Keeping a healthy mind is vital..but the hair had to go

MAYO ACE PADRAIG ON MENTAL WELLBEING & THOSE LOCKS

IT’S been a reasonably eventful few weeks in the life of Mayo’s Padraig O’hora.

Before Christmas he had surgery on an ankle injury and, as a result, will miss the start of Mayo’s Allianz League campaign which opens at home to Galway on Saturday.

This month, as well as reaching the landmark of 30 years of age, he had the feature that identifies him above all others removed – his long, flowing hair was cut.

It was a very worthwhile venture too as it helped raise around €7,000 for the Lauralynn Children’s Hospice.

There was a practical side to it as well. A clip emerged in October of a Claremorris opponent yanking O’hora back by the hair as he broke in possession for Ballina Stephenites.

Too often opponents saw his locks as fair game.

“It’s happened a few times alright,” he smiled. “That was probably the most memorable one, he took a few strands for himself. I have three girls in my house – my partner and my two kids, two girls – and I have the longest hair of the lot of them. It was getting to the stage where it needed to go anyway.”

But while hairstyles come and go and his ankle will be right as rain in a few weeks, how he manages his mental health is consistent and ongoing.

O’hora, a community liaison officer for Mayo Mental Health Association, outlined how he had to confront his own issues a couple of years ago and, having come out the other side of it, adopted a prevention over cure approach.

He said: “It’s a constant journey. I definitely feel back on track but it’s a constant personal development thing I need to be aware of, conscious of and that I need to check in with.

“I haven’t stopped counselling. I don’t see why you would. I was always under the impression that you go to see a counsellor to get support when you need it but the science kind of says, ‘Why wouldn’t you be preventative prior to issues arising?’.

“I found it so beneficial when I needed it. I kept that going. I feel like I’m in a good place but I do think it’s certainly a constant journey. It’s attached to your life as much as your general health is. I’d definitely be checking in once a month at a minimum.”

Despite his professional background, O’hora still required prodding before seeking help for himself.

He admitted: “I work in the mental health sector so you think I should probably know what to do, which I do, I give the advice to people and support people. But when it is you, it is quite difficult. The message that is always out there is to speak to somebody but I don’t think people realise how difficult that step is.

“I had kind of gathered that things weren’t right, after a number of weeks leading into months.

“I was meeting with a mate. We run a community group together. We do our meetings on the go – walking or something active. We were walking in the woods in Ballina, he just realised that something was slightly amiss and pressed me on it a little.

“I opened up to him and he was like, ‘You have to speak to somebody here, you know the craic, you know the advice’. I promised I would but, like most do, didn’t follow through on the promise.

“He kept on top of me. He asked me a couple of times after that and then I did go and see my GP. Fortunately enough, I have a really good relationship with my GP which made it a little easier.

“Once I sat down and said, ‘I don’t think I am right, I am not 100% sure what is wrong but I know I am not right’, we had a conversation and the weight was gone.

“You went from full of fear to somewhat empowered. Not in any way fixed or sorted or whatever you want to call it but definitely more empowered.”

While fiercely committed, O’hora doesn’t come across as one who takes his football too seriously. He said: “Football actually, I think, helps a lot with my mental health. Upon reflection, I’m a lot happier when I’m playing football than I am when I’m not.”

Indeed, an inter-county environment such as Mayo’s is ideal for weeding out mental health issues, O’hora maintains.

He added: “We’ve got a fantastic set-up actually, medically, and there’s always a sports psychologist involved.

“Whether people would utilise that purely for performance or for more personal stuff, I’m not quite sure. But I do know the door is certainly open to do both.

“And again, the benefits of camaraderie and the group are always helpful too.

“When you’re meeting with lads, it’s probably a good space to have a conversation. They’re also really good people to identify if you’re on or off.

“You can very easily pick up on somebody maybe having a tough day or a tough week. I think it’s of benefit to anybody really.”