The ‘school trip dad’ has done another thread which went viral for very different reasons
21.
I’ll share the story one day. The whole story, but as we stand, only my therapist, my sister and my wife know what happened. Before I share with you lot I need to talk to my family and friends
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
22.
Wouldn’t be fair on my Mum really, would it?
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
23.
I’m ready to talk about it, but I just have to sit a few people down first.
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
24.
I have a remarkably focussed brain. Analytical and often devoid of emotion. When you’re carrying PTSD and shame, these things are hard to reconcile
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
25.
I gave up drinking and drugs. I changed my diet and lost weight, but nothing shook off the nightmares.
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
26.
On the last night of a brilliant holiday with those guys, I had another flashback nightmare (my fourth that month) and decided I had nothing left to give up
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
27.
So the only logical choice was to end my life. My broken brain convinced me my beautiful daughter would be better off without me. This was taken 4 hours before I headed off to kill myself. Something to remember me by pic.twitter.com/YpoVZwlbyY
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
28.
Suicidal people are not selfish. They’re just broken. We can all be mended
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
29.
I was so close. I was even going to do it at work and make it look like an accident so that my family definitely got the insurance money and people would eventually learn to live with it
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
30.
But, a very close friend spotted the signs and noticed I’d deleted all contact with the outside world and called my wife
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
31.
But, a very close friend spotted the signs and noticed I’d deleted all contact with the outside world and called my wife
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
32.
She got home in time, we broke down, she was at her wits end with me anyway and I was in front of my GP for the first time in four years the following morning
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
33.
I’m one of the lucky ones and I’m so grateful. Over the last two days I’ve been touched by your messages of support and saddened by your stories where your friends and family weren’t so lucky
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
34.
Many of you will know I lost a former colleague to suicide in 2015 and it kick started this spiral, but the anxiety and self-loathing had always been there since 1990
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
35.
If any of this is striking a chord with anyone – Talk to someone. Talk it out. Talk to Twitter in the first instance if you like. It will help you. We’ll point you in the right direction
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
36.
And that’s that for now. Lets all have a lovely Friday and go back to taking the piss out of stuff again.
— Simon Smith (@simonfromharlow) June 8, 2018
And here are just a few examples of how people replied.
Screenshot your tweets and sent to my brother who refuses to get help – hoping he finally grasps he’s not alone. Thank you and great to see you made such a strong decision 💕
— Vikki O’Neill (@VONmarketing) June 6, 2018
I’m so glad you got well & tweeted this. I’ve a dear family member currently sectioned with ptsd/ schizophrenia and if he’d got the help he needed 40-50 years ago so much pain could have been avoided. But the stigma was terrible. So he didn’t. 😥
— Elizabeth Price (@Lizterary) June 6, 2018
Glad to see you have sorted yourself out Simon. Your a top bloke!! 👍⚒
— ⚒ GEEDEE ⚒ (@GeoffDowns) June 7, 2018
Small steps mate. Very happy you are still here, where else would I learn at least one new swear word per day or see jyst how huge mark’s head is in pictures?
— Ian Vallance (@IVallance) June 6, 2018
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