FORMER CORK HURLER Conor Cusack spoke openly about his battle with depression and his recovery last night.
In an interview on RTÉ Prime Time, Cusack — brother of former Rebel keeper Donal Óg Cusack — spoke about a blog post he published on Monday.
Advertisement
In it he details his personal experiences of panic attacks and depression, his treatment, and his hope for the future.
“A new strength will emerge to help you to head into the choppy waters of your painful past,” he wrote.
Eventually you will discover a place of peace within yourself, a place that encourages you to head out into the world and live your life fully. The world will no longer be a frightening place to live in for you.
The most important thing is to take the first step. Please take it.
If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this article please call Aware at 1890 303 302 or the Samaritans at 1850 60 90 90, or email jo@samaritans.org.
I have been through depression myself and though I got through I unfortunately lost a brother to suicide in recent months. I believe the difference between myself and my brother was that I could talk about it and accept help. Whether it is medication or clinical psychology that gets you through, it has to start with talking. It can be simple as turning around to a friend, loved one or a professional and saying “I’m feeling low and I need to talk”. And don’t leave it too late. Not wanting to hurt my family and friends held me back from suicide when I stopped caring about myself. But I also realised my depression could get worse and I could stop caring about the people around me; and suicide would be the result. My brother obviously got to the point where the pain of the depression outweighed everything else in his life.
As a community we need to enable people to talk. We need to create an atmosphere where people, especially young men, can feel confident in expressing emotion without fear of being labelled soft or weak. And Conor’s raw and honest account will do wonders for getting that started.
Keep sharing this, keep speaking out, lets keep people talking – this will certainly save one person, lets keep this topic in discussion for as long as we can as it probably won’t come up again until somebody else takes their life!
Well done Conor, your courage is amazing the way you had to face your depression head on and seek help and then to speak out on Prime Time to help others- I admire your strength.
I’m crying here watching this video, what a brave honest man. I wish him & his family a long happy & peaceful journey through life and as Conor said, to anybody out there struggling mentally please, please talk to somebody, there is nothing to be ashamed of, just take that first step & Please God it will be the first step on the road to a full recovery & a happy life.
Wasn’t it great to see a real ordinary Irish guy speaking straight from the heart in an open and honest and caring manner ; so refreshing from the staged “you say this and then I’ll say that rubbish we’re treated to ad infinitum?
Well done Mr. Cusack for your honesty and compassion and for not wearing a suit !
He was brilliant on Primetime, very honest and open about his experience with depression. Hopefully is of some help to those struggling. Amazing his path was a different one possibly because his mother didn’t go to Mass.
Loved just loved Conor’s interview. What a fabulous human being. He will give hope to so many people, I also applaud Miriam for allowing Conor to speak and not to interrupt him, well done,
What a truly amazing man to be so honest about his struggle. I’m sure many many people will take comfort from his words. Men especially find it hard to open up. The Pieta house do wonderful work, if anyone is ever struggling please contact them. You deserve to be happy just as much as anyone else
We have a problem in Ireland with young men taking their own lives. I don’t know whether it is the same in
other countries, but I do know that there has been a suicide a year in my local community and as far as I can gather this is happening, tragically, all around the country. There’s still that stigma of depression, if someone expresses feelings of depression there is a fear of being that person who people say ‘ah he suffers with the nerves’ …Its not right, we need to change our attitudes fast. Young Irish men need to be encouraged to talk, just talk that is all it takes. The taboo on depression and mental illness in our culture needs to be challenged. We need to change, one after the other the shocking news comes in of another loss. Its not right.
As if the multio millionaires in RTE give a shit about people being depressed living in their Foxrock mansions and driving brnad new cars totally oblivious to the hardships people have, see at the 5 minute mark Miriam barks at him that meds will work for people, sorry but talking pills to dull you down to accept the hand you were dealt is not the best way to deal with mental health problems.
Tears in my eyes both listening to Conor and reading some of the comments. Also have to say shame on u people red thumbing the comments in fact I’d call u heartless. Well done Conor, that took courage.
18 different tablets??? is that not a tad wee exaggerated? I, for someone who has taken perhaps 1,2-3 different types, average of 2 at any one time for these issues, 18 tablets yes if you are en elderly person with several issues.
If I speak out about over use of prescribed drugs and the myth of the “chemical imbalance” I get abuse and harassment. Well at least a GAA sports star can do it without cyber bullying. Well done to him. I am impressed.
I was on Citalopram for panic attacks (and some Xanax) and when I became unwell from that drug was put on Zyprexa, Seroquel, Lithium, Lamictal, sleeping pills, Rivitrol (a benzo) and the list goes on. I have managed to get off these drugs over the past 2 years. But it was 5 years of hell. And some of what Conor says resonates with me. Except that I lacked the support he had from his mother. As my parents are deceased. No one wanted to know. Luckily now I have someone that is supportive and says the right thing. And not forgetting the one person that stood by me, even from a distance, for those 5 years. I will be forever grateful to him. It took patience.
And not forgetting the help from Prof Ivor Browne and Dr Terry Lynch. As well as people in Critical Voices Network last year.
No wonder there were so many mainstream Psychiatrists on Prime Time last night. It was less about Ming/cannabis and more about their cover been blown by Conor Cusack. I think it is a bit hypocritical of them to be pumping people with far too much prescribed psychoactive drugs and at the same time going on high moral ground about the possible legalization of cannabis.
“The psychiatrist explained that there might be a chemical imbalance in my brain, asked me my symptoms and prescribed a mixture of anti depressants, anxiety and sleeping pills based on what I told him. He explained that it would take time to get the right cocktail of tablets for my type of depression. I had an uneasy feeling about the whole thing. Something deep inside in me told me this wasn’t the way forward and this wasn’t what I needed” ~ Conor Cusack
Not forgetting the suggestion of Electric shock treatment which can be very damaging to memory and the brain. One doctor explains it well ~ Dr Bob Johnson ~ “The TV isn’t working, so lets throw it down the stairs”,. Or something to that effect,.
@Catherine Sims ~ your comment means nothing to me as it is full of lies, twisting of facts and misrepresentations of what I have said in the past. I will no longer engage with your cyber bullying. I would like TheJournal.ie to take note of this bullying. I will not stand for it or put up with it. When I say cyber bullying above you are the person I am referring to.
I have NEVER told anyone to come off drugs. In fact the opposite is true. I am well aware of the dangers of stopping any drugs due to the dangers of withdrawal. I have all the evidence to back me up regarding Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (anti-depressants) causing Manic Depression type symptoms in some people. Based on the ongoing abuse you gave me in the last post, I am asking you to STOP the cyber bullying now.
You threatened on the last post that you would block or at least try to prevent me from commenting on here. When I pointed that out you called me “paranoid”. You also made other comments to harass me for been honest about my condition eg “You know thinking that your story is THAT important to the world sounds a bit grandiose to me? If you know bipolar then you know all about grandiose I take it?”
Another of your comments:
“Actually it’s just hit me that you are an unmediated bipolar individual . On the basis of that I don’t think that it’s any use to continue this discussion . Good luck in your quest for stability. I hope you can move past the blame game and find a life for yourself one day.”
One of your comments from a previous article which I would see as abuse in the last sentence ~
“Also anti depressants can send Bipolars into a manic or hypomania state and this is often how they finally get a correct diagnosis. I have know people off their meds. It’s never if the crash will come its when”.
You seem to have a problem with my admission of the truth or a closer version of the truth than that which appears in Pharma sponsored brochures. Lies about “rebalancing neurotransmitters”. I suggest you take it up with a Psychiatrist eg Dr Peter Breggin or Prof Ivor Browne. It is a man who has about 60 years experience as a doctor that knows the TRUTH! He claims every 2nd person who comes to him these days has “Bipolar”. So why the big boom in diagnosis and symptoms? He also claims this used to be a rare condition.
At the end of the day what I experienced from you is cyber bullying.
'They've been great for us' - Referee Gough delivers support for FRC's new rules
17 mins ago
0
Freepreparation
Two June friendlies in Zagreb for Ireland U21 team
51 mins ago
0
GAA
Dublin pitted against Connacht champions, Ulster runners-up, and Derry in All-Ireland SFC draw
23 hrs ago
21
Sign in or create a free account
To continue reading create a free account
Or sign into an existing account
Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 179 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage .Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.Privacy Policy
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 119 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 158 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 123 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 90 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 90 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 44 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 40 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 146 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 68 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 85 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 92 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 39 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 55 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 29 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 102 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 109 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 78 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 59 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 97 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 81 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
I have been through depression myself and though I got through I unfortunately lost a brother to suicide in recent months. I believe the difference between myself and my brother was that I could talk about it and accept help. Whether it is medication or clinical psychology that gets you through, it has to start with talking. It can be simple as turning around to a friend, loved one or a professional and saying “I’m feeling low and I need to talk”. And don’t leave it too late. Not wanting to hurt my family and friends held me back from suicide when I stopped caring about myself. But I also realised my depression could get worse and I could stop caring about the people around me; and suicide would be the result. My brother obviously got to the point where the pain of the depression outweighed everything else in his life.
As a community we need to enable people to talk. We need to create an atmosphere where people, especially young men, can feel confident in expressing emotion without fear of being labelled soft or weak. And Conor’s raw and honest account will do wonders for getting that started.
Keep sharing this, keep speaking out, lets keep people talking – this will certainly save one person, lets keep this topic in discussion for as long as we can as it probably won’t come up again until somebody else takes their life!
Unreal honesty. I hope it gives hope to anyone who is suffering. Where can I read the blog?
Hi Paddy, here’s the link…
http://ccusack111.blogspot.ie/2013/10/depression-is-friend-not-my-enemy_28.html?m=1
The best speaker about depression I’ve ever heard.
Absolutely everyone should read his blogpost.
What an inspirational man! It took courage to write a piece like that!
A great interview, very powerful. I hope his story helps others. Wishing him all the best.
He was excellent on prime time. Great speaker
Well done Conor, your courage is amazing the way you had to face your depression head on and seek help and then to speak out on Prime Time to help others- I admire your strength.
EVERY MAN SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS INTERVIEW AND GET TALKING!!!!
I’m crying here watching this video, what a brave honest man. I wish him & his family a long happy & peaceful journey through life and as Conor said, to anybody out there struggling mentally please, please talk to somebody, there is nothing to be ashamed of, just take that first step & Please God it will be the first step on the road to a full recovery & a happy life.
Powerfully speech great you spoke out about your troubles and hopefully it can help others
Honest and brave …. Hope you enjoya bright future
Great exposure. Well done. Keep it up. Any bit if light at the end these dark tunnels to be commend. .
Powerful story. It is great that this scourge is being talked about in public. Hopefully Conors story will help someone.
Wasn’t it great to see a real ordinary Irish guy speaking straight from the heart in an open and honest and caring manner ; so refreshing from the staged “you say this and then I’ll say that rubbish we’re treated to ad infinitum?
Well done Mr. Cusack for your honesty and compassion and for not wearing a suit !
keep sharing this blog and help people in this sitution.
That’s some family there, 2 inspirational brothers.
He was brilliant on Primetime, very honest and open about his experience with depression. Hopefully is of some help to those struggling. Amazing his path was a different one possibly because his mother didn’t go to Mass.
Heard about this enterview on ray darcy this morning, had to watch it, every body should watch it.
Fair play to ya Conor boy.
This is a very difficult topic to discuss. Especially in public! You did it with bravery and pure honesty.
Seen the interview was really emotional listening to it, great to see Connor back on the mend again well done a true inspiration :)
Loved just loved Conor’s interview. What a fabulous human being. He will give hope to so many people, I also applaud Miriam for allowing Conor to speak and not to interrupt him, well done,
Extraordinary. I’m seldom moved by such interviews, despite identifying with anxiety, but I find this to be an incredible experience to watch.
What a truly amazing man to be so honest about his struggle. I’m sure many many people will take comfort from his words. Men especially find it hard to open up. The Pieta house do wonderful work, if anyone is ever struggling please contact them. You deserve to be happy just as much as anyone else
Really made sense to me, top fella
We have a problem in Ireland with young men taking their own lives. I don’t know whether it is the same in
other countries, but I do know that there has been a suicide a year in my local community and as far as I can gather this is happening, tragically, all around the country. There’s still that stigma of depression, if someone expresses feelings of depression there is a fear of being that person who people say ‘ah he suffers with the nerves’ …Its not right, we need to change our attitudes fast. Young Irish men need to be encouraged to talk, just talk that is all it takes. The taboo on depression and mental illness in our culture needs to be challenged. We need to change, one after the other the shocking news comes in of another loss. Its not right.
As if the multio millionaires in RTE give a shit about people being depressed living in their Foxrock mansions and driving brnad new cars totally oblivious to the hardships people have, see at the 5 minute mark Miriam barks at him that meds will work for people, sorry but talking pills to dull you down to accept the hand you were dealt is not the best way to deal with mental health problems.
Tears in my eyes both listening to Conor and reading some of the comments. Also have to say shame on u people red thumbing the comments in fact I’d call u heartless. Well done Conor, that took courage.
18 different tablets??? is that not a tad wee exaggerated? I, for someone who has taken perhaps 1,2-3 different types, average of 2 at any one time for these issues, 18 tablets yes if you are en elderly person with several issues.
Yes, wake up and smell the coffee. Some people are on that many tablets!! #ignorant
If I speak out about over use of prescribed drugs and the myth of the “chemical imbalance” I get abuse and harassment. Well at least a GAA sports star can do it without cyber bullying. Well done to him. I am impressed.
I was on Citalopram for panic attacks (and some Xanax) and when I became unwell from that drug was put on Zyprexa, Seroquel, Lithium, Lamictal, sleeping pills, Rivitrol (a benzo) and the list goes on. I have managed to get off these drugs over the past 2 years. But it was 5 years of hell. And some of what Conor says resonates with me. Except that I lacked the support he had from his mother. As my parents are deceased. No one wanted to know. Luckily now I have someone that is supportive and says the right thing. And not forgetting the one person that stood by me, even from a distance, for those 5 years. I will be forever grateful to him. It took patience.
And not forgetting the help from Prof Ivor Browne and Dr Terry Lynch. As well as people in Critical Voices Network last year.
No wonder there were so many mainstream Psychiatrists on Prime Time last night. It was less about Ming/cannabis and more about their cover been blown by Conor Cusack. I think it is a bit hypocritical of them to be pumping people with far too much prescribed psychoactive drugs and at the same time going on high moral ground about the possible legalization of cannabis.
“The psychiatrist explained that there might be a chemical imbalance in my brain, asked me my symptoms and prescribed a mixture of anti depressants, anxiety and sleeping pills based on what I told him. He explained that it would take time to get the right cocktail of tablets for my type of depression. I had an uneasy feeling about the whole thing. Something deep inside in me told me this wasn’t the way forward and this wasn’t what I needed” ~ Conor Cusack
Not forgetting the suggestion of Electric shock treatment which can be very damaging to memory and the brain. One doctor explains it well ~ Dr Bob Johnson ~ “The TV isn’t working, so lets throw it down the stairs”,. Or something to that effect,.
@Catherine Sims ~ your comment means nothing to me as it is full of lies, twisting of facts and misrepresentations of what I have said in the past. I will no longer engage with your cyber bullying. I would like TheJournal.ie to take note of this bullying. I will not stand for it or put up with it. When I say cyber bullying above you are the person I am referring to.
I have NEVER told anyone to come off drugs. In fact the opposite is true. I am well aware of the dangers of stopping any drugs due to the dangers of withdrawal. I have all the evidence to back me up regarding Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (anti-depressants) causing Manic Depression type symptoms in some people. Based on the ongoing abuse you gave me in the last post, I am asking you to STOP the cyber bullying now.
You threatened on the last post that you would block or at least try to prevent me from commenting on here. When I pointed that out you called me “paranoid”. You also made other comments to harass me for been honest about my condition eg “You know thinking that your story is THAT important to the world sounds a bit grandiose to me? If you know bipolar then you know all about grandiose I take it?”
Another of your comments:
“Actually it’s just hit me that you are an unmediated bipolar individual . On the basis of that I don’t think that it’s any use to continue this discussion . Good luck in your quest for stability. I hope you can move past the blame game and find a life for yourself one day.”
One of your comments from a previous article which I would see as abuse in the last sentence ~
“Also anti depressants can send Bipolars into a manic or hypomania state and this is often how they finally get a correct diagnosis. I have know people off their meds. It’s never if the crash will come its when”.
You seem to have a problem with my admission of the truth or a closer version of the truth than that which appears in Pharma sponsored brochures. Lies about “rebalancing neurotransmitters”. I suggest you take it up with a Psychiatrist eg Dr Peter Breggin or Prof Ivor Browne. It is a man who has about 60 years experience as a doctor that knows the TRUTH! He claims every 2nd person who comes to him these days has “Bipolar”. So why the big boom in diagnosis and symptoms? He also claims this used to be a rare condition.
At the end of the day what I experienced from you is cyber bullying.