This Morning presenter Josie Gibson was seen holding back tears on the ITV daytime show on Wednesday morning as she shared a devastating story of lockdown loss.
During a conversation about access to mental health services, stand-in host Josie opened up about the loss she felt when four of her friends took their lives during the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
As reported by the Scottish Sun, Josie, who has been standing in for Covid -stricken Holly Willoughby, was joined by fellow presenter Phillip Schofield and local GP Doctor Nighat Arif on the show to discuss mental health services.
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And as Josie began to open up about her own personal loss, she fought back tears as she said: "I personally know four men who took their own lives, and the support was just not there."
As Dr Arif admitted there had been a catastrophic backlog on referrals for mental health treatment, she said: "The difficulty is when demand is so much...
"Hand on heart, even I don’t have the solution for it."
The medical expert offered some advice for those who may be feeling alone and isolated now, sharing: "There are so many things that we can do.
"So the first thing I say is talk, talk, talk, don’t be embarrassed. You can cry, you can be sad, make sure you are going for a walk, getting exercise, seeing green spaces, hugging a tree."
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Josie admitted she had been feeling low as well, and utilised the advice of Dr Arif as she had coped with the stress and pressure of the last two years.
The 38-year-old added: "We all get low.
"Every day I take my shoes and socks off, and I walk outside on the grass because when you're connecting back to the earth, back to nature, you feel good."
There are a whole host of organisations that offer support to those dealing with any form of mental health issues, and can be accessed in seconds.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, visit the CALM website here.
