They have really put everything into perspective

Darragh Milligan is a 41-year-old who is best known for his Belfast Undercover Chef Instagram profile with almost 22,000 followers. Darragh suffers with severe anxiety and depression for “I don’t know how long I’ve been suffering with this for but for me to get it off my chest, it helps me”.

During lockdown Darragh found the strength and the courage to reach out to MYMY and ask for help. “I’ve been seeing a counsellor…it’s a charitable organisation and they have really put everything into perspective for me. I know people don’t want to talk about things like this and I used to be like that, I was ashamed”.

“The last couple of years have been tough, but coming out the other side I feel like I’ve found a purpose in life and one of the things I say on Instagram is cooking is my therapy, it just helps me cope with the tough days. For me it’s finding something that makes you happy”.
Darragh is hoping by speaking out others, particularly men who feel the same might reach out and ask for help.

“…Men don’t speak enough about things like this and it has to change. People look at others and think they look alright but they’re not, and I want to try and help them. So many people have subconsciously helped me out. It’s such a subject that I’m now so passionate to speak about and people think ‘oh if you’re a real man you shouldn’t show emotions’, but now, if I want to cry in front of my mum and dad or my son, I’ll do it, because there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“I feel lucky as well that I have that support network around me and I have tried to push them away in the past but now I’m so open and honest with them. But other people aren’t that lucky and I just want people to reach out and ask for help if they need to.”