MAYOR OPENS UP ON DEPRESSION BATTLE
NEW MAYOR of Wexford Cllr Frank Staples has opened up about his battle with depression, saying that will drive him to work towards better mental health services for Wexford.
The Mayglass-Ballymore man said that he was first diagnosed with the illness in 2001 and said that it has been a ‘constant battle’ ever since.
However, he said it is this experience that drives him to push for improved mental health services in county Wexford, which is his key goal for the next 12 months.
‘Mental health is definitely a main priority for me,’ he said. ‘If I was saying it was my main priority, as I did in my speech during the election, I couldn’t not mention my own experience. It’s not honest.’
‘I don’t want to have to put up a façade for the next 12 months and pretend that it isn’t an issue. I am just like everyone else. We all have our problems.’
According to Cllr Staples, people don’t always understand that living with a mental health problem requires a huge amount of strength and determination.
‘People often think that those with depression are weak but that isn’t the case. You have to be strong to fight through the battles,’ he said.
Cllr Staples paid reference to his personal experience with a mental health problem in his mayoral speech, in which he underlined the positive impact that a random act of kindness can make to someone’s mental health. He said that ‘at least 80 per cent’ of those in the audience on the night already knew about his illness.
‘ The fact that I have said it publically will make my year easier,’ said Cllr Staples, who said he has been overwhelmed with good wishes since he made his speech a few days ago.
Over the next 12 months, Cllr Staples plans to get the ball rolling on bringing a 24/7 psychiatric unit in Wexford to facilitate those in crisis.
‘We need one. I already have been on to Simon Harris about it but I don’t have any news on it yet,’ he said. ‘It will be very difficult to get the whole thing done in 12 months but I hope to help to start the process and get a good group of people behind it.’
As a positive person who says he sees the glass as half full, Cllr Staples said that he hopes to use the next year to help those in need around Wexford.
Attracting business to Wexford, increasing employment, addressing the housing crisis and continuing work on some of Wexford’s major projects are his other main focuses for the year.
NEW MAYOR OF WEXFORD Cllr Frank Staples, right, said that he hopes the ongoing controversy in Console won’t have an effect on public support for the group in Wexford. Though he feels that the news about Console founder Paul Kelly is ‘unbelievable’ and ‘difficult to take in’, Cllr Staples said it is important for people not to jump to conclusions about everyone involved in the charity.
‘I hope it doesn’t affect the way people see Console in Wexford,’ he said. ‘ The people here do a fantastic job and I think people should still support them. A controversy like this is terrible for people in Wexford but it is important that we don’t tar everyone with the same brush.’
When asked whether he thinks it might affect the number of donations that the charity receives, Cllr Staples said it might have a small affect but believes that in the main, people in Wexford will still show their support.
‘People know that the charity does so much for Wexford,’ he said. ‘Many of the people here are doing good.’