Jamie's Story
What are some struggles you've faced with your mental health?
I've always seemed to struggle with mental health since I was young, feeling out of place and never really fitting in properly. Once I got a little older and started going out I fell into the hole of partying a lot, drinking and doing drugs. I started DJ’ing and I fell in love with it, I kind of have a habit of obsessing over new hobbies and putting everything into it. I think it’s a way of distracting my brain and keeping me occupied. The problem I faced was being a DJ especially at house parties is that you're first to arrive and last to leave so I found myself trapped. If I wanted to leave, people used to feed me more drugs and alcohol in the hopes I’d stay and my mental health took a massive decline. I then got into a relationship but as my mental health was at a all time low I was still very lost and never really got back to my normal self, I depended on my partner for happiness and when it all come crashing down 5 years later after being cheated on it was my make or break moment. I struggled really bad, learning to adjust to being on my own and finally tackling my problems head on. There was a few times where I just wanted to give up but I reconnected with old friends who got me into the gym and I started putting all my emotions into training and working on myself. After making some great progress and really starting to feel my true self again I started re-connecting with the outdoors which is something I've always done since I was young.
My mum used to take me camping nearly every weekend through out summers as a kid and being out in the mountains and hiking on my own made me realise how small and insignificant my troubles were. Standing on top of a mountain on your own while the sun's rising looking down on the world is such an empowering feeling.
I finally felt at one with myself, I stopped caring about other people’s opinions and started doing anything and everything I wanted to do. Hiking, camping, learnt to ski, paddleboarding, and now even learning to skydive and building my own camper van.
What do you do to keep you mental health in-check?
I still have my down days from time to time, stress from work or other areas in life but getting back in the gym or just getting out in the mountains always seems to clear my head and puts my mind at rest. I don’t go out anymore and I rarely even have a drink so I feel like that’s also a massive impact.
What makes you feel most fulfilled?
Living my life to the full, if I want to do something I just go and do it, whether it’s with friends or alone. I took a trip to Madeira last year on my own and hiking around the mountains abroad on my own honestly made me feel so fulfilled.
The latest hobby of learning to skydive I've had to tackle on my own as no one else wanted to do it with me. But it is one of the most empowering feelings I've ever experienced. Flying through the air at 120mph is a feeling I just can’t even explain, but it makes me feel so free and alive.
What is something you're looking forward to doing?
I’m looking forward to building my own camper which I’m in the process of doing, travelling around Europe doing all the things I love doing and inspiring people to do the same along the way.
What advice would you give to someone struggling with their mental health?
I’d recommend starting to do things good for your health and soul, working out, get out into the mountains on a hike or find something you’re passionate about. Don’t wait on other people to do it with you just get out there and do it on your own!
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A huge thank you to Jamie for being so open in this article. I hope he's given you some things to think about.
Check out his stuff and follow along with his van build on his instagram @_jc.explores.
