A young man who has suffered bouts of depression since losing the sight in his right eye three years ago has voiced his determination to beat the “annual winter depression”.
Caimin O’Shea, 28, from Enniskillen hopes that by talking about his experience of depression, he will help others facing similar feelings, which he describes as “being low.”
“One of the things that has been difficult has been losing my sight three years ago. That was the start of major down spells, but on the bright side it was also the start of my productivity,” said Caimin. “I would suffer from a mild depression and being low. My lifestyle and attitude changes in the long, dark months.”
His means of fighting depression is by keeping busy and productive.
“Being creative and being productive gives me a feeling that there’s a sense of motion in my life,” Caimin explained. “At this time of year you can feel stagnant, like the light is drained out and there’s no sense of colour in life.
“For me, if you are an artist, most of the time, going to [gigs, poetry readings etc] connects me to other people. It’s that contact with people that can keep you going.”
He advised: “You don’t have to be an artist. Ask yourself what is it that will get you out of the house? Running, sport, baking a cake, do something that makes you happy and that will connect you with people – it’s doing things that can save you.”
Caimin is keen to acknowledge that he is not an authority on mental health but hopes that some people can relate to his story.
“I am super productive during the summer but in winter I haven’t yet done anything productive and it’s already the end of November. I know that I will feel less bad if I am doing more.”
In this regard, he is keeping busy by working in The Happiness Trap, volunteering with Fermanagh Writers by developing the organisation’s free online magazine called Corncrake, and performing as a solo musician and as part of a traditional band. 
He recently posted on social media thanking everyone who had unwittingly helped him through a rough patch. He said: “Just want to say a big thanks to the people who keep pushing me and putting me in the spotlight and encouraging my creativity. Without me trying or asking a lot of very sound people have went out of their way to help me and it means a lot.”
Recent creative highlights have included being recorded performing his song ‘Last night’ by Fermanagh TV and seeing it broadcast on Irish TV; recording his first podcast - an audiobook version of the Corncrake e-magazine; starting a new band; and taking part in spoken word performances at The Monday Echo, Lingofest and At The Edge Cavan. He added: “Here’s hoping I can keep it going and the annual winter depression doesn’t hold me back too much.”
A former Erne Integrated College pupil, Caimin studied at Belfast Metropolitan College and then worked in Belfast before being forced back to his family in Enniskillen to recover from two surgeries involving his eye.
While he is living in his home town Caimin is determined to get involved in as much of Fermanagh’s artistic world as possible and will be glad to see the New Year, when his resolution will be to “work twice as hard and focus on the creative side of life.”