Wigan man hopes Dry January challenge will help others with mental health

David Simpkin is taking part in Dry January, the annual challenge which sees participants forego booze for the month to raise money for good causes.

David, 28, has struggled with drinking for several years, and mental health issues have afflicted him for more than a decade. But he is confident he is on the right road to recovery, and hopes the challenge will boost his chances of long-term recovery.

He is also using the month-long challenge to raise money and awareness for mental health causes, which he knows all too well have been exacerbated by the last 10 months.

David said: “I’ve had mental health problems since I was about 15 or 16.

“I’ve had depression and anxiety, and I’ve used alcohol as a crutch in that time, on and off.

“I just thought I’d do Dry January to raise money for Mind, the mental health charity, especially with the Covid situation.

“I know people who haven’t suffered with mental health before, who are now. This is the effect Covid has had on people’s lives.”

He added: “It’s a personal challenge for me too, to go sober for a month just to see the benefits it will have on my mental and physical health.”

David hopes that his month of sobriety will set him up for a more positive future, by significantly reducing his alcohol intake, if not entirely.

“It’s still a work in progress,” he said of his mental health.

“I was quite ill with it during the first lockdown. I started to get better around October time.

“I still have problems with anxiety which are ongoing but I’m a lot better than I was.”

“A few weeks into lockdown I went into a deep depression. I know how important these charities are. I’ve read up on Mind and the great work they do.”

Donations can be made to Mind by visiting David’s fund-raiser by clicking here.

More information about Dry January can be found here.

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