Green-fingered Monty Don found his calling with nature after a turbulent time with his mental health.
The Gardener's World presenter initially made a name for himself in a completely different field before devastating circumstances forced him to look for another profession outdoors, where he reaped the calming benefits his new role had to offer. After opening up about the profound effect nature has had on his health, the 69-year-old has now been forced to cancel a string of gigs around the country after being admitted to A&E.
While the gardening expert hasn't revealed exactly what was wrong with him, he did disclose to fans that his health took a turn for the worse on Friday afternoon and it was bad enough to keep him in hospital over the weekend, where he said he was "on drips and the rest of it." He has since been discharged from hospital and spent the last few days recuperating at home.
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PA)Back in the 1980s, Monty and wife Sarah Erskine ran a fashionable jewellery store, named Monty Don Jewellery, which specialised mostly in costume jewellery. At the height of the brand's popularity, you would have been able to browse for jewels in high-end stores across the globe, including Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and Liberty, or read about the store in Vogue.
Sadly, everything changed after the Wall Street financial crash of 1987, and the entrepreneurial couple lost everything. In their joint 2004 autobiography The Jewel Garden, Monty opened up about their bankruptcy, remarking that they felt "like lambs to the slaughter" when their fortunes changed, left to sell "every stick of furniture" they owned at Leominster Market.
Sarah remembered: "A bad situation got worse every day. The banks wanted their money and started to bounce our cheques whilst simultaneously adding their charges - and interest on them - to the tally. Of course, it could not go on. Something had to give. As it turned out, that something proved to be our shop, our business, our savings, our furniture - and our home."
Monty's personal and financial difficulties took a toll, and it was after this turning point in his life that he began to suffer from what he described as "unhealable depression". Monty's depression became so severe that Sarah also became worried about the wellbeing of their children, who had started to ask: "Why is daddy always crying?"
Explaining how he managed to seek help during this painful period, Monty recalled: "[In the end] I went to see a healer. I can't remember if he was an herbalist, acupuncturist, homoeopath or white-coated faith healer, but I liked him. He had me abstain from tea, coffee and alcohol and described my various symptoms with unerring accuracy. [...] After a few months of this puritanical regime they told me I was unhealable."
The healer advised Monty that the best way to find happiness once more would be to find solace in the natural world, a pursuit that has since blossomed into a very fruitful career. Opening up about his mental health struggles during an interview with the BBC, Monty said: "I have for many years, suffered from depression, which comes and goes but tends to be something that is worse in winter. And, touch wood, it's been much better for the last few years. But for me, the benefits of nature are all about the physical connection with the rhythm of the natural world.
"Some of that rhythm is bleak – winter is cold. And yet even if inside you are bleak and grey and cold, if you believe that spring will blossom inside you, as well as outside in the garden, that's powerful. So that's how it works for me."
Speaking on Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast, he shared: "I was long ago diagnosed with SAD – there's no question about it, that November and December are always the worst time for me – I can't bear them. It's a lot to do with the greyness, the lack of light and the general sense of the world just pressing in on you and no energy."
The NHS explains that seasonal affective disorder - or SAD - is a type of depression that generally comes and goes in a seasonal pattern. It's often dubbed 'winter depression' as sufferers, like Monty, usually have more obvious symptoms during the colder seasons.
For Monty, it's 'black depression' and low energy that appears to have the greatest impact on him at this time of year. His wife even gave him an ultimatum when the moods hit an all time low as she couldn't cope any longer.
Monty said: "Sarah said to me, 'Look, I just can't take any longer your moods and your black depression, you've got to do something about it because if you don't, I can't live with you – I'll take the children and I'll go'." Now Monty is thought to use a light box to lessen the impact of seasonal changes. These small lamps mimic outdoor light, helping to trigger a chemical change in the brain that elevates your mood. He also credits gardening as a good way to boost his mood, as well as spending time with his loved ones and dogs.
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
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