Ant Middleton reflects on Liam Payne's advice to those struggling with mental healthITVX
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00:00We've got a lovely clip where he talks so frankly and openly
00:04about some of the demons that he's been facing.
00:07There's times where that level of loneliness
00:11and people getting into you every day,
00:16getting into you every day, like I say,
00:17it just, every so often, you're like, when will this end?
00:19You just have really great people.
00:21Just really great people around you
00:22and just finding out a different way of looking at it.
00:25Like you say, you know, when things start to pile on top of each other,
00:27that's when it can really get you.
00:29You've really got to change your view about it.
00:31There's only one thing you control in that situation, and it's you.
00:35It's amazing hearing me talk about that now
00:37and the tragedy of losing him at such a young age.
00:38I wonder, firstly, how you're doing,
00:40because I know you were close to him.
00:41Yeah, I was on a sort of PR tour
00:45for my K2 documentary that airs in Australia today
00:49and my book, Military Mindset, that launches today as well.
00:52So it was funny because whilst I was on that PR tour in Australia
00:55and in the UK, everything sort of segued on to Liam.
00:58Of course. Which, you know, I don't mind talking about Liam.
01:01He was a great friend of mine, a super positive guy.
01:04But then I relate back to, you know, what I'm doing,
01:07and, you know, especially Military Mindset,
01:09it's OK having those moments, you know,
01:13of being distracted or of non-clarity, shall we say,
01:19when the mind is fogged and you're easily distracted.
01:22And like Liam said there, it's about the people around you.
01:26You know, we can only do so much by ourselves.
01:28And it's very, very important, even if it's just a phone call,
01:31it's just a text.
01:32That's what me and Liam used to do, you know, all the time,
01:34a phone call, a text.
01:36I used to go and see him, you know, at the drop of a hat,
01:38because I knew that he just needed someone by his side.
01:41Not necessarily someone to chat about or to vent about,
01:44but just someone there, someone that's present.
01:47And, you know, when I look back on the interviews
01:49and everything that we've spoken about since,
01:51because we remained great friends since then,
01:54it's just the power of someone being present in your life.
01:58Even if someone doesn't want to talk,
01:59just, you know, being emotionally aware,
02:02you know, are you OK?
02:03I might not want to talk, but just that question,
02:05you recognising that something's not right,
02:08that in itself will get you through to the next day.