A tale of recovery from Clarke Carlisle and his wife - a podcast by BBC Radio 4

When ex-footballer Clarke Carlisle went missing in 2017 his wife Carrie thought the worst: he had severe depression and had already attempted to take his own life.

Found safely in Liverpool, he then spent weeks in a psychiatric hospital and 18 months in therapy.Clarke’s whole sense of identity was tied up with football and the buzz it gave him. So a knee injury at 21 made him feel like a failure and pushed him towards destructive behaviours with alcohol and marathon computer game sessions.

Carrie responds to the question sometimes asked by well-meaning people: How could he put you through this?.“Clarke didn’t put me through anything. This illness [severe depression] invades and puts all of you through it collectively.”The Carlisles share their tips for recovery: asking for professional help; talking openly to their children about feelings; their daily marks-out-of-ten check in; how much the Pixar film Inside Out taught them about emotional resilience.

Further episodes of All in the Mind

Further podcasts by BBC Radio 4

Website of BBC Radio 4