Success Doesn’t Lead To Happiness. Happiness Leads To Success.

*Trigger warning – discussion of mental health, self-harm, and suicide in the article*

Mental health is a hot topic. While suicide is on the decrease, approximately 1 in 4 people suffer from a mental health problem each year. Here’s Chris’ view on mental health and how he manages depression.

My Journey

Hi, I’m Chris, aged 37 from Wigan. I’ve struggled with daily anxiety and depression. After a while, it took a toll. After years of suffering, I tried to take my own life – twice.

Like many, I was using self harm as a coping mechanism. I drank heavily without a care in the world. Nothing mattered to me anymore. I lost relationships with friends and family. I stopped turning up for work.

I felt lost and empty – as if everyone hated me – and had no purpose in life. I’d wake up in the morning (if I managed to sleep) and didn’t want to be alive. I was at rock bottom so I decided to seek help.

The First Step

The first, and most important step of this journey for me was deciding to get professional help. I can’t emphasise how important it is. These great people working in mental health are there for a reason so use them to your advantage.

It’s immensely difficult to open up to a family member or friend. You often feel ashamed and hold things back from the ones you love – not giving them the full picture. And even when you do confide in a friend or family member they can tell you what they think you would want to hear.

There are over 12 different types of depression ranging from mild to severe. If you think you are depressed, please seek professional help. Only then can you get on the first step of the ladder to recovery.

How Training Helped

Training and exercise played a pivotal role in my recovery. Just an hour a day really helped me release the tension I was feeling. All that anger and emotion melted away after a good training session.

You don’t need to become a gym freak, just take time to release some endorphins. Even if it’s just a walk with the dog, it all helps. It will help you get strong mentally as well as physically.

In 2017 I made a promise to myself that in a year’s time I would be a completely different person. This is when training more regularly became a huge part of my life. By the end of January, I felt amazing. Then, I was stopped in my tracks with some bad news. I was told that I had squamous cell cancer (SCC). The old me would have crumbled but the training helped me stay focused.

How Myo-Band Helped

I was set back by my surgery in March but I stayed committed and a month later I was back in the gym. I wanted to challenge myself so I contacted Paul Galvin who runs an online coaching service called Prepped By Galv. We set a plan to start 16 week comp prep program with the help of Myo-Band’s Oblivion.

Oblivion is the real deal. It helped me achieve my goals and transform my body. Of course there was a lot of hard work behind the scenes but Oblivion played a massive part in my transformation.

After 16 weeks of training, I saw Eddie Hall asking for transformation pictures using Oblivion. I sent mine and was contacted a few days later by Myo-Band an Eddie himself. Intrigued by my photos they wanted to know more so I gave them my back story.

This is what makes Myo-Band stand out from other supplement brands. It wasn’t just about me buying the products – they wanted to know more about me and my story. After Myo-Band shared my story, it inspired the MyO90 challenge. A 90 day challenge to share your transformation journeys.

This year’s winner, Stuart, won a meal with me and Eddie Hall. I got to know his backstory and hear him be inspired by my story to make a change. None of this would have been possible without Myo-Band and Eddie.

The Future

I’m just a lad from Wigan who got professional help and found my inner self belief. If I can do it I promise you can do it too. And remember

Nobody is better than anyone else.

You are loved, even when you think you’re not.

Know your worth.

Success doesn’t lead to happiness.

Happiness leads to success.