LinkedIn post on mental health by Oldham man goes viral

Paul Howarth, 44, shared a post on his profile last month in which he discussed his battle with depression, the impact it had on his family, and his improvement in recent months.

The post has accumulated nearly 10,000 reactions and more than 650 comments, with many commending Mr Howarth for sharing his story and evening opening up to him themselves.

He wrote in the post: "This feels uncomfortable to share but mental health is real. I see it in my friends, and I’ve been living it. Questioning my purpose and value.

"I tried to be honest with my family but nobody could really help. I was on my own with this and I just wanted to escape.

Mr Howarth has struggled with his mental health in recent years (Image: Paul Howarth)
"My wife felt helpless, but I couldn’t snap out of it. I was honest with the kids about it, and my youngest would surprise me with cuddles.

"I would distance myself, hiding in my own home. I get why people feel on their own. Friends have their own problems to deal with and they can’t wave a magic wand."

Speaking to The Oldham Times, Mr Howarth said he has been dealing with mental health issues for six years, after realising he was not happy in his life.

He said: "I was in full-time employment for about 15 years, building a regional business, working on the financial side.

"I thought it was something I'd always wanted to do, I thought making lots of money was the dream.

"I just started to feel I wasn't really valued, it wasn't authentic, I was just putting a front on."

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After leaving his work, Mr Howarth, who grew up in Whitworth, Lancashire, has spent the last few years working with small and midsize enterprises and is now looking to become a personal trainer.

Meanwhile, the father-of-two is pleased that his post has had an impact and prompted people to reach out to him and open up about their own struggles.

He said: "It feels like I'm making a difference already.

"What hit me was the number of people who said they can talk to me but not their partners or families."

The former accountant said he is coming out of his mid-life crisis (Image: Paul Howarth)

As for his own mental health, Mr Howarth said speaking to a therapist and a life coach as well as taking a low dosage of anti-depressants has helped him.

Mr Howarth wrote in his post: "I’m coming out of my mid-life crisis and love my purpose and I want to shout about it!

"I know I'm not the only one to feel this way, but if you're reading this and going through something similar, I'm here if you want to chat."

If you're struggling with your mental health or are in crisis, you can call Samaritans free of charge on 116 123 – they are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

You can also visit www.samaritans.org.