BESTSELLING AUTHOR Marian Keyes has received hundreds of messages of support from fans after disclosing that she is battling “crippling depression”.
The novelist revealed in her monthly newsletter on her website that she has been laid low with depression over Christmas.
“Regular readers know that I’ve been prone to depression on and off over the years but this is in a totally different league. This is much much worse,” she wrote.
“I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I can’t write, I can’t read, I can’t talk to people. The worst thing is that I feel it will never end.”
She said depression was an illness “but unlike say, a broken leg, you don’t know when it’ll get better”.
One of Ireland’s most successful writers, Keyes has sold 22 million copies of her books.
Cliona Lewis, publicity director for Penguin, said: “Marian’s great strength is that she always puts great heart and humour into her writing and when she writes about dark subjects, she does it in a way that is accessible to her readers.”
Her novel This Charming Man, published in 2008, dealt with domestic violence. She has also dealt with drug abuse, alcoholism and mental illness, even though many of her novels include very humorous material.
Keyes has spoken publicly about her alcoholism, which she overcame by attending a rehabilitation centre in Dublin in the mid-1990s. She lives in Dún Laoghaire with her husband, Tony Baines.
Mental health professionals praised Keyes for going public.
“This was a sincere, honest and courageous act by Ms Keyes and when I heard it, I said good for her,” said Dr Tony Bates, founder of Headstrong, which addresses youth mental health. “This will make a difference to people suffering from depression.
“Many people with depression often can’t talk about it or admit it to people. They can feel ashamed. Ms Keyes’s disclosure and a similar disclosure by the DUP politician Iris Robinson illustrate that many competent and successful people suffer from depression.”
Dr Siobhán Barry, consultant psychiatrist and clinical director of the Cluain Mhuire Service in Blackrock, said stigma tended to be greater when people could not identify with anyone who has the same condition.
Dr Barry said depression affected up to one in 20 people at some point. Key symptoms are loss of appetite, poor sleep patterns, lack of concentration and a low mood for a prolonged period.
Counselling helplines include Aware (1890 303302), the Samaritans (1850 609090) and Grow at 1890 474474.