Howie Mandel pokes fun at Simon Cowell's back injury
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
The X-factor judge fell off an e-scooter he was testing out at his home in Malibu, California in August 2020. His eight-year-old son Eric caught the horrifying event, which resulted in Simon Cowell breaking his back, on camera.
Cowell required surgery after the accident, which the star said raised fears he would never walk again, and made him feel “very, very, very, low”.
He was in surgery for six hours, which left him with a metal rod in his back.
He told The Sun: “I considered therapy for the first time when I broke my back because I was very, very, very, low.
“I felt very depressed because I didn’t know how to explain it to Eric.
“I couldn’t do all the things I wanted to with him. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to walk again, to ever play football with him.
“That was a low point. I was on a lot of painkillers but I got off them really quickly. I didn’t want to go down that road.”
Depression is quite common among people after surgery. There are lots of studies linking the onset of depression to the consequences of surgery.
One 2016 study published in BMC surgery specifically found that chronic pain post-surgery, among other things, leads to the development onset of depression.
Cowell stayed out of therapy and instead was supported by his doctors and partner Lauren Silverman with whom he has wedding plans.
He said: “But in the end, I decided against therapy as I had great doctors, Lauren was amazing, and Eric was incredible.
“I’m still wearing a back brace which I have to wear when I go out on my bike, and there are pretty big screws in my back, and that’s for life.
“But I’m here, I’m alive. And I’m grateful.”
Depression is distinguished from feeling low in that it is persistent.
Although the condition “can affect everybody differently” according to the NHS, symptoms may include feelings of hopelessness and losing interest in things you enjoyed before.
Talking specifically about the link between surgery and depression, Doctor Namnoum, Clinical Professor at Emory University explained: “Whether small or large, surgery is an invasive procedure that can be traumatic.
“It’s important to consider the energy it takes to prepare for surgery as well as what doctors can do to successfully inform their patients about the risk of post-surgery depression.”
In the past, Cowell has described being prone to struggling with low moods.
In a candid chat with Oprah in 2010, he said: “When I’m like that I kind of feel like going into some slight hibernation. I’m very dark when I’m in those moments… I get very, very down. Don’t come near me. (I’m) like a bear in a cage.”
And his resistance to medication is historical too.
He said: “I would never take a pill, for instance, to deal with that. It’s something I’ve got to deal with myself.
“I put it down to, ‘OK, so I’m a bit moody, bit over-dramatic about everything, give yourself a mental slap and get on with it.'”
Source: Read Full Article