Radio star Nikki Hayes has told how she attempted to take her life twice – after a long-term struggle with depression.
The Spin 1038 presenter has spoken out about her mental health issues, urging young women to talk more about what they are going through.
“I think girls find it just as hard as guys to talk. The pressure of hiding it became too much – and I tried to take my own life,” she said.
Love: Nikki with her fiance Frank
The former 2FM star said her fathers terminal cancer diagnosis led to her last suicide attempt.
“We’d just found out my dad had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and me and my dad were really close.
“So there was a lot going on in the family and it was a case of, ‘I just can’t deal anymore’. Every time something happens in my family, it triggers it.”
But since having her first child Farrah, Nikki now knows that she has something worth fighting for.
Brave: Nikki urges young women to speak up about depression | VIPIRELAND.COM
“I had Farrah and so when I felt depressed, I couldn’t allow myself to go on a downward spiral. I had people to live for and I wanted to get better for them. And so I reached out,” she told Hot Press.
Now the star wants more people to speak out about their depression – and prove anyone can be hit.
“If more people would speak out about it, that would help young people to understand,” she explained.
“‘Look at Bressie, he’s singing, look at Nikki, she’s on the radio, look at Brent Pope, he’s on TV. They all had this but they found a way out of it, they’re doing well now’. There’s an onus on us.”
