A young dad from Fife who took his own life after a secret mental health battle has inspired his devastated family to try to help others that are struggling in silence.
Dad-of-one Scott Taylor tragically committed suicide in March this year despite appearing to be a ‘happy-go-lucky chappie’ who was the ‘life and soul of the party’.
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The 37-year-old’s aunt, Jackie Walls, has now set up a charity called Tartan Talkers, which aims to help raise awareness and prevent male suicide in Scotland. She told the Daily Record how she will forever be haunted by the noise her sister made when discovering that Scott, from Cowdenbeath, Fife, had taken his own life.
The devastated aunt shared her fears that the number of people affected by mental health will continue to soar due to the current cost-of-living crisis.
She explained: “The thing that really got to me was the sound my sister made after Scott took his own life. If you’ve ever heard a wounded animal that’s really in pain, they let out this howl.
“It was the most painful noise I’ve ever heard and even thinking about it now makes me want to weep. I think a part of you dies when someone you love commits suicide because you think you’re immune to these things and that it won’t happen to you.
“But suicide doesn’t discriminate. It can land on anybody’s door. I don’t want anyone to experience the unimaginable pain of losing someone to mental health.
“You always seem to think that because you’re older that you should go before them and you can’t get your head around it. You’re looking at a picture of this young person who had their whole life ahead of them but mental health has robbed them of that.
“It’s robbing children of their fathers and mothers of their sons. It just leaves a trail of devastation and destruction. And that’s why we set up Tartan Talkers. Scott was a happy-go-lucky chappie who had an opinion on everything. He loved the Tartan Army and everything Scottish.
“He was a real live-wire and such a bonny laddie. He worshipped the ground his wee boy Lucas walked on. He was the life and soul of the party but maybe that should have been a red flag.
“Maybe we should’ve asked if he was too jovial and if he was putting on a mask. But people, especially men, are very good at hiding it. If Scott had just said to us that he wasn’t in a good place, we’d have rallied round and done absolutely anything to save him.
“To think of him alone in that dark place destroys you.” The charity, which is supported by Scottish rock duo the Proclaimers, has already seen a massive uptake in people seeking help - but Jackie continues to be surprised by how many people are struggling.
She said: “I was handing out leaflets recently and was astounded by the amount of people that it’s affecting. Yet some people are going about with blinkers on and are oblivious to the crisis. It’s been a massive eye-opener.
“And I think coming out of covid and the way the economy is going, it’s going to have a massive impact on people's mental health - especially men. There’s still this stereotype of them being the provider and they’re letting the family down if they've not got money."
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Adding: “How are they meant to manage? They’re not superhuman. We have got to do something as a society to help the NHS and the other organisations which are struggling to keep up.
“Everyone can play a part and it might start building communities again. In a bygone time, people used to check on their neighbours to make sure they were fine. Even just saying to someone ‘are you okay mate?’.”
Scott’s dad Garry, mum Phyllis and sister Shannon are supporting the charity, who hope to one day open up centres across the country. To find out more or to get support from Tartan Talkers, please click here.
Samaritans are also available 24/7 if you ever need someone to speak to or support. You can find out more here.
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