Craig Bellamy admits he saw a psychiatrist after ex-team-mate Gary Speed’s death
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Craig Bellamy has revealed he saw a psychiatrist for the first time following the tragic passing of his ex-Newcastle United team-mate Gary Speed.
Speed, who also managed Bellamy as Wales boss, took his own life in November 2011, with his death sending shockwaves throughout football. The pair played together at St James' Park between 2001 to 2004, helping the Magpies qualify for regular European football during that time.
In 2010, while Bellamy was playing for Manchester City, Speed took the Wales job after leaving his role as Sheffield United manager. But sadly, just under a year after his appointment as Wales boss, Speed committed suicide.
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The news of Speed's untimely passing came as a shock to those who knew him best. Recently, Bellamy spoke to ex-Manchester United full-back Gary Neville on The Overlap, in partnership with Sky Bet, about all things football, with Speed's death being broached as a topic of conversation.
And Bellamy, who now coaches under his ex-Man City team-mate Vincent Kompany at Burnley, revealed that the passing of Speed led to him seeing a psychiatrist for the first time to discuss his own mental health.
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"The first time I saw someone [about my mental health] was after Gary Speed passed away, at this point I was at Liverpool, where I was there for my second spell," Bellamy told Neville.
"The club doctor came to see me and asked me if I’d be interested in going to speak to [psychiatrist] Steve Peters. I was really unsure about it – I said I’m okay, I’ll deal with this – but he told me this is really something you need to go and do and explain in better detail.
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"So, I felt what’s the harm? I went to see Steve, and I couldn’t believe that I had not been given this support before. Even if you thought of anything like that, you felt weak.
"That was the psyche and the way of dealing with things. By spending time with him [Peters], it wasn’t just getting over with Gary, which hit really hard, but it was a lot of what’s going on with me."
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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