In other words, we shouldn’t be blaming working-class lads for not wanting to get involved in the soft and cuddly language of mental health. Eventually, there was a collapse. There always is. Since then, I have rebuilt my life in a simpler way that is easier to manage.

So next time you’re in the pub, go to the trouble of asking how your mate is actually feeling. Twice. Sam Delaney is a journalist and broadcaster whose work has featured in the Guardian, Telegraph and talkSPORT. He is former editor-in-chief of Heat magazine.The Mirror's newsletter brings you the latest news, exciting showbiz and TV stories, sport updates and essential political information. I told myself that football was my hobby. But going to football was always as much about getting twatted as it was watching the game. Similarly, playing Monday-night five-a-side was only a ritual we endured prior to the post-match beers. They keep it all inside and that only makes it worse. There are still old-fashioned ideas on what it means to be a tough, strong man that exists across all social classes.” But when he reached his thirties, work, relationships and fatherhood started to take their toll. Like so many blokes who seemed to be totally fine, he often felt like a complete failure whose life was out of control; anxiety and depression had secretly plagued him for years. Turning to drink and drugs only made things worse. Sam knew he needed help – the problem was that he thought self-help was for hippies, sobriety was for weirdos and therapy was for neurotics.

Its starts, as many of its ilk, with the author hitting the low point. However, being pissed at the darts and holding up a sign that asks his wife to marry him does not particularly sound like a real nadir. It was - like a lot of the book - quite amusing though. We are then introduced to traumas large and small in his life. Its interesting. Raised by a single parent in relative poverty, whilst the other parent swanned around in a Bentley. There's quite a lot of this duality at play in the book. It is possible to be a blokey bloke, but be educated. Rich and down to earth etc. Sharing my truth and dropping the bullshit is better therapy than a pint of Kronenburg and a large whisky chaser ever was, I can tell you. If word got round that I was seeing a shrink, I thought they would see me as weak, or a nut job or – worst of all– a whinger.I craved stimulation at all times. I was terrified of even fleeting moments of boredom. I thought of myself as being constantly on the run from lapsing into that fat bored kid I had once been. The truth is, I was probably just scared of ever being alone with my own unfiltered thoughts. In 2018 I had a complete nightmare, losing my radio show and TV show within a couple of months of each other. Shortly afterwards, my production company descended into a state of financial pandemonium and all sorts of professional and deeply personal conflict ensued. I was miserable, exhausted and scared of the future. I had been sober for three years and, despite the prevailing chaos, I wasn’t once tempted to throw myself off the wagon. I figured however bad things seemed, my mental health would be a great deal worse with a hangover. Mind you, this was the first big test I had faced since I quit drink. Keeping it all inside was what nearly dragged Sam under. Then he began to open up and share his story with others. Soon his life started to get better and better. Now, he’s written this book to help you do the same. Rob and Adam are joined by Simon Hart, author of the fabulous 'World in Motion: The Inside Story of Italia 90' and 'Against All Odds' contributor... This is a great book, and an important one. It's the one I would give to any friend who I observed struggling with those issues, as it's written in a genuinely human way, devoid of psychobabble, moralizing, victimhood embracing and judgement. It comes from a place of hard-won experience, told with total honesty. It will do more than just save lives, it will help those saved lives feel like they're genuinely worth living— Irvine Welsh

I had a breakdown late 2006, early 2007 when I simply burnt out and my brain just closed down, after bringing up two families due to the early death of my father. Lots of the information in the book resonates with me, especially dealing with toxic people and recognising universe intervention. In quite the turn up for the books, Adam* is joined by double European Cup winner (as player), multiple trophy winner at Wycombe Wanderers, Leic...

Men and their mental health: Five free resources

They’re community spaces for men to connect, converse and create. The activities are often similar to those of garden sheds, but for groups of men to enjoy together. They help reduce loneliness and isolation, but most importantly, they’re fun. Except he worries he might be none of those things. He worries that he might be an idiot. His nieces and nephews see him as a lovable buffoon. He is a clumsy oaf and sporadic binge-drinker who doesn't have a proper job and cites 'Teen Wolf's dad' as his biggest role model. Is he really fit for this new position of responsibility? There's only one way he'll be able to find out. Refugee and asylum specialist Louise Calvey talks to us about the reality of the government's 'Stop the boats' policy.

When I landed my first job in journalism I told myself that the best way to succeed was to never stop. When I finished at the office I would go home and write down ideas, do bits of research, read other newspapers and magazines obsessively. I was a product of Thatcherism – totally in thrall to my own productivity. I didn’t just want a steady job that paid the bills. I wanted to create great things constantly and be defined by them. And I also wanted to get totally shitfaced every weekend (plus sometimes on a Thursday). Thankfully, more positive role models are emerging who are showing you can be successful AND vulnerable.In this extract from his new book, broadcaster and journalist Sam Delaney tells how he embraced a simpler, more idle lifestyle to save his mental health But when he reached his thirties, work, relationships and fatherhood started to take their toll. Like so many blokes who seemed to be totally fine, he often felt like a complete failure whose life was out of control; anxiety and depression had secretly plagued him for years. Turning to drink and drugs only made things worse. Sam knew he needed help - the problem was that he thought self-help was for hippies, sobriety was for weirdos and therapy was for neurotics. I have had to train myself not to fear idleness but to embrace it. I have had to discover beauty and fun in the day-to-day. It is all there in front of us. Nora Ephron, the famous Hollywood screenwriter, once said: “Interesting stories happen to people who know how to tell them.” Nowadays, I spend most of my time telling people stories. Sometimes they ask me how come so many interesting things happen to me. They don’t. The same amount of remarkable, funny or stimulating things happen to me as to the next person. It’s just that, these days, I am clear-eyed enough to see them. I have followed Sam for awhile now via his Podcasts and newsletter. The book is informative, funny and straightforward to read.