Last week Andrew “ Joey “ Johns revealed that in addition to his extraordinary success as a footballer, he does truly deserve his identity as an heroic individual worthy of respect.

For those who might not know, Andrew Johns was arrested in possession of an illegal drug whilst drunk in a London nightclub. This in itself was not entirely heroic.

In fact the use of both legal and illegal drugs is a very ordinary behaviour. Many people use illegal drugs recreationally across all echelons of society. Further to this the use of the legal and statistically more damaging drug called alcohol is more common still.

What makes Andrew Johns a heroic character to me is his detailed and candid story describing the experience of anxiety and depression through his football career. Revealing his truth is an inspirational act of courage that I trust will help set him free.

Some lessons can be learnt from his experience. One lesson is to be watchful and wary of being bitten by the black dog of depression. Depression and anxiety are a plague upon our species. You may not be immune!

Another lesson is that self-medicating depression and anxiety with any non-prescribed drugs, be it alcohol and or ecstasy, is a short-term solution that will mostly make matters worse.

The appeal is that drugs mask the feelings of distress. Unfortunately they also enable you to continue avoiding the situations in your life that created the distress to begin with. Hiding from difficulties will have their shadow grow until nothing but the shadows show.

If you feel you must medicate your feelings away rather than feel them freely till they finish, professionally prescribed medication is a better bet. The largest advantage to this medication regime is that it invites other people to help. Even with prescribed medication however there remains a crucial opportunity to re-evaluate and adjust your life.

Andrew Johns is a very fine man. Now that the superman façade we foisted upon him is burst, he is revealed to be a man of many dimensions. I say his potential for leadership is now very much enhanced.

Martin Hunter Jones is an honorary life member of the Australian Counselling Association. He has a practice on the Northern Beaches. Phone 9973 4997.