Jean-Louis' story

"I was in the army for a long time and when I came out, I suffered from PTSD. It’s something you can never get rid of, but you learn to manage it. It’s part of your life. A lot of people that have come out of the forces are physically fit because they have to be, but once they leave that can change. That’s what happened to me. A couple of years ago I was pre-diabetic and had high cholesterol and I struggled to cope.

"It came to a point one day where I looked in the mirror and I realised I didn’t like what I saw. I got to a really dark place in my mind. I got to a crossroads. It was through looking at photographs and then looking in the mirror that I realised. I was looking at myself from the outside looking in. It was hard to see what I saw in the mirror and I didn’t like what I saw or who I had become, which led to suicidal thoughts.

"The first thing you have to do is admit there is something wrong. Until you admit you have an issue you can’t fix it. No matter how bad life gets, you can have so many doors closing, but where they close there will always be another one open. You go through chapters in life, but the story continues.

"I went to my GP and had counselling. You can’t do it alone. That’s something you have to realise. The first point is to admit where you are and seek professional advice. What inspired me was seeing an 80-year-old female body builder on You Tube. She inspired me to change. Watching other people do amazing things is what has inspired me to change and that’s why I feel it’s so important to share my story.

"I’m not going to pretend it has been easy. Getting help is a difficult thing to do, especially for men when it comes to mental health, as we tend to hide our emotion. There’s still a huge stigma attached to mental health. But the way I see it, your brain is an organ. If you have a problem with your heart, you get professional help, you go and see your GP, but there is still such a stigma around getting help for your mental health."

"It’s so important to talk to someone. If you talk to Samaritans they will be there to listen to what you have to say, be non-judgmental. I was able to find that with my GP and pastor. They understood where I was coming from and didn’t judge me, which is so key. You need impartial advice.

"I’ve turned things around now, reversed my diabetes and work hard on my mental health. Now I’m a personal trainer too. For me, I train a lot and go to the gym. My journey isn’t over, it never is. Mental health, for me, is liking what you see and having self-worth. I want to give something back. I would love to help someone else by sharing my story. That’s part of my own journey too and that’s what I’m hoping to do.

"The future looks a lot brighter now. I’ve become fitter than I’ve been for a long time. I’m healthier, stronger and I feel good about myself. But I know that my mental health will always be there. It becomes part of your life. We all have strengths and weaknesses but it’s learning to live with them. Sometimes I feel low, so I go to the gym. I know what to do. I believe exercise and mental health are so linked. I get such a good feel good factor. I’m a train engineer so I always describe my body like a train. The brain is the computer, the organs is the engine and the chassis is what you see on the outside. You have to look after everything, including your mental health."