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Clarke Carlisle admits he tried to kill himself

Saint-Armstrong

By Saint-Armstrong,
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Lord Duckhunter

Lord Duckhunter

Posted
Posted

Was pretty obvious all along , you could tell by the tone of the early reporting . If it was a road accident , why the big deal on his depression and other suicide attempts which featured a lot. I guess the family asked for it to be kept quiet until he was better. Although I hope he's not sold the story to the gutter press, after asking the rest of the press to hush it up.

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sadoldgit

sadoldgit

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Posted

Clearly the guy has issues. I just hope he gets the help he needs and sorts himself out. Mental illness does not need a but after it. People who suffer with it often make very poor decisions and choices. I am not making excuses. Jumping in front of a lorry is not a selfish act. It is the act of someone who is not rational and not in control. George Best drank himself to death after he was given a second chance with a liver transplant. That wasn't the act of a selfish man, it was someone who had completely lost it. Kurt Cobain blew his brains out because he couldn't handle his life. It happens all the time and it is very, very sad.

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KelvinsRightGlove

KelvinsRightGlove

Posted
Posted (edited)
Has he had a lot of previous drink driving convictions?

 

Seems odd, surely you'd hear about someone with THAT many? Surely at some point the punishment is more than just having your licence taken off you if you carry on repeat offending? Obviously I'm far from an expert on the law, or driving offence (never even had a speeding ticket) so anyone more knowledgeable please do correct me. If he has done this several times, then yes that is obviously disgusting. Drink driving is a careless, reckless and seriously dangerous thing to do. I personally won't touch a drop if I'm driving, granted this is slightly to do with being a passenger in pretty serious crash involving a drunk driver a few years ago.

 

Ralf may have some points, I don't know him or Clarke Carlisle or what has gone on between them. It's clear he has an axe to grind. Personal issues aside, some of his attitudes highlight the problems of perceptions of mental illness, he actually even highlights this, here:

 

"(On reflection, that’s the nature of addiction/illness, and I know that all too well, but as I say, a rash tweet and it’s not the place for it. )"

 

Yet still carries on attacking him, but only because he cares so much about everyone else. It is extremely hard to understand the destructive nature of someone suffering mental illness. From the outside it's extremely hard to understand and it can be appear 'selfish'. Full disclosure, I have suffered mental health issues and take this ignorance personally. Depression transforms your brain, it is every bit an illness. I was recently trying to explain to my gf for the first time what it was like. I would spend literally days lying in bed face down in my pillow listing all the people in my life and coming up with reasons why no one cared about me, why they all hated me, and convincing myself I was worthless and better off dead. This is what depression is, the processes in your brain are broken.

 

There's no doubt it can have serious impacts on others, like any other illness. Tell me watching someone suffer with diseases or illnesses that make loved ones slowly fade away before your eyes don't affect other people. Illnesses that make people confused, angry, and hurtful towards those around them. Strokes or heart attacks where people die right in front of their eyes - are they selfish? Or are they suffering from an illness, like those suffering from depression.

 

Now if it is the case the Clarke Carlisle was drink driving, he should absolutely face the consequences, no question about it. If it is indeed the case that this is the latest in a long series of offences, those consequences should definitely be more severe. But the idea that people suffering depression so severe they want to take their own life by walking in front of a lorry are acting out of selfishness and not as a result of a serious illness are demonstrating a lack of understanding and empathy. Nobody wants to walk in front of a lorry, nobody wants to die (especially not when you have a young family) in such a brutal and horrific way. Attempting to commit suicide like this is a symptom of devastating illness, to call it a selfish act is a really callous thing to say.

 

I also think the timing and manner in which Ralf Little is airing the grievances is pretty pathetic if I'm honest. Yes, Clarke Carlisle may have done some crappy things. That doesn't entirely negate a lot of fantastic work he has done elsewhere. Just dismissing things like his documentary, which thousands found extremely helpful, and the other work he has done for mental health and equality are to be commended. Attacking the man based on his illness and the less savoury actions that can lead to is really, really low.

 

I've posted this before, but it is worth posting again:

 

robot-hugs.jpg

 

Edit: sorry Hypo, this is not all directed at you, just to clarify.

Edited by KelvinsRightGlove
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Crab Lungs

Crab Lungs

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Posted

Totally agree with Ralph - and this is coming from someone who had suffered depression before.

 

There's no one-size-fits-all solution to depression, sadly, as I found out. However, from my own personal experience , there has to come a time when you make the choice yourself to get better.... Not wait around for meds or counsellors to offer the solution. At the end of the day, its your head and no amount of rebalancing the chemicals or cajoling by a stranger will fix it entirely. That step has to come from the sufferer.

 

The best thing Clarke could do is stabilise his mind set and whilst be aware of depression, mental health issues etc - don't consume himself with the subject by going on another charitable crusade. I don't think constantly being around it, talking about it is really doing him any favours as it serves as a constant reminder.

 

He'll need support but there comes a time when you've got to step up and help yourself, too. I think that time has come.

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Halo Stickman

Halo Stickman

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Posted

My grandfather fought in Egypt and Palestine in WWI and served as an ARW in WWII, during which time he once extracted injured and dying neighbours from their bombed-out house, shortly before having his own home destroyed. In between times, he supported his family by working on the council dustcart, growing vegetables and keeping chickens and a pig in his back garden.

 

A day after his 61st birthday, whilst his youngest son, aged 10, was playing in the garden, and other family members were settling down to listen to the Archers, my grandfather got up from the dinner table, retrieved his shotgun from the shed, and shot himself dead.

 

A selfish act? Well, it was certainly one with deep-seated and long-lasting effects on his family – 64 years on, my 84 year-old mother still can’t bring herself to listen to the Archers’ theme music. But this was clearly an act perpetrated by a broken mind, and, as such, any sane mind will struggle to comprehend it.

 

Either that ... or a completely OTT reaction to poor grandmother's cooking. :?

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