Leeds man recovering from mental health battle launches Youtube channel to help others

A Leeds man who is battling a trio of mental health conditions only diagnosed last year was inspired on his hospital bed to create a Youtube channel - helping others in a similar position.
Neil, a plant manager, was told he has cyclothymia, borderline personality disorder and anxiety - conditions he "never knew" about.
Pic: Simon HulmeNeil, a plant manager, was told he has cyclothymia, borderline personality disorder and anxiety - conditions he "never knew" about.
Pic: Simon Hulme
Neil, a plant manager, was told he has cyclothymia, borderline personality disorder and anxiety - conditions he "never knew" about. Pic: Simon Hulme
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Neil Gordon, 37, has struggled with mental health issues throughout his adult life.

However, he was never given a full diagnosis until he attempted to take his own life in 2021.

Neil, a plant manager, was told he has cyclothymia, borderline personality disorder and anxiety - conditions he "never knew" about.
Pic: Simon HulmeNeil, a plant manager, was told he has cyclothymia, borderline personality disorder and anxiety - conditions he "never knew" about.
Pic: Simon Hulme
Neil, a plant manager, was told he has cyclothymia, borderline personality disorder and anxiety - conditions he "never knew" about. Pic: Simon Hulme
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Neil, a plant manager, was told he has cyclothymia, borderline personality disorder and anxiety - conditions he "never knew" about.

During a hospital stay as part of his recovery from being sectioned for his own safety, Neil trawled the internet to try and find support tools.

"Whilst I was in hospital and recovering I did some research into mental health and found lots of gaps in how it is presented", Neil told the YEP.

"Nothing seemed to relate to me, it was either words I didn’t understand or a robot sounding video which put me off straight away."

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Inspired to make a difference, Neil vowed to start up his own Youtube channel, offering mental health support to others who may find themselves in a similar position.

He has now launched 'ONE Mental Fitness' - with the slogan "for everyONE and and anyONE we do this together as ONE".

His videos have had a positive reaction since his recent Youtube launch and Neil is hoping he can help at least one other person to follow his steps of recovery.

Neil, a huge Leeds United fan, explained: "I wanted to make something inclusive for anyone, this wasn’t just for men or a certain mental illness it was for everyone.

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"I also wanted to speak in a way I would understand and hopefully the way a lot of us understand.

"I wanted to have fun with it as well, mental health talk doesn’t have to be so depressing it can be done in a fun way.

"I have started making videos already and have had some feedback saying this has really helped people by speaking in a way they understand and it made them feel less ‘alone’."

Neil, originally from Beeston but now living in Wakefield, said his content is split into three distinct sections.

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"My first video I went a full week on three hours sleep a night to see what effect it had on my mental health", Neil said.

"I want to try different things to see if I can improve mental fitness and videos to warn people about what could harm mental health."

Neil's second style of video is labelled "council estate counselling".

He continued: "This is me talking to the camera about my experiences or my thoughts on certain subjects.

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"These have been received really well and I think people like me just speak in a way they understand."

Neil also has light hearted videos for people to "take their minds off their worries and struggles for five minutes".

"I have found these really help as talking about mental health and doing things for it is good but sometimes you just need to forget it and relax", he added.

"Just because it is about mental health doesn't mean we can have fun and a laugh whilst talking about it."

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To view Neil's videos, search 'ONE Mental Fitness' on Youtube or Facebook.

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