An A&E doctor unable to work during the coronavirus crisis has spoken candidly about his mental health problems - in a bid to get others talking.
Adam, 36, from Manchester, was put on the government shielding list after he was diagnosed with a pancreatic tumour five-years-ago.
He is currently cancer free, but is still classed as vulnerable. It means means he is unable to attend his job at an accident and emergency department at a Greater Manchester hospital.
Adam, who is also a volunteer for the LGBT Foundation, has spoken how not being able to go to work has affected his mental health.
He hopes that by talking openly, other people struggling during the lockdown will get help.
"I have been shielding now for six-and-a-half weeks," Adam said.
"For the first four, I couldn't even get out of bed - and was struggling with dark thoughts.
"I live alone and at first I thought it would be fine; that I'd just binge watch a load of series, but the reality is actually very different.
"I'm A&E doctor and part of the issue for me was feeling very guilty about not being able to go to work because of shielding.
"I felt so guilty that I couldn't contribute and help my colleagues and friends during this extremely difficult time.
"The lack of human contact and focus in your day and can have a real spiralling effect."
Adam first reached out to the LGBT Foundation after attending university in Liverpool, when he began to explore his sexuality.
The national charity offers advice, support and information services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) communities.
"The LGBT Foundation really is the rock of our community in Manchester," Adam said.
"I used the service a great deal in 2015 when I was diagnosed with cancer, and found I was struggling to come to terms with my diagnosis."
The charity was forced to adapt to COVID-19 overnight, moving all their face-to-face services online to meet the increasing number of calls they are receiving.
"I know a lot of people in the community who are going through hard times at the moment," Adam said.
"We have people living with family who are not supportive of their sexual identity, and we also have people in domestic abusive relationships and because of lockdown that has been exacerbated."
Adam says for his own mental health during lockdown, the best solution has been reaching out to people on social media.
"I put a post out on Facebook about four weeks ago, asking if anyone else was struggling with their mental health," Adam said.
"The replies have been phenomenal, not just from friends and family but also from complete strangers.
"There are still a lot of people out there who are not seeking help and I think it is very important we talk about this stuff, particularly because that is how we reduce stigma around mental health.
"Of course I still feel the guilt and have some suicidal thoughts at the back of my mind, but they are not at the centre like they were two weeks ago.
"It really demonstrates how talking about your feelings can help."
For Adam, he says finding his own routine has made a drastic improvement to his mental health.
"Simple things like getting up at a certain time, having a shower and getting ready," he said.
"Trying to avoid the news because consuming a lot can have a negative effect. I would advise limiting yourself to one news programme a day.
"Exercise is also really important."
If you or someone you know is suffering from mental health issues, please use the helplines listed in the article above.
If you believe you, or someone else is in immediate danger of harm, call 999.
