Russell Brand has spoken candidly about his mental health, as he gave advice to others who may be struggling on International Men’s Day.
The comedian, 45, spoke candidly to MAN magazine alongside a slew of other famous faces on Thursday, and admitted he tries not to rely solely on his wife Laura for help when he is feeling low.
Explaining that it’s ‘okay to feel this way’, he said of his depression: ‘I regularly feel sad and despairing, so I can’t afford to be stigmatised.
Candid: Russell Brand admitted on Wednesday he tries not to rely solely on wife Laura for help when struggling with his mental health as he gave advice on International Men’s Day
‘If I feel depressed about work, or feel depressed about other people’s feelings about me, or that I can’t cope, or that I’m not good enough, I turn to other people that are walking the same path as me – people that have more experience and less experience than me so we can share our experiences and learn from each other.
‘I try not to make my wife solely responsible for my mental wellbeing. Although we are partners in the raising of our children and our shared goals as a family, I know that I have a complex set of needs (as I imagine all people do), so I turn to other people.’
Russell claimed he felt mental health was akin to a person’s physical health, and needed to be ‘worked on’ regularly as he said it wasn’t good to be ‘unconscious’ about one’s struggles.
Thoughts: Russell said he would reach out to those in his support group for help when struggling, and added: ‘I try not to make my wife solely responsible for my mental wellbeing’
Elton John, Stephen Fry, Romesh Ranganathan, and other male celebrities also gave advice on the topic in the hope of helping men with their mental health.
The iconic singer, 73, urged men to talk about their feelings as he claimed that admitting your struggles and getting support will certainly help.
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While Andy Murray detailed his own difficulties with loss on the tennis court, saying his family helped him get through ‘tough’ times when he wasn’t sure he’d be able to play again.
Russell previously had a reputation as something of a hellraiser – an anarchic stand-up comedian, a former drug and sex addict and the ex-husband of singer Katy Perry – but has now been clean for 17 years and is an advocate of the 12-step programme.
Honest: Russell added, ‘Although we are partners in the raising of our children and our shared goals as a family, I know that I have a complex set of needs’ (pictured in 2018)
Helping hand: Elton John (pictured with husband David Furnish and their sons Elijah and Zachary) also gave advice on the topic in the hope of helping men with their mental health
In 2017, Russell discussed having suicidal thoughts in the wake of Chris Cornell’s tragic death, saying it was thanks to others that he was able to see he could deal with his mental health in other ways.
He said: ‘I know I’ve had thoughts of suicide before, and the reason I’ve not carried it out is that I’ve always been fortunate enough to have access to other people, who’ve said, “Yeah I’ve felt like that, don’t do anything dramatic about it. There are other ways. This is temporary. This will go by.”‘
The funnyman shares daughters Mabel, four, and Peggy, two, with his author wife Laura, née Gallacher.
Laura, who has known Russell for 14 years, has previously said of her husband: ‘He’s the person I go to for everything. He is so supportive.’
Family: The funnyman shares daughters Mabel, four, and Peggy, two, with his author wife Laura
Source: Daily Mail
