A soap opera fan who says their life was saved by an episode of Hollyoaks is encouraging others to open up about their mental health this Christmas. John Junior, from Wilmslow says he tends to struggle over the festive period.
They lost their dad in 2018 and have been diagnosed with Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder. The 34-year-old mental health campaigner told Cheshire Live : "Christmas probably makes things worse for me because my dad died a few years ago. So it's something that's quite hard for me.
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"It's tough for a lot of other people I speak to who have lost family members. So it's a hard time for all of us but collectively we are there for each other. You try and enjoy it as best as you can.
"It's pressure to go out, pressure to see people and pressure to get out of bed, which is a big one on Christmas Day. There are going to be millions of people who won't want to get out of bed.
"There will be people who are stressed, depressed or anxious about something, who would have go to put a brave face on - they're not going to want to do that. They won't want to face the world."
John, who identifies as gender fluid, is known for appearing in the BAFTA-nominated Hollyoaks IRL episode titled Hollyoaks Saved My Life. They spoke about how they were experiencing suicidal thoughts in lockdown before watching an episode of the soap that featured character Kyle, played by Adam Rickitt, who took his own life in a story that highlighted suicide being the biggest cause of death in men under 50.
They said: "There's a quote that I use and it has helped me ever since I watched the Hollyoaks episode. I always say 'I'm loved, I'm wanted and I'm needed. No matter how I feel, that feeling will change, the mood is temporary'.
"Hearing someone say that to you and constantly reminding yourself of that makes you feel less alone. It makes you feel like you are wanted and it reminds you that the mood really is temporary.
"I would say to people that I've been through different mental health issues and have managed to come out on top. That's because it is temporary, it's not 'for life', you're not a prisoner to it, it will change for you.
"It took me 20 years to be able to talk about how I felt and open up about my mental health. If there are people who are struggling with suicidal thoughts, because I know a lot of people are, I would say to people that I've been there myself and it's not that we want to die - we just want the feeling to go and to disappear."
Asked what advise they'd have for people who are struggling this Christmas, John said to be 'honest and open' about how they feel and to speak to somebody. They said one Christmas Day they texted their mum saying they 'didn't want to go out and see anyone' due to how they were feeling and she responded saying 'don't worry son, it's OK'.
John said: "I know I'd never spoken to her like that before. She messaged back saying 'don't worry son, it's OK'. I felt so much better being able to text my mum and express how I felt. I could never have done that face-to-face so I felt better.
"So I'd say to people who don't know how to approach it to try and text them as it can make it less stressful and awkward."
Since appearing in the Hollyoaks IRL episode, John, often known as The Duckman as they're regularly seen with their cuddly toy companion Charlie, has appeared in the media multiple times to speak about mental health.
They have teamed with charities including Samaritans, MIND and Papyrus to raise awareness. Recently, they have spoken about the impact the cost of living crisis is having on sufferer s.
In November, the Hollyoaks IRL series, created by Lime Pictures, won a Royal Television Society North West award for Best Digital Creativity. John attended the ceremony and gave a speech as part of the win.
They said: "It was a very emotional night and I was just crying my eyes out. I obviously wished my dad was there because he'd have been so proud of me.
"It felt like I've opened up a door, which is going to open up more doors for other people in the second series too to share their stories."
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