Ant Middleton reflects on Liam Payne’s heartbreaking advice to those struggling with mental health

The Independent

Ant Middleton reflects on Liam Payne's advice to those struggling with mental healthITVX

Transcript

00:00We've got a lovely clip where he talks so frankly and openly

00:04about some of the demons that he's been facing.

00:07There's times where that level of loneliness

00:11and people getting into you every day,

00:16getting into you every day, like I say,

00:17it just, every so often, you're like, when will this end?

00:19You just have really great people.

00:21Just really great people around you

00:22and just finding out a different way of looking at it.

00:25Like you say, you know, when things start to pile on top of each other,

00:27that's when it can really get you.

00:29You've really got to change your view about it.

00:31There's only one thing you control in that situation, and it's you.

00:35It's amazing hearing me talk about that now

00:37and the tragedy of losing him at such a young age.

00:38I wonder, firstly, how you're doing,

00:40because I know you were close to him.

00:41Yeah, I was on a sort of PR tour

00:45for my K2 documentary that airs in Australia today

00:49and my book, Military Mindset, that launches today as well.

00:52So it was funny because whilst I was on that PR tour in Australia

00:55and in the UK, everything sort of segued on to Liam.

00:58Of course. Which, you know, I don't mind talking about Liam.

01:01He was a great friend of mine, a super positive guy.

01:04But then I relate back to, you know, what I'm doing,

01:07and, you know, especially Military Mindset,

01:09it's OK having those moments, you know,

01:13of being distracted or of non-clarity, shall we say,

01:19when the mind is fogged and you're easily distracted.

01:22And like Liam said there, it's about the people around you.

01:26You know, we can only do so much by ourselves.

01:28And it's very, very important, even if it's just a phone call,

01:31it's just a text.

01:32That's what me and Liam used to do, you know, all the time,

01:34a phone call, a text.

01:36I used to go and see him, you know, at the drop of a hat,

01:38because I knew that he just needed someone by his side.

01:41Not necessarily someone to chat about or to vent about,

01:44but just someone there, someone that's present.

01:47And, you know, when I look back on the interviews

01:49and everything that we've spoken about since,

01:51because we remained great friends since then,

01:54it's just the power of someone being present in your life.

01:58Even if someone doesn't want to talk,

01:59just, you know, being emotionally aware,

02:02you know, are you OK?

02:03I might not want to talk, but just that question,

02:05you recognising that something's not right,

02:08that in itself will get you through to the next day.

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