘Neill pointed out, he did very well with the ladies considering what an ugly bloke he was!
Of course, controversy follows Lennon. The death threats in Northern Ireland would have frightened most people and few have experienced the intensity of the Glasgow goldfish bowl in the way that Lennon has. In hindsight, it is all too easy to see why Lennon may have been struggling.
Eventually, Lennon sought help and started on the road to recovery. Then, more importantly for everyone else, he went public with his story, helping others to see that help is available and you can still lead a normal life.
You may love or hate Neil Lennon. You may want him to succeed or fall flat on his face. That’s football rivalry and should never change.
However, on a personal level, it is hoped you can appreciate the courage of the man. If you have been going through tough times, there is help available and you can get back on top.
Mental health issues are serious but do not think they are a barrier to achieving your goals in life.
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Great article. I have nothing more to add.
Very good article as an Editor of this website you have highlighted a very serious illness for that you should be commended.I knew somebody who suffered from depression & i can assure you it is very hard deal with.
Depression is a terrible thing and can lead to other illnesses such as alcoholism. I’ve read in certain quarters that Mr Lennon is fond of the ale, not suggesting for a second that he is an alcoholic, but we all know that alcohol is a depressant itself.
Thats just one of the things it can lead to,the person i knew tried spending money which lead to crazy debts.
That’s one of the problems guys.
For some people, the depression creeps up on them and they seek alcohol as release or solution.
For others, the alcohol may be the issue that brings people down into depression.
Anything can set it off, it is something that is very dependent on the individual, which makes it so difficult to diagnose and treat.
There is going to be an awful lot written about Lennon from here on in, it just felt right to do something a bit different as having seen some of the effects of depression, it took a lot of courage for Lennon to be so open about his struggle.
Opinions on Lennon the manager will start appearing from tomorrow!