22 Kids and Counting viewers were left in tears after Sue and Noel’s son Josh Radford made an emotional admission about his health struggles on the Channel 5 show
22 Kids and Counting viewers were left in tears after Josh Radford made an emotional admission about his health struggles
22 Kids and Counting viewers flocked to offer their support to Josh Radford following his heartfelt confession that “I’m struggling”.
In Sunday’s (February 8) episode of the Channel 5 programme, Josh Radford made a poignant revelation about his difficulties.
Shot across 12 months, the special instalment chronicled an unexpected journey that proved both devastating and inspiring.
The programme opened on Josh’s 18th birthday, with his family growing worried when he expressed little interest in celebrating the milestone.
Mum Sue Radford noted: “Josh has always been the life and soul of the party. He’s always a bubbly joker, so him not wanting to socialise, that for me, that’s not Josh.”, reports the Mirror.
Whilst dad Noel Radford initially thought his son was being “lazy”, the situation became increasingly alarming for the household.
Following complaints about vision changes and worsening headaches, Sue arranged an eye examination for the teenager.
As Josh felt he was “going blind”, his mother revealed: “He said his eyesight had gone funny and he felt like something seriously wasn’t right.
“When Josh said he felt like he was going blind, that obviously as a parent really does worry you. He was really, really scared.”
The episode later showed Josh being taken to hospital after waking in distress at 3am.
Following a visit to the GP, the teenager’s condition was attributed to feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
He was also diagnosed with agoraphobia – an anxiety condition characterised by overwhelming fear and avoidance of places where getting away might prove challenging or assistance might not be at hand.
Agoraphobia frequently develops from panic attacks but can also arise from worries about being confined or humiliated, resulting in steering clear of public transport, crowds or even venturing outdoors.
Four weeks on, Josh grew progressively withdrawn and his anxiety prevented him from stepping outside his front door.
Sue emphasised: “Family things, birthday parties, births, he’s just not been able to do anything. It’s so frustrating and as a mother it really does break your heart.”
Uncertain about the next steps, Noel confessed: “I do feel like I’ve let him down. As a dad, as a parent, should I have picked up on this earlier?”.
Josh said: “I do hope that me doing this does give people courage to also open up and ask someone for help.”
Supporters flocked to social media to offer words of encouragement to Josh, with one posting: “I’m really sad about this I hope Josh gets the support he needs. I’ve been crying since the beginning.”
Another commented: “Awww I just want to give Josh a hug, really feel for him.” A third person said: “Hope Josh is OK one step at a time love.” A fourth wrote: “My heart breaks for the poor lad. Going through what he has.”
22 Kids and Counting is available to watch on Channel 5
Anyone who needs to talk to someone about mental health issues can call the Samaritans on 116123 or Lifeline on 0808 808 8000
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