Jake struggles with depression and has found a unique way to combat it - by walking 3,000 miles across the UK. As Black Dog Walks he tells about his mission, to promote exercise as an effective way to manage mental health.
1000 LONDONERS
This film is part of 1000 Londoners, a ten-year digital project which aims to create a digital portrait of a city through 1000 of the people who identify themselves with it. The profile contains a 3 minute film that gives an insight into the life of the Londoner, as well as their personal photos of London and some answers to crucial questions about their views on London life. Over the course of the project we aim to reveal as many facets of the capital as possible, seeing city life from 1000 points of view.
www.1000londoners.com
www.youtube.com/1000londoners
www.facebook.com/1000londoners
Twitter @1000_Londoners
Instagram @1000_londoners
1000 Londoners is produced by South London based film production company and social enterprise, Chocolate Films. The filmmakers from Chocolate Films will be both producing the films and providing opportunities to young people and community groups to make their own short documentaries, which will contribute to the 1000 films. Visit www.chocolatefilms.com
TRANSCRIPT
I, I actually called my mum that morning. Not, I didn't want help. I, I thought that I was gonna kill myself that day. I thought I'd woken up for the last time. I, I wanted to hear her voice one more time. I just, I, I forgot what feeling happy felt like. And I thought: if I can't remember what happy feels like then there's no point in being alive. It will be better for them if I'm not around. And that's, that's a really dangerous thought to have.
In calling her, I heard the love in her voice and the concern. And that was, that was the first time it was, I'd ever said it to anybody. She, she said: well we need to get you help then, don't we? She was very sort of matter of fact and very calm and just, you know: this is what we're gonna do. And she, she made a decision for me. If I hadn't made the first step and actually said something then I might not be here.
I think that's a big reason men don't talk, because they maybe assume that by talking it means that they're gonna have to crack themselves open and spill themselves out and examine all the pieces. and let everyone else see everything about them. And you don't have to do that. I don't think. I think you just need to say: I feel like shit today and I don't really know why. And if you choose the right person they'll probably go: yeah man, me too.
About 1,5 year ago I decided to walk 3,000 miles around mainland Great Britain to promote exercise and being outdoors as a way of managing depression and overall mental health. When I started to walk I, I was yet to tell everyone what I was doing, which wasn't the scary bit. The scary bit was telling them why I was doing it because it's this thing that I've been hiding forever. All of a sudden I've got to tell everybody at once and, you know, I just, I just got bombarded for a week afterwards, people I've known for years, you know life and soul people, who were just saying: yeah, me too man. And it's amazing how many people go, go through it. People with depression aren't people on the peripheries of society, it is society. Everyone has that feeling.
I've made the decision that if anyone starts talking to me at any point, if anyone offers me anything, if anyone, you know: just say yes, just get in a conversation with them. That's what I realise is good for my depression now, it's just, I need, I need to realise that the earth is a really good place and the people in it are good and they help me out. That's, that's the one big thing I've learned for sure. It feels like I'm, you know, you don't feel like you're wasting the day. You feel like you're actually living your life and I think when, when you have depression you need to, you need to look out for things that make you realise that, yeah, the world is actually a pretty great place and life is actually pretty special.
