Let\u2019s be serious\nhere…Mental health is not really something we open up about and recently it\u2019s\nbecoming a big thing for people to talk about it. It\u2019s great that there are\nthings out there to help support people through everything they’re going\nthrough, but people do try and ignore these things. If you could spare 10 or so\nminutes reading this and giving it a share then you are an absolute hero\nbecause we can\u2019t ignore this any longer! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may attend a\nwrestling show on different days of the week and whilst there you meet people\nfrom all different walks of life. It\u2019s what makes wrestling so great! You may\nnot know that people in that room may also suffer from a mental health\ncondition or know someone that does. One thing that I have found is that it\naffects people in different ways. I have successfully managed to keep my battle\nunder control and am forever thankful for people that have been there for me.\nBut more on them later. We take a lot for granted in this throw away society\nthat we live in and I feel like now is the time to give something back. This\nisn\u2019t just for people with mental health issues as much as I would like them to\nbe a main focus, rather for everyone, because sometimes we are always going to\nneed someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PROGRESS Wrestling came\ninto my life many years ago at a Smackdown taping when me and my friends\nhappened to be sat behind Jim and Glen. We noticed their t shirts and had a bit\nof a chat and they seemed great people. We didn\u2019t know too much about them at\nthe time, but as a fan of wrestling for over 20 years, I have always been happy\nto watch something new that will grab my eye. Download Festival 2015 was the\nfirst time I managed to catch a show live, which led to me watching all the\nshows they put on over that weekend, all of which were fantastic! A few years\nlater, I managed to get to a Chapter show (basically one of their main\nPPV-style shows) for the first time. In that weekend alone, friendships were\nmade that weekend that have had a true impact on my life. As time has gone on\nI\u2019ve attended more and more independent wrestling shows, meeting people up and\ndown the country and all for one reason – love of this crazy little thing\ncalled professional wrestling! PROGRESS, like so many of the modern independent\ncompanies, pride themselves on togetherness, inclusivity and people having a\ngood time. The whole thing just blows my mind as it\u2019s brilliant! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anxiety and other mental\nhealth problems can sometimes prevent people from attending or affect their\nexperience of a show. It’s important that we try to help people, and prove to\nthem that wrestling fans are some of the best fans in the world – no matter\nwhat the internet might have you believe! Perhaps the next time you go to a\nshow and find yourself next to someone that isn\u2019t part of your group, say\nhello. You already know that you have already have one thing in common, so\nthere’s a good chance that these people share other similar interests. Have a\nchat, enjoy yourself and potentially walk away with a new friend. This has\nhappened to me and I wouldn\u2019t change the guys and girls for the world and they\nall know who they are! I know this is easier said than done, and not everyone\nis necessarily going to be interested in talking, but if you’re confident\nenough there’s no harm in just saying hello. You might brighten someone\u2019s day,\nyou might simply reassure someone who was worried they wouldn’t feel welcome.\nIt\u2019s what the wrestling community should be seen as – a welcoming environment\nwhere you can make life-long friends and fantastic memories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let it be known now that\nthe focus should now return to what we can do to help people talk. It\u2019s not\nalways easy and you should never force it. If someone wants to chat back, they\nwill. That said, even those who are receptive aren\u2019t going to chat about\neverything to you straight away. However, by simply making yourself available\nyou have opened the door for them to talk about things to someone else later\non. Likewise, if you are struggling to talk about your problems and fears,\nplease remember that you are never alone. A big focus lately is on Male suicide\nbecause as men there remains a societal stigma that we shouldn\u2019t talk about our\nproblems, but we also shouldn’t forget about mental health that will affect\nhumans of any gender identity, because none of us are alone. We are all in this\ntogether so let\u2019s change this! Talking about problems doesn\u2019t make you weak,\nbecause it’s human nature to struggle. What’s more, people care and people WILL\nlisten. As wrestling fans, if we could make the first step into someone\u2019s life\nto brighten their day, to have a chat or a drink (whatever their tipple) with\nthem, then maybe it will help to get people talking. Okay, not everyone is\ngoing to agree with this, but perhaps for those who do then today could be the\nstart of something great. This could be a time for people to come together\nespecially when you see all the bad going on in the world and just make a bit\nof good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re never alone no\nmatter what. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wrestling fans are one\nbig family, and we’re waiting to welcome you with open arms!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you for taking the time to reading this, and please feel free to share it too. For further reading, please check the links below. This can prove useful if you are (or know) someone that needs or wants help. A lot of these organisations are confidential, anonymous and can help you a lot! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
www.mentalhealth-uk.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n
www.thecalmzone.net<\/p>\n\n\n\n
www.samaritans.org – or you can call them on 116 123<\/p>\n\n\n\n
www.mind.org.uk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
www.womenatwish.org.uk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there are any other\norganisations you’d like to give a shout out to, please let me know and I’ll\nhappily add them. While this article is primarily aimed at UK readers, if you\nare reading from outside the UK please don’t hesitate to contact your local\nmental health charity or suicide hotline! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you once again you\nare all amazing! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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