We’re thrilled to announce that Daniel Howell is the latest to become a YoungMinds Ambassador.
With 6.5 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, Dan is no stranger when it comes to people knowing about his life. But something he hadn’t shared before was his experience of living with depression. Following World Mental Health Day, Dan opens up about his mental health and why he’s now ready to talk about it.
I thought I should share this now because it’s a big part of my story I think people should know and understand, and I want other people going through mental health issues to know that they can talk about it and it can get better. Which for me, it has.
In the video, Dan shares his experiences of antidepressants and therapy, reminding us that depression affects different people in different ways. Dan had to try several dosages of medication before finding the one that was right for him: “Everyone's body has different reactions so it was an adventure I had to go on to find out what worked for me.”
For Dan, talking about what he was going through was an important part of his journey to getting better. His honesty about his depression started with the acknowledgement that he couldn’t do it alone.
I couldn’t do it alone. Once I acknowledged this I told people I trusted about it and that I wanted to work to get better. And just being able to tell someone…can make all the difference.
Dan’s honesty is something to admire, and we look forward to working with him more as an ambassador. We hope his willingness to share his story will show people that you are not alone, and that you can speak out and get help.
Talking to someone you like and trust, like a parent, friend, teacher or counsellor, can be a really important first step if you think you might have depression.
