Westlife singer Markus Feehily has admitted he battled with depression.
The Sligo star has revealed he went to a dark place while struggling to tell his friends and family that he was gay.
“Being the only person who knew me meant my world was a very lonely place to be,” he said.
“I would spend ages wondering if I would ever be able to fix the situation. Could I ever tell my friends and parents that I was gay? I felt there was no end to the situation and felt lonely and depressed because I had no one to turn to.”
Lonely: Markus struggled with depression | VIPIRELAND.COM
Speaking to Attitude magazine, the now solo singer said he fell into a depression.
“I became depressed. People think, ‘How could he have any problems?’ But [while] my career life was fulfilled, my personal life was a total shambles.
“I used to just crave companionship and love. I used to just stay in my hotel room. I’d be there for hours, days sometimes, and I had no motivation to go outside. I thought to myself, ‘If I can’t be myself, why bother?’”
Counselling: Markus came through the darkness | VIPIRELAND.COM
But thankfully the singer admitted going to counselling helped him through his dark period.
“I went to see a counsellor. It was hard to make that appointment as there’s a little taboo surrounding mental health, but now I know that being low or even depressed isn’t something to be ashamed of.
“Counselling changed my life forever,” he added.
