Dr Alex George has revealed that he is determined to bring about a change in mental health awareness across the UK following his younger brother’s tragic death.
The former Love Island star, 29, was left devastated when is brother Llŷr, 20, took his own life in July after a long battle with his mental health.
Two months after the colossal family loss, Alex is now determined to ‘move forward with purpose’.
Speaking with host Kay Burley on Sky News on Thursday, Dr Alex opened up on his grief and shared his plans to add mental health to the curriculum in every school across the UK.
The former reality TV star insisted that in order to battle the suicide crisis that is sweeping the nation, children should be taught about mental health from a young age in order to be ‘able to look after themselves’ when they’re catapulted into adulthood.
Celebrity doctor Alex admitted that it’s been an incredibly tough year for him and his family, and COVID has only added to the stress of their tragic loss.
“It’s been really tough; it’s been a terrible year to be fair. Covid has put so much pressure on everyone and I’ve felt the impact of that,” he revealed.
Despite the tough times, Alex is adamant about moving on from his brother’s death by helping other young people who find themselves in the same battle as Llŷr - who was supposed to be starting his first year at medical school this month.
“Losing him has been awful, he was supposed to be going to medical school and he had his place, so it’s been the most terrible loss.
“I’m trying to move forward with some element of purpose.
“What I want to do is change curriculum's at schools to have more support around mental health, to make sure children are taught about mental health from a young age and they leave school with a mental health toolkit to be able to look after themselves.
“We’re losing far too many people to suicide each year. It’s far too common,” he added.
Alex has praised his mother and father for how they raised the family, revealing it was "tough" for them since Llŷr's death.
* Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org
