Jake Tyler - Black Dog Walks

[lt]p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: tiempos-regular, helvetica, arial, verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #666666; letter-spacing: 0.025em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"[gt]My name's Jake Tyler. I'm 30 years old and I live with depression and anxiety. In April this year I fell deep into the darkest state of mind that I've ever experienced. Consumed by relentless thoughts of helplessness, isolation and even suicide, the pain was unbearable. Something had to change. After a lot of time spent researching and disregarding various medical options, I decided to focus on my physical health. Long walks and fresh air helped clear my head and made me appreciate the beauty of nature. Through these walks I was able to dig myself out of a hole, and this got me thinking. [/p] [lt]p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: tiempos-regular, helvetica, arial, verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #666666; letter-spacing: 0.025em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"[gt]If something as simple as taking a walk and encountering the natural beauty of this country can make me feel so much better, why don’t more people do this? [/p] [lt]p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: tiempos-regular, helvetica, arial, verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #666666; letter-spacing: 0.025em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"[gt]I decided to do something about it.[/p] [lt]p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: tiempos-regular, helvetica, arial, verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #666666; letter-spacing: 0.025em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"[gt]My plan is to walk around Great Britain, covering every National Park in order to show people that there is beauty nearby. Wherever you live on this island, there's a way to get exercise and fresh air that is enriching, life affirming and – crucially – a perfect way to clear the head and take steps toward recovery.[/p] [lt]p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: tiempos-regular, helvetica, arial, verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #666666; letter-spacing: 0.025em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"[gt]People dealing with mental illness needn’t suffer in silence. Today film, journalism and social media can be used to spread awareness, and I'm happy to see the complexities and hardship of mental illness filter into our collective conscience more than ever before. People affected by conditions such as depression and anxiety now have a chance to connect with other sufferers on global platforms, become inspired to make change and support those who are desperate to get well but are too afraid to open up.[/p] [lt]p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: tiempos-regular, helvetica, arial, verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #666666; letter-spacing: 0.025em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"[gt]I believe inspiration to be the first step in learning how to manage mental health, and I'm about to embark on an adventure that I hope will inspire people to take control and live the life they want. I will document my progress through social media, helping to promote mental health awareness as I go. All money raised will be donated to the Mental Health Foundation. With your help, we can smash this goal, and breakdown stigma around mental illness.[/p]