How a football friendship helped one grieving fan’s mental health.
A lifelong football fan is pushing other fans to follow in his footsteps and talk more about mental health, after confessing that opening out to a close friend helped him through loss and altered his life.
Richie Suthers and his best friend, Andy Beaufoy, have a long history of shared interests in football and golf.
That bond, they claim, became critical this year as Mr Suthers suffered with his mental health following a family bereavement.
Mr Suthers, a Coventry City fan, stated that after his stepfather died, he felt compelled to protect his family by disguising his feelings.
However, in the months following the funeral, Mr Suthers developed anxiety, panic attacks, and heart palpitations.
To cope, he admitted to drinking more than normal in order to “numb the pain”. “There were days when I was driving and considered crashing the car.
I felt overwhelmed. “Other times, I had checked out of conversations,” he said.
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