Scott was speaking to Watford captain Troy Deeney as part of the Heads Up campaign's #SoundofSupport series
Friday 31 July 2020 12:13, UK
Former England international Alex Scott has revealed she turned to alcohol in response to social media abuse before seeking therapy.
The 35-year-old was the victim of online trolls when she retired from playing and moved into punditry with the BBC and Sky Sports.
Scott, who retired from international football in 2017 and club football in 2018, is England's second most capped player with 140 appearances.
"When I retired, getting trolling, I found that I was turning to drink to try and hide everything, hide what I was feeling," she said.
"I didn't tell anyone, I didn't tell my mum because I didn't want her to worry or put that stress on her. I was just that person (who thought) 'I can look after myself, I can deal with stuff' but obviously sometimes that's the wrong way.
"I got to a dark place and it was over Christmas, that's when I was like 'I can't carry on like this, it's not me, I need to seek help' and that led me into therapy."
Scott added: "I want to take that stigma away from it. Now when I talk about mental health, straight away I'm smiling because I know what it's done for me to leave that place. I'm content. I'm happy, and I've used the tools that I've learned to be in that place."
Scott was speaking to Watford captain Troy Deeney as part of the Heads Up campaign's #SoundofSupport series about her struggles. The campaign seeks to encourage football fans to feel confident and comfortable in reaching out for mental health support if they need it.
Deeney, who served a prison sentence for affray in 2012, told Scott he receives therapy to combat his own drinking, and for traumas he suffered earlier in his life.
"I understood that when I started speaking I slept easier," he said. "I used to live on four hours' sleep. When I have a therapy session I'll sleep for 10 hours, because I'm knackered, but it's all the weight coming out of me."
Rio Ferdinand admitted that playing for England was a heavy burden for him as a player and he did not necessarily back the tactics used when he played.
Despite experiencing success at Manchester United, the former centre-half says it never quite felt the same with England due to the expectation placed on the national side.
"As a captain, as an England player etcetera, the shirt was a heavy shirt when I played for England - more so than Man Utd, for different reasons," Ferdinand said, speaking along with England rugby captain Owen Farrell.
"The expectation, the years of disappointment that's gone before us, and our year was called the golden generation which heaped a bit more pressure on even probably at the time.
"The big difference between wearing an England shirt and a Man Utd shirt is that I felt very comfortable and confident at Man Utd that we were on the right lines, the right pathway to success, whereas with England I didn't necessarily believe in it I don't think.
"When I look back now, at the time I thought I did, but I look back now with hindsight and I just think that I didn't believe in the tactics. With that comes doubt and that doubt creeps into any sportsman's mind."
