I was three years old when I first witnessed the devastating effects of depression.

On a winter’s morning in 1975, as I peddled my beloved plastic tricycle into the kitchen, I saw my dad sobbing in mum’s arms.

Whilst being cradled, he was repeating the words,

“I can’t, I can’t.”

Although at the time I was too young to understand, the scene I witnessed was dad’s first battle with bipolar disorder. Over the years, this mental illness has caused him to cycle between exhilarating highs and the depths of despair.

Until recently, this book didn’t have an ending. Since this is the true story of my life, I had to be patient enough for it to write its own.

Recently, it did just that.

This extract is from the prologue of my memoir, Saving Dad. I quote it here because it is the best way to demonstrate why I created my online program, One Answer to Mental Illness.

So far, my journey with mental illness has lasted 45 years. During this time, since first witnessing dad’s suffering, I, myself, have experienced three episodes of depression. It’s changed almost everything; my purpose in life, my relationships, my career, how I fuel my brain and body, my beliefs, my sense of self, my awareness, my compassion for others and the way I conduct my daily life.

I know from my vast experience that the support for people who suffer with mental health problems is inadequate. It begins with a lack of understanding of mental illness and extends to how it is currently treated. There are huge gaps in knowledge, gaps which I am proposing to fill on this website. I have spent the last five years studying the mind, brain and body, to understand the drivers of mental illness and to find a solution to resolving it. This journey has changed my life and the lives of the people around me. It has transformed the health of my dad, which for decades looked impossible.

The role of this website is not to oppose traditional psychiatry, but to establish a new paradigm for achieving exceptional mental health. Usually, mental health professionals specialise in either the mind (psychologists), the brain (psychiatrists) or the body (therapists), but I am in the rare position of having studied them all, as well as what joins them together. Therefore, my approach to optimising mental health addresses all of these areas, rather than one in isolation. As this resource grows, you’ll find all kinds of different content to help you achieve great mental health, including how to train your mind and how to properly fuel your brain and body.

So, if you’re looking for a new way to support your mental health, take a look around to see whether my approach resonates with you. In particular, have a read of my article, 4 Steps to Mental Health, it’ll give you a really good insight into my approach to achieving excellent mental health.

If you like my content, please share these articles. You can find the social share buttons beneath each article and links to my social media pages at the bottom of each page.

If you’d like to know a little more about me, visit this page, or sign up to One Answer to Mental Illness, or read my book, Saving Dad.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

Best wishes,

Matt