Craig Bulloch

Training Advisor, Hamilton

Craig Bulloch, a training advisor for building apprentices, has spoken about the effect depression has had on his life. After struggling with depression for six or seven years, his business was hit by the global financial crisis. He reached rock bottom on 13 March 2010. On this date, his mother’s birthday, he considered taking his own life. Luckily, his brother checked in on him that afternoon. He opened up to his brother and this changed the course of his life.

“Looking back now, I can see the tell-tale signs. I became more and more withdrawn and made excuses not catch up with mates. I had been passionate about playing sports but I lost that passion. I’d become angry at the drop of a hat. After hitting my lowest point, I started counselling, setting goals and bringing structure back to my life. I now know what my triggers are and what tools I have to deal with them.

“I don’t buy into the perspective that someone has to hit rock bottom before they can be built back up. You can save so much heartache by being able to talk openly and honestly to people. Over the last ten years, things have been tracking in the right direction, more people are talking about their mental health and information is much more accessible. There is still the whole harden up and she'll be right mentality with society and that had to change. As well as starting conversations with ‘Are you ok’, we have to get better at turning around and sticking our hand up to say, ‘I’m not ok’.”