“Luton are starting to make me fall back in love with the game,” says midfielder Kelsey Gibson as she discusses the positive role that football has played in helping her through mental health issues.
One in four people in the UK are thought to have had issues at one point in their lives and it’s a growing concern among children and young people.
At the age of 18, Gibson has already been through a lot, but she says it’s important to talk about it.
“I think people with mental health issues feel like they’ll get judged, she told The Lutonian. “The stigma is still there. Some people are quite open about it and some people aren’t.
“If somebody reads this and can relate to me, then I hope it can help them to know that it’s alright to speak about it.
“I know how hard, but there is someone that will listen and someone that does care.
“The more you start talking, the more help you’ll get because if you don’t talk about it, you’re going to feel isolated, you’re going to feel alone and feel like no-one is going to care. But there are some genuine people who do care about your mental health. It’s good to talk and it’s good to fight through it.”
While Gibson says she still experiences issues, she is learning to deal with it in a more positive way.
And now she’s back at Luton Town Ladies, where it all began when, as a seven-year-old, she saw her cousin Kally Wilson playing for the Hatters and knew that was what she wanted to do.
Spells at St Albans outfit Harvesters and MK Dons followed but then she had trials with the club she supports, Chelsea, signing for them when she was 13. And, while at the west London club, the midfielder was called up to the Scottish national side as her maternal grandmother is Scottish.
But a desire to break into first-team football saw her leave Chelsea to join London Bees when she was 17 – Barnet’s women’s team. It was during this spell that Gibson’s mental health began to deteriorate.
But Gibson said: “Football helps. It’s an escape sometimes. I had no issues with football, it was other issues with myself and things that had happened to me. Football helps me a lot.
“But I ended up struggling and I just stopped playing football for while.
“I think it was a build-up of many things, but it got really bad. At first, I couldn’t put a finger on it, I didn’t know why. But as the months go on, you start to realise that something has happened to you in your life. I think that’s what triggered me.
“There was a build-up of things that I didn’t deal with. And if you don’t deal with them, you’re going to get the consequences. I was hurt a lot and I just felt alone.
After waiting for a couple of months for counselling, it was recommended that Gibson stay at a mental health unit for children and young people in Wisbech, for her own safety.
Gibson spent her 18th birthday in the facility but was moved to an adult unit in Luton the following day.
She says she was angry at the time when she was referred to the under-18s unit in Wisbech, but added: “Now I think back to it, they saved me.
“There were many things I didn’t understand, but now I try to understand them.
“I still struggle a lot, but I’ve got better people around me, to help. I can deal with things better now. I didn’t know how to before.”
While her mum taking her to the doctors started Gibson on the path to getting the help she needed, it wasn’t immediate and this is a major issue across many health services in the UK.
“The bad thing is that you have to wait around five or six weeks to get help,” Gibson said, adding: “That shouldn’t happen. I think you should get it straight away. Sometimes people do get it, but for others that are struggling really bad, it’s not good enough yet.
“It’s getting better and the stigma around it is improving, but services-wise, it doesn’t make sense.”
Football and clubs have their part to play, in the welfare of players and Gibson says both London Bees and Luton Ladies have been superb with her.
The Bees’ first-team coach Sian Osmond and players Merrick Will, Mollie Dench, Trish Gould all visited her when she was receiving treatment.
“My family and everyone is just so good with me and the support is what you need.”
“We were all very close and still are,” said the midfielder, adding: “Still, to this day, I’ve got their support and the girls at Luton. They cheer me up.
Now back on the pitch, Gibson has been part of a Luton side has remained unbeaten in the season so far, with last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Wymondham the first time they’ve dropped points in the league.
Today, however, the Hatters turn their attention to the FA Cup and the visit to The Brache of lower league Bungay Ladies (2pm kick-off, £2 entry and £1 concessions), having beaten Leigh Ramblers 7-0 in the previous preliminary round.
Gibson said: “When I’m on the pitch with them I’m always smiling. I just love the team. Even outside of football we’re quitted knitted together. I’m starting to love what I didn’t a couple of months back. I’m starting to love my football again.”
You can hear Gibson talking about the FA Cup tie on the latest Luton Press Pass Podcast, below.
