Bressie opens up in honest memoir
Wednesday evening in Mullingar saw Niall Breslin, better known as 'Bressie', launch 'Me and My Mate Jeffrey', and honest, down-to-earth and compelling account of his journey with depression, anxiety and learning to live with ‘Jeffrey’
'Me and My Mate Jeffrey' is described as a story of big dreams, tough realities and facing demons head on.
In his memoir, Niall Breslin speaks openly about living with depression and anxiety, and his crippling journey to finally acknowledging ‘Jeffrey’ – the name he chose for it – years after he took the decision to conceal his growing mental health issues from the world, at age 15.
Told with raw honesty, it is a story of the demons that lay beneath outward success, and how they impacted on his career in sports and later music, as he coped with a condition that at times seemed hell bent on wrecking everything in its wake. It is also the story of a road to reconciliation with brokenness – beginning after a massive panic attack before a live TV appearance in 2012 – leading to brighter horizons.
Former Cork hurler, Conor Cusack, said: 'This book, with unflinching honesty and vivid, raw recollections, captures Niall's gradual descent into a valley of darkness, anxiety and self-harming but equally, demonstrates the immense capacity we possess as human beings to be able to embrace and befriend the complexity of our emotional wellbeing experiences and the new possibilities that come alive once you seek the much needed support of others on the journey to a real and authentic way of being.'
Niall Breslin, known as Bressie, is an Irish musician and former Westmeath Gaelic footballer and Leinster rugby player, representing Ireland at Under-21 level in the Rugby World Cup. A native of Mullingar, he attended UCD on a sports scholarship, graduating with a BA in Economics and Sociology.
He found success as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter with pop band The Blizzards, as a co-writer and producer with XIX Entertainment, and as a solo artist and music producer. He was the winning coach on the first and third seasons of The Voice of Ireland.
His work in the area of mental health education and empowerment began two years ago, after his own struggles led him to open up publicly on the issue. His My1000Hours blog and training initiatives set out to explore positive and proactive ways of improving emotional fitness and managing mental stress, including through exercise, as well as educating young people about the stigma and management of mental health issues.