Rugby legend Carwan tackles COVID-19 mental health

Wellington-After fighting his devil for years, the all-black legend John Kirwan is trying to help his fellow Kiwi struggle with the lockdown of COVID-19.

Winger, who won the World Cup, revealed his struggle against depression at the end of his international career, exploding the myth that glory in the field equates to happiness off the pitch, and one of the big taboos of sport. Defeated.

“I had depression and was taking antidepressants. I wanted to jump out of the window one night,” Kirwan told AFP in a telephone interview.

“I have gained experience in this field.”

Kilwan’s passion for talking about mental health was that when he was knighted in 2012, his award was his pioneering advocacy, not his achievement in the black jersey. is.

After writing two memoirs on this topic, Kirwan has been devoting himself in recent years to a mobile phone app called Mentemia, a more high-tech means of communication.

The app uses personality tests and cognitive games to create pictures of users and provides tips for reducing stress.

These include breathing techniques, mood tracking, action plans to improve mental health, or simple reminders to take some time during a busy day.

It may sound warm and vague, but Kirwan points out that it was developed by a team of clinical psychologists using evidence-based techniques.

“My journey was to listen to experts and understand what they were saying to me,” he said.

“This information already exists. It’s about getting the science and knowledge to provide people with an attractive way.”

-“I know what’s coming”-

The maintenance (in Italian, meaning “my heart”) was originally thought of as a tool that helps large companies reduce workforce stress.

However, as the coronavirus crisis deepened, Kirwan and his business partners were convinced that it could play a positive role in helping New Zealanders cope during the pandemic.

“Since I have a family in Italy, I knew what to expect, so I sat down as a business and said,” What should I do? ” His wife Fiorella is from Italy and his son Nico plays in Serie C. Football club Reggina.

“The right thing was to give it to New Zealand as a whole.”

The government of Prime Minister Jacinda Adern embraced this idea and made the app available to all New Zealanders free of charge last week as part of their COVID-19 health response.

“It provides users with practical tips and techniques to help them control their mental health,” said Health Minister David Clark.

Carwan, now 55, said his personal situation has long changed from “survival to prosperity” thanks to the techniques available in the app.

“I have a very simple mental health plan. I woke up this morning and took a shower, the secret of the shower was that I could stop the water and enjoy the water,” he said.

“I then had a bit of a 30-minute workout, and then I sat down and had some coffee. Today I’m doing three things already to contribute to my mental health.”

Carwan, who entered the World Rugby Hall of Fame with 63 test caps, said he was one of the many who was distracted by the lack of sports during difficult times.

“I think it has an incredible impact. I love my rugby, I love my football-sports for me are part of my mental health So I’ve lost it a lot, “he said.

He said that COVID-19 was widely recognized for the strains it was giving to people and wanted to provide a tool to help deal with it.

“I interviewed many young men who are developing apps, and they said, ‘My heart is a treadmill, can you stop it?’, He said.

“I said I can stop it, but you need to get the skills yourself so that you can do it yourself.”