In Conversation With Chrissy B
She's the host of the UK's only TV show dedicated to mental health and wellbeing!
There are plenty of achievements that Chrissy B has to her name; she's not only created the MHDChallenge to encourage people to fight against depression (see more below), but she is also the producer and host of the UK’s only TV show dedicated to mental health and wellbeing.
Today, we had the opportunity to interview Chrissy B to find out about her personal story of fighting depression, her motivation to creating the Chrissy B Show as well as advice on how to cope with it.
Q: You have been very raw and honest about your battle with depression and panic attacks. How have you been able to overcome and cope with it?
A: Chrissy Says...
I suffered for 7 years and to be honest, I didn’t cope. Every day was a battle for me. It’s awful waking up every day and feeling miserable, anxious, like there’s a dark cloud following you everywhere you go. At times I felt like I couldn’t breathe and I was losing a grip on reality. I could literally feel myself losing control of my mind. After one of the worst panic attacks I’d ever had, I decided to visit a place that I’d gone past several times on the way to and from work – the UCKG HelpCentre. There was a sign outside that read ‘Does it pay to pray?’ I was never a religious person and not interested in going to a church but this place was different.
Still shaking from that awful panic attack the night before, I walked in and I was welcomed and made to feel at home immediately. The person I spoke to seemed to understand me completely and the best part of it was that he believed my life could be different, that I could be happy one day and was told that there I would learn all the tools to get there. That meant so much to me because I had almost stopped believing in myself and no one else had given me hope.
Combining the practical and motivational advice with the spiritual help was a winning formula for me and week by week, I started getting better. Unbelievably, from that first visit, I had no more panic attacks ever again. Within a few months, the depression had completely lifted and that had a positive impact on every other area of my life. I’ve been depression and panic-attack-free for over 20 years now – no relapses. I’m living proof that you can beat mental health issues for good. I’m not special, I’m not better than anyone. I was just taught how to fight back and win.
Q: Can you tell us about your journey to creating the Chrissy B Show? Why was it important for you to create a TV show dedicated to mental health and wellbeing?
A: Chrissy Says...
It was really important to me to create a show for mental health and wellbeing because there was nothing out there that focused on these kind of issues (and as far as I know, this is still the case). Mental health, especially when we first started the show 6 years ago, was just swept under the carpet. When I had my issues, I felt so lonely – like I was the only person in the world going through what I was going through. I don’t want anyone else to feel that way. We speak openly about mental health problems to show viewers that they are not alone and that they can get through even the most difficult times. The programme also inspires viewers with lots of real life success stories following hard times. We also have a panel of experts from various fields that give lots of practical tips and advice from psychology, to fitness and nutrition and I also give tips of my own on every show.
Q: Along with the Chrissy B Show, you have also created the #MHDChallenge. Can you tell us more about this project?
A: Chrissy Says...
The #MHDChallenge, which stands for Mental Health Dance Challenge, is an initiative I put together to encourage people to look after their mental health and wellbeing so they can fight back against depression & other mental health issues while at the same time raise awareness. I decided on a dance concept because dance is fun and a great way to get a powerful message across.The dance has been gaining more and more popularity especially amongst young people and we are now doing a school tour as children and teachers love the concept. It’s extremely important for children to be aware of their mental health and to feel comfortable to ask for help when needed. Over 2000 children have already taken part and each school (or any establishment) that takes part in the challenge also receives our official #MHDChallenge certificate.
Read more about the #MHDChallenge here.
Q: With the Chrissy B Show, what are three key messages you want to spread to your viewers?
A: Chrissy Says...
1. Never think that you are alone.2. Don’t ever lose hope or give up. There is ALWAYS a solution.
3. Ask for help when you need it.
Q: Lastly, what advice do you have for people who suffer from depression?
A: Chrissy Says...
I would never advise someone to just learn to manage depression because I know it is totally beatable. You and depression are not the same. You are not depression and depression isn’t you. How can something that makes you feel so awful be a part of you? The same way you wouldn’t put up with being bullied by a human being, the same way you shouldn’t accept to be bullied by depression. It’s time to say no and stand up and fight! We all know the well-known quote that says, “It’s okay not to be okay.” I don’t really agree with this statement. Of course, it’s normal to go through problems and even get depressed. But it’s not normal to STAY depressed because depression can lead to all sorts of further issues and even suicide. So I say, “It’s okay not to be okay, but what’s NOT okay, is to STAY not okay.”
Award winning Chrissy B produces and hosts the UK’s ONLY TV show dedicated to mental health and wellbeing. She is also the founder of the MHDChallenge (Mental Health Dance Challenge) the world’s 1st ever dance encouraging people to fight back against depression.
Websites: www.chrissybshow.tv & www.mylifeafterdepression.com | E-mail: chris@chrissybshow.tv
