Inverness personal trainer to give talk on mental health problems
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AN Inverness man will share his mental health struggles in a bid to encourage people to speak out.
Personal trainer Alan Goodwin (40) is holding his Mental Health Matters: the Man Behind the Muscle talk at Eden Court in Inverness on Monday to raise awareness of depression and the importance of seeking help.
Mr Goodwin, who made his way to the PT profession despite living with ME since the age of 18, has suffered from depression.
He said: “I found myself using exercise as an escape from my inner problems. I was stuck in my life, and although exercise helped me I needed to find a balance in my own mind, and it was through acceptance and learning how to let things go that I managed to move on.
“In professions like mine where you are expected not to show pain, and be in control, it is very difficult to speak out.
“When you are depressed, you tend to be convinced that some things are not fixable – I have been there – but I want people to know that no matter how much pain you are going through or how isolated you feel, there is always a way back.”
Mr Goodwin’s talk will be followed by a discussion with representatives from the Samaritans and HUG Action for Mental Health.
“From my first talk in April I have seen many people asking me questions that I was not qualified to answer, so I decided to invite people who can provide the audience and people interested with professional advice,” Mr Goodwin added. “I also want to say how grateful I am for all the support I have been given from everyone.”
