Chris Kamara admitted he contemplated taking his own life following his speech apraxia diagnosis in 2021.
The 66-year-old has been a regular face on our TV screens since the late 1990s on football staples such as Soccer Saturday and Soccer AM. A larger-than-life character, Kammy is known for his incredible passion for the game and wicked sense of humour.
But just three years ago his world was turned upside down after he started to develop problems when speaking. With fans beginning to notice too, Kamara was quickly diagnosed and has battled to live with the disease.
Chris Kamara says he contemplated suicide after he was diagnosed back in 2021
Kamara recently sat down with former club Brentford, for whom he played over 150 times, to discuss his disease's impact on him. Now on the road to recovery, Kammy did admit there were times when ending his own life looked like a real possibility.
"I felt sorry for myself when the condition came along and I didn’t know what to do or how to cope with it," he said. "You have stupid thoughts. You think you’ve got Alzheimer’s or dementia. I didn’t want to be a burden to my family, so you think about taking yourself out of the game.
"Thankfully, all of those stupid thoughts have gone now and I’m working through it, on the mend. How could I ever have thought of not being in this world with my grandkids? I love them and I appreciate life.
"I didn’t understand mental health, I’ll be honest with you. If someone said there were a few problems at home or in their personal life which they’re down about, I would tell them wholeheartedly to get up, get on with it and just do it.
“Now, I realise that I was totally wrong. The majority of people who are genuinely honest and have depression, anxiety and have mental health problems need help as best as they possibly can. The start is talking to someone about it. I did that and it’s helped me immensely."
Everyone here at FourFourTwo is happy to hear that Kamara fought against those dark thoughts and we all wish him the very best in his ongoing recovery. We hope to see you back on our screens soon.
