By Ben Hirst
Mental illness doesn’t discriminate.
It can happen to anyone of us at any time of our lives. I experienced a great childhood, I had plenty of friends throughout school and had suffered no traumatic events in my life. For me, all it took was long term relationship to end.
I depended on alcohol to deal with my problems and dull my feelings, since I really felt like I had no one to talk to. Also being stubborn, I just thought I’d push through it and brush it off.
Drinking was always a problem for me in my teens but it ended up turning into a full time habit. It got to the point where I had quit a job for the first time, eventually ran out of money and put myself in a lot of debt. My health was declining.
This, however, was all just masking a deeper problem.
After years of struggling, hitting rock bottom and not having the strength to get back up, I finally decided to get help.
I moved back home with my parents. Away from temptation, away from people. Somewhere that I could start again.
I slowly built my life back from there, I started a new career, I reduced my drinking, I met a lovely girl named Jess.
And I started running.
Running was my outlet and my therapy. That feeling while running is indescribable, and when I’ve finished a long run I’m exhausted and sore but feel 10 feet tall and the strongest I’ve ever been.
In the space of 2 years I went from an extremely depressed alcoholic, barely able to run 5km, to completing over 6 ultra marathons and running from Burnie to Hobart (340km).
Things just kept escalating from there, but now in a good way. Jess and I have been engaged for over a year now and are blessed with a gorgeous 4 month old daughter named Poppy.
I’m still terrified of things getting back to the way they once were, but i’m in an extremely good place right now with a huge amount of support at my side.
When I attempted my first ultra I started fundraising for Speak up Stay Chatty! – A not for profit organization in my home state of Tasmania that raises awareness for suicide and mental illness. Since 2014 I have raised over $15,000 for Speak up Stay Chatty!, this year running 340kms in 3 days covering Tasmania to raise awareness across the state and most recently have starting public speaking to get my story and message out to the wider audience.
For me it’s about normalizing mental illness and suicide in society. If we as a community work together to change our way of thinking and know more about the illness, we will create an environment where people will feel comfortable to talk about their feelings and speak up and ask for help when they are doing it tough.
I recognize that I’m one of the fortunate ones who was able to get the support I needed, and realize it could have been a lot worse. If I can encourage even one person to speak up in times of need then i have done my job.
I will keep doing all I can to help those that are suffering in silence, I have already lost 2 people I know this year and do not want to lose another.
Thank you for sharing your story. It has taken me a long time to share my struggle with others and then realized that I am not alone. You never know who or how it helps by speaking up.
Thanks for sharing your story. Running is an important part of my recovery (addiction, depression, self-harm). It means a lot to hear it from others.
I HATE how early it gets dark now! It's barely four and I already feel like I need to turn a light on. Grr. But you look very ro-ckchick and cool, so that cheers me up xxx
[…] Personal testimonials are countless. Running helped Ben Hirst go from crippled alcoholism to married, father and ultra marathoner. […]
Good on you! How courageous are you to be able to not only turn your life around but talk so openly about it. You deserve to be so proud not only of your recovery and extreme running talented but most of all to being an extreme inspiration to those who have suffered like you in the realisation that there is hope. People who really struggle will listen to you more than the Dr because you have experienced it. You are saving lives so God bless you now and forever!😊