Michael Hope

I play computer games and sometimes go outside

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@ALadyNamedKatie Well done! Fantastic achievement!

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@jk_rowling @BaconRolypoly Wholeheartedly agree with Neil here!

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@KimFishlegs Limp mode. Happened to me twice, once on a dual carriageway. Very scary! Once it was something to do with the exhaust being clogged and the RAC guy fixed it for me, second time it was the DPF and had to take it to a garage to get it fixed.

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@GraceeSara Very impressive! Might steal this idea for 26

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@DalgetySusan @jk_rowling I still rely on my Birthday and Xmas for underwear and socks. I’m 35 and a father of 5. It’s British tradition as strong as Yorkshire puds on a Xmas dinner.

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@HPhobiaWatch That’s Karl Pilkington

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@morgieb9

[Stan Collymore @StanCollymore]

Suicide.

I'm choosing to be deliberately blunt and provocative in this post because it's necessary. Government, charities, football clubs are all pushing water up a hill in highlighting what is undoubtedly a major health crisis.

You take a rope.
You put it up in a garage or a tree nearby or far away.
You're thinking about every loved one you'll leave behind as you put that rope around your neck.
Then you drop.

Some are decapitated.
Some aren't.
All are found by someone who has a lifetime of trauma that will never leave them.
A son.
A daughter.
A brother.
A sister.
A mother.
A father.

I know 2 men who hung themselves.

One was found by his Mom.
One was found by his brother.
Neither have recovered fully. 20 and 30 years on.

A life sentence for people who were already worrying, terrified their loved one may do something.

So just visualise the above and ask, "is there another way"?

A segway for a moment.

I do a few Q&A's every year. Tales of yesterday with a 99% male audience of my age group.

After the stories and fun, my last question back to the audience is..

"Hands up if you struggle with a mental health issue".

Nobody ever puts a hand up. Despite 1 in every 3 of 500 attendees statistically struggling.

"Ah, nobody, that's fucking brilliant! Well I do! ". I then graphically tell people, stunned into silence about how a rope around my neck in the middle of nowhere jolted me to go home and cry like a baby to my Mom.

After the Q&A has finished, something always happens. I'll be chatting to a few guys, saying bye and one by one, men will come over and whisper " I struggle".

Or my mailbox the next day will have 30 emails from guys, their partners or kids saying " Dad/Uncle /Brother was there last night and what you said hit them hard".

And that's how some people realise that it's time to speak to a pal or family member or even rant to me in an email. It works, I often get a follow up email a year or 6 later saying that they took responsibility for their suicidal feelings and are now flying.

Humans are programmed to want to live, to have families and to keep the species growing and thriving. So for a human to want to short circuit that desire isn't normal, and it should never be spoken of as normal. It's the ultimate red flag.

If you suspect your mate, Dad, Brother, Uncle is struggling mentally, they deserve your intervention.

They deserve a " are you OK, please tell me what's up".

They deserve an opportunity to get past wanting to hang a rope over a tree or in a garage and slowly struggle until they die and you find them.

If you've been there and trust me I have plenty, then you'll know that text out of the blue, or a footie mate or one of your kids asking jow you are can open the curtains to some sunshine.

Because when suicide is your only answer, the room is already dark, and you can't see a way out.

So please, fucking pretty please, ask that husband, Dad, Uncle, Cousin, footie pal TODAY how they are.

You may be shocked what comes back but extremely glad that you asked.

For those who struggle, you're not alone.

[Benonwine @benonwine]

This is the most Aussie story you will ever hear! 😮 👏🙏

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@livvymattock Well done!

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@LilMiss_Clo Starfield- could be worse

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@FindingAlya 10 weeks is still a great achievement. I smoked for 15 years and barely managed to move from smoking to vaping. I couldn’t go 10 days never mind 10 weeks! More difficult than ppl realise to quit

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@livmattock I had a massive phobia of dogs for years after I got attacked by a pitbull. Anytime I encountered a dog off its leash I would freeze. Pretty much made me a cat lover 😂

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@jenbretty Perfect night that!

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@LauraPidcock It isn’t hateful to march against the bombing of children. Israel has a duty to defend itself however considering their superior armed forces, they have the ability to eliminate hamas without the indiscriminate bombing

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@nymphicusvirgo I miss Covid. There was no traffic, I had an excuse to stay away from the in laws, and everyone had to stay at least two meters away from me

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

I just entered @AutoTrader_UK’s monthly️ #ElectricCarGiveaway & you can too! This month’s prize is a Citroën Model ë-C4 worth over £34k! It’s free to enter & you have until 31st March. All information (including Ts&Cs) can be found here: https://t.co/nKARoutCLB

[Greta Thunberg @GretaThunberg]

To those who question my so called “opinions”, I would once again want to refer to page 108, chapter 2 in the SR1,5 IPCC report released last year.
There you’ll find our rapidly declining CO2 budgets. This is not opinions or politics. It’s the current best available science. ->

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@BBCDomC Can’t tweet that without accompanying pics of said dog 🐶

[Michael Hope @Sprouts25]

@timfarron That stuff singlehandedly got me through the coast to coast last year. Basically a block of sugar