A national mental health advocate has spoken openly about his struggle with extreme anxiety and severe depression, earning praise from employees at a Suffolk finance company.
Speaker Ashley Reilly shared her inspiring story of working with Beckett Investments, a well-known East of England finance company with offices in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds.
Ms Riley warned that mental illness can have a devastating impact not only on individuals but also on businesses, marriages and families.
Mr Riley said: “At the start of 2023, despite being an outgoing, calm, vocal and confident business owner, I began to feel depressed and briefly suffered panic attacks.
National campaigner draws attention to men’s mental health in Suffolk office (Image: Submitted)
“Within a month, my anxiety had turned to incapacitating anxiety and a deep, dark depression.”
Men’s mental health, particularly that of middle-aged men, is a pressing issue.
70% of all men report experiencing anxiety or depression, but only 40% are willing to discuss it.
Suicide rates among men are shockingly high, with a staggering 75% of all suicides in the UK being male.
Riley used her own experience to illustrate the cruel and harsh reality of this silent epidemic.
Hearing Riley’s experience and insights was a great impact for the staff at Beckett Investments.
Managing director Ian White said: “Hearing Ashley’s story and his mental health journey was not only moving, but also incredibly informative and helpful.”
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Mr Riley, who has dedicated his life to helping middle-aged men struggling with mental health issues, stressed that anyone can fall victim to these issues.
But he also offered a ray of hope to those struggling, insisting there is always a way out of the darkness.
Other attendees praised Riley’s candid and powerful presentation, with one commenting that Ashley was “honest and blunt” and another praising his talk as “one of the most honest and hard-hitting talks I’ve ever heard.”
Readers who want to learn more from Ashley’s story can find resources at bit.ly/BlueSoulShoes
