Religion

‘You are not alone’: Justin Welby reveals he sought help for depression


The archbishop of Canterbury has revealed he sought help for depression last year and has urged others who are “walking in darkness” to reach out.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day slot before a mental health conference at Lambeth Palace in London on Friday, Justin Welby said: “Last year I realised I was depressed. I have a daughter who has been very open about her experiences of depression, and she helped me see that it wasn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s just life – and I got help.”

Welby has previously spoken of his struggle with depression. In an interview with GQ magazine two years ago, he said: “I have those moments … when objectively everything is fine, but you think you are, beyond description, hopeless.”

Then he said he had never sought professional help for the “black dog” of depression, using Winston Churchill’s phrase, but he acknowledged he might have needed to.

Last year, in a BBC podcast, he talked about mental health alongside his daughter, Katharine Welby-Roberts. She has spoken about her struggles and suicidal thoughts, saying the church did not always know how to respond. “If your first response is, ‘Can I pray for your healing?’, then you’re not listening,” she said.

The archbishop is expected to expand on his and his family’s experiences in the conference, Faith and Mental Health: a Christian Response, in a discussion with Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spin doctor who has also experienced depression throughout his life.

In Thought for the Day, Welby said during last week’s mental illness awareness week, “people from all over the world and all walks of life spoke on social media about their experience of mental illness.

“Much has been made of social media worsening mental health issues. On this occasion it enabled people to share their stories, communicate honestly and feel connected to others.

“We often think it’s just us who are struggling, everyone else is OK. That’s because we don’t talk about our mental health. The stigma is still there, so we feel more alone than we need to.”

Christians believed in “a saviour, a rescuer, who knows intimately what it is to suffer. Amidst all the brokenness, Christ weeps with us,” he said. “It is my prayer today that anyone who is walking in darkness knows this: you are not alone. You are truly valued and deeply loved. Reaching out and talking to someone can be the first step back into the light.”



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