Songwriter Marc Gallagher tells ABLE2UK his mental health story

Manchester, UK based singer/songwriter Marc Gallagher has dropped his brand new single ‘I’m So Glad You’re Still Here’. A thought provoking and relevant tale about his personal journey into mental health, and by sharing it can aspire to help others.
All of this is presented within his beautiful new single, this is his story:
“My latest piece of art is birthed from a rather tragic backstory. In February 2010 at the age of 13, I attempted suicide by hanging in my high school. I was feeling a general sense of hopelessness in terms of my career, my social life, my family among other things, and I felt like I just had a detrimental effect on the world and that it would be better off without me.
Thankfully that attempt wasn’t successful, I was saved by one of the site staff, and I was later referred to A&E and then other counselling.
I’ve told my story before, and celebrated how I’ve never hurt myself again in the subsequent ten years. However I started feeling a downward slump over the last year or two.
I remember playing a gig in Cockermouth, it went really well, but on the long drive back home it hit me. I was listening to a talented friends musical live-stream and thinking how terrible I was in comparison. Combined with a few other factors, my teary self was entertaining the thought of just turning harshly on this open empty motorway, just to see if that would be enough to kill me.
Needless to say, I didn’t, I made the drive home and the next day I called my GP. I was on antidepressants and referred for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
I’m glad that in that moment of crisis, I didn’t act on my feelings and hurt myself for a second time.
I knew I wanted to write a song about this, and even on the aforementioned car journey I jotted down lines that sprung to mind. A couple of months later on a songwriting retreat I created what is now my latest single.
The whole point of this song is as a letter to my younger self, what I wish I heard then. Naturally I can’t go back and change it, so I can only hope that those who need it can take something from this, and realise that help is available.”
The brand new single ‘I’m So Glad You’re Still Here’ by Marc Gallagher is out now.
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