Jack Fincham has candidly discussed his mental health, revealing that boxing is his ‘therapy’ and something which helps him focus.
The Love Island star, 29, chatted about ‘battling demons every single day’ in an Instagram post shared on Thursday.
As well as reflecting on his own struggles, Jack asked his fans to ‘always be kind’ as they can never know what other people are going through.
Speaking out: Jack Fincham has candidly discussed his mental health and urged his Instagram followers to always ‘be kind’
Sharing a picture of himself, Jack penned: ‘I don’t normally do these kinds of posts but I wanted to speak out about it.
‘Only my close friends and family will know that I suffer a lot with my mental health and battle demons every single day of my life, which many of us do.
‘I just want you all to know that it WILL get better and life is going to throw stuff at you that you think you can’t get through but you WILL.
‘Things are on the up now and over the last few years living life under a microscope it has taken a massive toll on my mental health, but I’m working away at being the best possible me I can be.’
‘My therapy’: The Love Island star revealed that exercise and boxing ‘helps him focus’, advising others to find a hobby which can help them with ‘inner release’
He continued: ‘Nobody is perfect but such is life, we’re all human at the end of the day so be kind always please. You literally never know what people are going through privately and you never know what can tip them over the edge.
‘Sometimes, from the outside looking in, a confident geeza like myself, you would never believe suffers with mental health privately, but it exists and mental health has no stereotypes.
‘My therapy is exercise and boxing it helps me focus, my best advise is find a hobby that gives you that inner release.
Talking about it: Jack added that although someone may look confident it’s impossible to know what’s going on inside
‘Male suicide rates are far too high and something needs to be done. I have a voice and I want to use it. Just be kind. Be kind. Lots of love Jack x’
Hundreds of people commented on the candid post, while Jack’s Love Island co-star Dr Alex George shared it to his own Instagram Stories.
The medic, who has been very vocal about mental health after his brother’s tragic death last year, wrote: ‘No shame at all. Proud of your bravery @jackfincham’.
Jack also encouraged his followers to be kind to each other and on social media during a dog walk on Thursday morning.
‘Proud’: Jack’s Love Island co-star Dr Alex George also shared the post, saying he’s ‘proud of your bravery’
Talking on Instagram he said: ‘Think twice before posting that comment and writing about someone… you don’t know what point their at and what will tip them over the edge. I’m hearing way too many horror stories at the moment.’
Jack has often spoken openly about his mental health and last year discussed how he took antidepressants to help with his ‘bad anxiety’ when he was younger.
He was prescribed medication after being diagnosed with a generalised anxiety disorder which lead to depression.
Speaking on Movember’s In The Barber Chair Podcast, Jack explained how he used to ‘constantly fear something awful was going to happen’ when he was a teenager.
He said: ‘I used to take anti-depressants when I was 19, 20. I used to have such bad anxiety. At the start, I didn’t know what to do – it was just an all-round panic.
Pals: Jack and Dr Alex have both been open about mental health in recent months (pictured with Laura Anderson, who Jack is rumoured to be in a romance with)
‘I was scared. I used to fear something awful was going to happen, constantly. I’d go to bed feeling it and wake up feeling it. That brought the depression on…’
After getting the tablets, Jack said it took some time for him to feel the effects.
He said: ‘It took me a good few years to get back on track. People think you can get a magic tablet, but it doesn’t work like that. They’re a crutch. You’ve got to work with them.’
Jack also spoke about his mental health with British GQ magazine in March 2019, talking more about his antidepressents.
He said: ‘I used to take citalopram, which is an antidepressant, and I also took beta blockers for anxiety, propranolol.
‘It came sort of out of nowhere. I was just scared to go out of the house. I was worried about things that weren’t happening. I thought I was going mad.’
He added: ‘At the start I didn’t want to go to the doctors, I was just crying to my mum. I thought if I said it out loud to a doctor then it would make it real.’
For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.
Parenthood: Jack rose to fame after winning Love Island in 2018 alongside his ex-girlfriend Dani Dyer. After they broke up, Jack welcomed his first child Blossom with Casey Ranger