Humphries reveals mental health struggle that nearly ended career

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WORLD number two Luke Humphries said his rise to the top of darts would never have been possible had he not opened up about his mental health struggles.

Humphries, who teamed up with the Samaritans to mark World Suicide Prevention Day today, was on the grind of the PDC Tour when he suffered an anxiety attack midway through a tournament in 2019 and considered quitting.

He spoke openly about his troubles and it had a positive impact on him as he surged to the top of the game, culminating in winning the 2024 World Championship title and becoming world number one.

“For me, the best thing I ever did was go and see a doctor and go and tell him my feelings. Look who I am now, I’ve achieved so much from doing that and I’m so glad I did,” Humphries said in conversation with a Samaritans volunteer.

���The first step is to be open and honest about it, you know when I told my mum and dad stuff, they were really helpful, helping me get where I needed to be.

“With what I was going through and the way I was feeling, where I thought my career was going to go, to end up with, four or five years later, with nine major titles, and a World Championship and a World Cup and a Matchplay, I would never have thought that was going to happen to me.

“I thought that would have been impossible because of the way I was feeling at the time.

“I just felt like my career was going to end and I almost thought about giving it up because the stress was playing on me a lot.

“I decided to stick with it and it was the best choice I ever made, to be honest. It really did pay its dividends.”

The Samaritans say one in four people experience suicidal thoughts, with suicide being the biggest killer of men under 50.

Humphries revealed he still suffers from anxiety but knows how to handle it.

“I still get those moments of anxiety and stuff, but they’re just random,” he said.

“It’s strange, but I know how to deal with it better. You don’t spiral, I think that’s the most important thing.

“That’s why I feel my mental health has been so much better in the last three to four years.”

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