Mary Byrne has revealed a kind pharmacist “saved her life” after she fell into a “very dark place” during lockdown.
The former X Factor star, who has been open about her battle with depression in the past, took a turn for the worst last March – when the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Speaking to Women’s Way magazine, Mary said she became “badly depressed” after she stopped taking medication against the advice of her doctor.
The Dublin native said: “I started to feel like I was worthless. It was such a turbulent time in my life that I never want to go back to — and never will.”
“It hit me like a ton of bricks. I just remember feeling like I had a hole in my stomach, an emptiness that I couldn’t fill no matter what I did.”
Mary explained: “On the day I was thinking of doing something silly to myself, the person I think saved my life was the woman in the chemist. Her name is Ramona.”
“Something dragged me over there to that girl. She was behind the counter and I just burst into tears. She brought me into the little room at the back.”
“She spoke to me with most gentle of voices and told me I was OK and that I’d get through this.”
Thankfully, Mary’s mental health has improved since then, as she went back to her doctor, who increased her medication.
“Anti-depressants work for many of us and some of us need to take them on pretty much a permanent basis,” she explained.
“I’m going down slowly from the high level of anti-depressants that the doctor put me on when I was badly depressed.”
“I’m nearly at the low end now and I’ll stay in that for the rest of my life. They can shove me in a box or burn me but I’ll be going with the anti-depressants,” Mary added.
If you have been affected by anything in this article, please visit www.pieta.ie or call 1800 247 247.
