30 Jun 2017 13:00:02
Fair play to Steven Caulker for coming out and talking about his battle with depression. Good on the lad and I hope he has a speedy recovery. It's an all too common story these days which some people don't understand. He may have only had 3 appearances for us but he pulled on that red shirt we all love so much. YNWA.

1.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 13:19:25
Whats he got to be sad about hea rich. Is the biggest problem within the sport.

Rich or poor mental health doesn't discriminate.

All the best caulker lad.

2.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 13:25:05
Couldn't agree with this more.

Also a shout out to Craig King of Luton who has had to retire at 20 due to his battle with depression.

Mental illness pays no attention to what you do or who you are. It is indiscriminate and can affect anyone any time.

Kudos to both players for raising awareness.

3.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 13:41:28
former German prodigy Sebastian Deisler too retired young due to a battle with mental illness.

4.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 13:45:26
I work with people on a regular basis that suffer from mental health, some genuine cases but plenty not so. What I didn't like about Caulker's comments are his partying lifestyle, constant drinking and fluffering cash about. To me there has to be an element that he enjoyed that lifestyle and was fortunate enough to earn a lot of cash to do so. If he was so depressed as he states surely being a professional, a person in the public eye he should have sought help a lot earlier than being out in pubs and clubs, throwing money around and chatting up lasses. There will be plenty of people week in week out with genuine mental health issues on the terraces who used their hard earned cash in which funded Caulkers lifestyle. There has to be an element that he has to take at how fortunate he has been to be a professional footballers and that his own choices have brought him to the position he finds himself today.
Surely people like Tony Adams, alcoholic, Paul Merson drugs and Michael Owen betting to name a few will now state they had mental health issues. No they had a lifestyle and bank account with people to cater to all their wishes and whimpers.

5.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 13:55:43
Couldn't disagree more with all of that Baz.

There is a marked difference between mental illness and being a bit dim with your cash and to trivialise Caulker's struggle just because some days he felt ok to go out to a bar is rather offensive to be honest.

6.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 14:11:49
I guess people deal with their mental health issues in different ways Baz. It takes different forms for different people. I come from a working class family, I have a good well paid job and great friends and beautiful girl and lots of lovely toys to play with but it still didn't stop it happening to me. Fortunately I had a brilliant support network who helped me through it. Depression and anxiety are indiscriminate. Peace, love and good mental health and happiness to everyone.

7.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 14:11:49
I guess people deal with their mental health issues in different ways Baz. It takes different forms for different people. I come from a working class family, I have a good well paid job and great friends and beautiful girl and lots of lovely toys to play with but it still didn't stop it happening to me. Fortunately I had a brilliant support network who helped me through it. Depression and anxiety are indiscriminate. Peace, love and good mental health and happiness to everyone.

8.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 14:28:22
Sorry RD but I see lots of people with allergies MH problems. I would state 60-70% are not genuine cases and trying to buck the system into a payout, not able to work yet can still manage to fund a lifestyle of gym, going out and taking illegal drugs while driving a top of the range lease car.
Caulker has I'm sure many professionals not only in the NHS and the club to have sought help. He though decided drinking and going out was plenty more important. If that's the case shall we wait for the fall out of players like Andy Carroll stating he couldn't play because the pressure of his transfer fee caused him depression so had to drink to over come this. Sorry but I help to fund this club yet Caulker decided to take my cash to find his lifestyle now states he had depression. Possibly if he is genuine maybe he should have rejected our advanced stating his problems to klopp and sought help.

9.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 14:33:10
Just for info I have served in numerous war zones around the globe seeing friends killed and other suffer from PTSD. So no I don't suffer fools gladly when I have seen many with real MH. It is all to easy to shout out MH and depression and no one now dare challenge that.
My point is Caulker's story from what I read seems to imply his depression came from people trying to bully him for cash because of his own admission was out drinking all the time.

10.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 15:22:47
I don't think you really get it at all Baz. No one really knows Caulkers story so we shouldn't really judge. But him spending money and drinking could well be because of his mental health problems. People with depression often do detrimental things for their life. It's a way to temporarily escape. Self destruction is a symptom of mental illness. Sometimes it is easier to mess your life up than it is to admit you have a problem and need help. Partying might have been the only time he was ever able to feel any joy and forget the horrible thoughts running over and over in his mind.

11.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 17:25:56
Fair play to you Baz but does it matter where or how his depression developed? The fact of the matter is he suffered and he is getting help for it. There are different types of cold and flu, it doesn't matter how you get them the symptoms are pretty much the same. Mental
health should be held in similar regard pal.

12.) 30 Jun 2017
30 Jun 2017 20:52:18
Deisler is the one that got away for the German national team as he was supremely talented but just could not overcome his mental illness and had to retire at a very young age.