Richey Edwards

I'd agree. For some reason people seem to think Messi is the greatest, but for me it isn't even close. CR7 pishes and shits all over Messi.

Manic Street Preachers Marillion Joy Division Dream Theater Genesis Big Country The Clash Dire Straits Elvis Costello Fish Faith No More Gazpacho a-ha

I was looking at Ariana Grande earlier but that doesn't mean I can get her.

I spent two years going to AA meetings, made friends and listened to people's stories but had no notion to do their programme. It took a moment were I was sitting in the living room in the dark, depressed as f**k, swigging from a half-bottle of Glens when a sudden thought of "what exactly am I getting out of doing this?" caused me to stop trying to mask the depression with alcohol and do something about it. I poured the almost full half-bottle down the toilet and haven't had a drink since. I come from a big family, I have an uncle and two cousins who all have mental health problems. For years they have been self-medicating with substances ranging from alcohol and cannabis to cocaine and heroin. I have seen them change from lovely, outgoing, kind and fun people to hollow and withdrawn shells of their former selves. I didn't want that to happen to me, which is why I sought treatment for depression. A very awful thing happened to me when I was a child and I was haunted by it for a long time. I drank to try to stop thinking about it. It was only when I underwent therapy last year that I was able to discuss what happened for the first time and was able to overcome it to the extent that it doesn't trouble me anymore. It's a hard lesson to learn, but I eventually got it through my thick skull that alcohol doesn't make your problems go away.

I can appreciate that people can get a lot out of the meetings, programme etc but it wasn't for me. I know a lot of people who haven't drank in decades but still go to meetings, so they obviously enjoy the social side of it and still get something out of going. Maybe because they are self-confessed alcoholics they could get something out of it that I couldn't get, because I was just a depressive who tried binge-drinking to kill my depression. Now that my depression isn't there anymore I don't feel the need to drink.

I used to be what might be called a "problem drinker". I was never an "alcoholic", but was directed to AA meetings. I didn't stick around at AA because of similar things like avoiding places that serve alcohol, not associated with friends who drink etc, counting the amount of time you've stopped drinking for, the denial of personal responsibility, the demonisation of alcohol that is prevalent in their literature and "step programme" and the idea that only a belief in God can save me from dying of an alcohol related illness. I make a simple lifestyle not to drink alcohol and haven't drank in over a year, and I didn't need any "recovery programme" to do that. I can still go out and associate with friends that do drink without any problems. The difference is that I can remember everything and am not dying for days afterwards.

I never quite reached that stage. I was smoking two packets of fags a day at some point though. Stopping smoking helped improve my mental health too, though I was an irritable b*****d for a while afterwards. It's well over a year since I stopped, I stopped counting the weeks, months etc quite early on when I decided it was probably counterproductive.

When I used to work 12 hour shifts in a psychiatric unit it was a lot more than five-a-day because there was always coffee on the go. All the staff and patients were always drinking coffee. How do you manage to drink 20+ coffees a day? Where do you put it all? You must need a pish every 5 minutes.

It's great that you spotted the signs yourself. Shows good insight and self-awareness. As Ayrmad also mentioned earlier, I also don't really like using the "brave" word in relation to mental health, because it implies that you've done something that you should have been frightened to do, and no one should be frightened of voluntarily seeking treatment for mental illness. You've done the right thing and I hope you continue to feel better.

I used to drink ALOT of coffee and energy drinks (upwards of five a day) because I felt that I could not function without them, and I used to have crippling anxiety, depression and the occasional irrational burst of anger. I stopped drinking the energy drinks about two or three years ago and only have a coffee in the morning or if I need a quick pick-me-up if I'm tired at work (no more than two coffees a day and seldom any after noon). But yeah, I think people underestimate how much things like caffeine dependency affect you. Coffee, tea, fizzy drinks, energy drinks etc are so ingrained into our daily routines that we almost think nothing of them. Reducing my caffeine intake definitely made me more "stable". As you say, withdrawal symptoms were an absolute b*****d.

This season could be the making of him if he gets regular games.

Good luck boys. Your good deeds will not be forgotten. <3 xxx

Robbie Crawford wears crocs.

JAMIE ADAMS HAS A FARM EE AY EE AY OH

That's a bit silly. I wouldn't necessarily start him every week in the Championship but he's a hard worker who can make things happen and a great player to have in the squad.

Did he actually say that? If so that's a ridiculous thing to say.

Can he play CB?

Is McCrorie not at that thing in France so I wasn't expecting that to get announced until he's back and I'd forgotten about McDaid actually, hope that gets done today. The Eiffel Tower?

McCracken was a cracking prospect. Deserves another crack at the big time.

Have you ever worked in Healthcare?

It's okay, according to our smelly friends up the road this tournament is only a series of preseason friendlies anyway.

Why is that weird amalgamation of football and rugby called Junior Football on the back page of the AP?

f**k the Royals

Hang on...why is Malky Mackay in the dugout? Surely not?!?