A man who battled depression and alcohol abuse for years before attempting suicide has credited outdoor swimming for changing his life.
Richard Williams, from Worcestershire, joined a research project looking at the impact of the activity on depression and anxiety after a chance encounter with an old friend.
The 42-year-old is now sober and recently married, and uses cold water to manage his stress.
Mr Williams was depressed for years before realising he had mental health problems and started drinking heavily in 2018.
He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which causes extreme mood changes.
In March 2022, Mr Williams tried to take his own life. He said: “I got to the point where I was like, this is it, I’m no good.
“I’m going to end it all. I had a couple of attempts to end it all. Fortunately, they weren’t successful.”
After surviving the attempt, Mr Williams started working on himself and tried exercise, medication and therapy as part of his recovery.