Man Marking - Episode 47 - Isla Buchanan

Episode 47  Finding the confidence, and the courage to speak out.   Isla Buchanan was just 12 years old when her Mum suffered a devastating stroke. The incident changed the dynamics of her family, and shaped her subsequent teenage years. As Isla grew older her feelings of anxiety, and subsequent depression took hold, and she found herself feeling more and more isolated from her friends and family. Following in the footsteps of her Grandad, Isla took up refereeing, an unusual step you might think for a young woman. But Isla cites football as the most positive influence on her mental wellbeing, and believes it saved her life.  Today's interview is a moving story about tormented teenage years, battles with anxiety and loneliness, and how success with the whistle gave a young woman the confidence and courage to speak out.  If you enjoy this episode, or any of our other episodes, please pop over to apple podcasts, and give us a rating and a review.  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/man-marking/id1506661828 You can find us on Twitter @marking_man and don't forget to use the hashtag #WheresTheTalkingLads  If you have been affected by any of the themes discussed in today's episode, we have listed some organisations below who are there if you need to talk: Samaritans  Call 116 132 for free https://www.samaritans.org/ Papyrus UK Call 0800 068 41 41 Papyrus Website CALM ZONE 0800 58 58 58 https://www.thecalmzone.net/help/helpline/ MIND 0300 123 3393 https://www.mind.org.uk/ The Kaleidoscope Plus Group 0800 059 0123 https://www.kaleidoscopeplus.org.uk/