AA SPECIAL
MENTAL HEALTH
words - or other people’s words - some kind of helpful.
WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE
At the age of 46, I’ve suffered with depression and anxiety
for about 15 years. Some days I struggle to find a reason
to get out of bed; other days I wish I’d never bothered.
But one Sunday out of four, I have an obligation to meet
with my team for a day of airsoft. Sometimes it’s epic,
other times it’s crap but it always gives me something
to hang my month around other than my mundane and
ultimately unfulfilling 9-5 existence.
But it’s not always been this way for me. Long story
short; with no history of depression, it hit me in 2004
when, in the space of 12 months I lost my home, my
spouse, a parent and my career. But that’s just my story.
Many of our airsoft comrades that have served in the
armed forces will have far more harrowing stories to tell.
As Paul Yelland says, “Every player has a story behind
them and unfortunately, some are incredibly upsetting.
Airsoft can be their escape for a few hours where they can
find friendship and have fun”.
TRIGGER POINTS
Beyond working through therapy, the trigger - no pun
intended - for depression almost doesn’t matter because
the end result is the same: your life will never be the same
again.
Scientists are still unsure whether individuals are
predisposed to depression because of chemical reactions
in the brain or behavioural patterns, but it affects more of
the population than most people realise.
Before I’d experienced depression for myself, I had no
idea how debilitating it could be. It is literally like your
brain undermines itself at every turn. Nothing is ever good
enough even for yourself and everything is too much for
you. Suddenly, the phrase “Wherever you go, there you
are” becomes altogether less comforting.
LET THE BELLENDS RING!
Life has taught me not to trust people, so I don’t make
friends easily, but airsoft is helping me overcome that.
Solo airsoft is a fine pursuit, but it’s so much better with
friends. I took a risk and reached out through my local
site’s Facebook page looking for chums to swap tales of
derring-do in the safe zone. And it’s one of the best things
I’ve ever done. They may be a bunch of bellends (they
might be reading this, after all), but not only did I join a
squad of similarly middle-aged, out-of-shape twats, but
I’ve also made some genuine friends. Although they may
change their minds when they read that…
I’ve met some good people to casually chat with as
part of my wider circle online - about sniping, batteries
or scopes - but I’ve also made some great friends in the
real world. Friends that I can not only coordinate with on
a two-pronged attack, or to watch my back when I’m
reloading, but friends that will share a mag or battery with
me if I need it. Friends that would even help me move
house …maybe. But definitely friends that will check in
when they know the chips are down.
Airsoft has given me just the tiniest taste of the
brotherhood that active personnel enjoy. Of course, it isn’t
the same, before anyone calls me delusional, but it might
just be “similar”.
I HAVE A USE FOR YOU
So, while mental health is still a taboo subject for many,
what is it about airsoft that breaks down those barriers?
For starters, “Gunday Sunday” is outside the norm - you
“MY DEPRESSION WAS TRIGGERED WHEN MY MUM DIED - WE WERE SUCH A CLOSE FAMILY - AND I’VE BEEN
ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS EVER SINCE.
“I’M PRESCRIBED DIAZEPAM FOR WHEN I FEEL AN ANXIETY ATTACK COMING ON, BUT THE ABSOLUTE BEST
REMEDY OUT OF ALL IS GETTING MY GEAR READY ON SATURDAY TO GO PLAY AIRSOFT AND SHOOT PEOPLE.
ALL LEGAL, ALL HIGH-PRESSURE AND WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, SPENDING TIME HAVING BANTER WITH
LIKE MINDED LUNATICS THAT ALSO ENJOY SHOOTING PEOPLE AND GETTING SHOT. I CAN GUARANTEE THAT
NOBODY IS HAVING DEEP AND DARK THOUGHTS WHILST OUT IN THE FIELD OR THE SAFE ZONE.
“MANY MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS MANIFEST FROM LACK OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STIMULATION, WHICH
GIVES THE HUMAN MIND TIME AND SPACE TO PRODUCE THOUGHTS AND IMAGES - AND BEFORE YOU REALISE
IT, THE DARK CLOUD HAS CLOSED IN AROUND YOU ONCE MORE.
“I’M TALKING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE - AND NOT JUST FROM RECENT WORK IN SECURE NHS MENTAL
HEALTH HOSPITALS WHERE I SPENT TWO YEARS SUPPORTING ADULTS TO IDENTIFY, UNDERSTAND AND FIGHT A
VARIETY OF CONDITIONS.
“IT’S NOT THAT EASY TO FIGHT YOUR WAY THROUGH IT, BUT WITH RIF IN HAND, YOU ARE EMPOWERED AND
WITH YOUR TEAMMATES FIGHTING THE ENEMY, YOU FIND YOURSELF NEEDED. WITHIN MOMENTS, THE CLOUD
HAS DISAPPEARED. AN ADRENALINE RUSH WILL LIKELY WASH AWAY THE BLUES AND WHAT BETTER RUSH THAN
RUNNING INTO A HAIL OF (PLASTIC) BULLETS?
“AIRSOFT IS A HUGE DISTRACTION FROM REAL LIFE. IT HAS HELPED ME AND I KNOW OF MANY OTHERS THAT
HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME RELEASE OF ANGER, FRUSTRATION, LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND MANY, MANY OTHER
INVISIBLE CONDITIONS THROUGH OUR SPORT.” LEZ LEE, AA CONTRIBUTOR
www.airsoftaction.net
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