It’s vital to go outside.. and have a chat
TV PRESENTER Amy Irons is encouraging others to share their grief after losing her boyfriend to suicide. The 30-year-old was left devastated when partner Wayne Ewer, 34, took his own life in June 2018. Amy told of the importance of sharing trauma with others as she prepared to take part in tomorrow’s event organised by charity FAMS. She said: “There are so many different elements to mental health. “With Wayne it was hidden and there was quite a lot of shame there. “Being a man in his 30s he probably felt the stigma and that he couldn’t be a failure or a burden on other people. “When you lose a loved one to suicide or you have suffered with your own mental health, it can feel like such a lonely, isolating place.
“I found it easier to talk to people who weren’t directly connected to my situation.
“I took a lot of comfort from speaking to people who had been through similar things. That’s where charities like FAMS are really important.
“Meeting people and having that mutual understanding can really make a difference.”
Amy will join hundreds of people at FAMS’ free Let’s Walk and Talk About Mental Health event at Strathclyde Park between 12pm and 3pm.
She said: “You can really clear your head getting out for a walk.
“Having these conversations isn’t always easy but sometimes having that distraction, like when you’re going for a walk, means they can happen a bit more organically.”
FAMS’ co-founder Ann Marie Cocozza said: “People like David and Amy, and all our other speakers, just want to help other people and it’s amazing that they are sharing their experiences to do that.”