Clarke Carlisle Speaks Openly About Depression in the Hope to Raise Awareness

Former local footballer Clarke Carlisle has spoken out about how he threw himself in front of a lorry in an attempt to take his own life on 22 December last year; an incident which left him critically injured and hospitalised for 6 weeks.

Speaking for the first time, the former Premier League player has told The Sun newspaper that he had been battling serious depression prior to the incident for 18 months and has chosen to now speak openly in the hope of helping others also going through depression and other related mental health disorders.

Having only returned home from hospital last Friday, Clarke Carlisle has said that his life just spiralled out of control after being told by ITV, his employer at the time, that he was losing his £100,000.00 a year Champions League pundit role. As a result, he says he just felt as though he “had to die” and that it “wasn’t escaping or running away. This was the perfect answer. It made everyone happy and it ticked every box.”

Clarke Carlisle says that after receiving the news about his job, he disappeared for 40 hours and slept rough whilst planning his suicide. Having found a spot on the A64, he says he just stepped over a barrier and jumped towards an oncoming lorry. He claims to have also contemplated drowning, falling under a bus, diving under a train; even hanging himself at the York City, where he had once played. “Nothing could be left to chance” he said.

When he regained consciousness, he says “I opened my eyes and I could see my hands in front of me and there’s blood dripping down them. I thought, ‘You’re kidding me’.” At hospital it was discovered that he had suffered only cuts, bruises, internal bleeding, a broken rib and a shattered left knee. On Christmas Day, Clarke Carlisle was then admitted to a psychiatric unit in Harrogate and placed on suicide watch. He is now undergoing counselling treatment.

Clarke Carlisle’s suicide attempt has shot the issues of Depression and other mental health conditions to the forefront of the media which is, in turn, raising awareness about such illnesses which many do not know a lot about.

Depression and other recognised disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Anxiety can all be triggered by stress.

Stress as a condition in itself can take many forms but in Britain, stress caused at work is the biggest growing problem which is being largely overlooked by many employers.

From a legal perspective, employers have a duty of care to their employees to protect them from an injury to their health attributable to stress at work. There is a risk therefore that if employers fail to recognise and address such issues and subsequently fail in their duty of care, that they could be exposed to claims for compensation.

In such situations where an employer has failed in their duty of care, those suffering with work related stress may be able to claim compensation for the impact matters have had on their health, the cost of any necessary treatment on a private paying basis and lost earnings from their employer.

The legal position for those who have suffered or who are suffering with stress at work is complex.

Oakwood Solicitors are specialists in claims for work related stress.

If you believe that you would benefit from legal advice on this matter or believe you may have a claim against your employer, please call us on 0844 499 9302 or email stress@oakwoodsolicitors.co.uk