Iain O’Brien Reveals Depression Problems

Iain O’Brien, New Zealand’s former pace bowler has become the third big name to have revealed that he was suffering from depression. Marcus Trescothick and Michael Yardy had earlier admitted to have been suffering from the disease.

Trescothick’s case was severe enough for him to end his international career when it was at its peak while Yardy is currently out of the team after having returned back home from India in the middle of the World Cup.

O’Brien revealed to a newspaper that he had suffered from the illness all his life but had shied away from revealing it to anyone. However, after having heard former England captain Michael Vaughan speak about a topic related to topic of depression in cricket, O’Brien had decided to seek help.

O’Brien said, "Listening to that show was when I realised that it was probably time to go and get it sorted. How have I got through to now without doing anything about it? It's different for everyone. But I think I bullied myself into doing things and trying to live 'normally'."

The former New Zealand cricketers said that he had first experienced the symptoms of depression when he was in the university but the things got worse during one of the tours later. He spoke about the New Zealand series in South Africa in 2007 and said, “For the first two weeks of our tour to South Africa, I didn't really leave my room. I was just too scared. I went and played cricket, went to training and did a bit of shopping. But most nights I'd eat by myself and order room service.”

Trescothick’s autobiography, ‘Coming Back To Me’ has spoken at length about the issues that he had to face in dealing with depression, which is often thought to be a mental disease. However, the former England opening batsman has said that it was as physical a disease as any other and was the reason why he had opted to quit cricket.