Note: This article discusses themes including depression and suicidal thoughts that some readers may find upsetting.
Hollyoaks star Joe Tracini has opened up his decade-long battle with depression during an emotional interview on Lorraine.
The actor, who briefly reprised his role as Dennis Savage last month, spoke candidly about his experience with depression and the subsequent suicidal thoughts it triggered, in a powerful conversation about his mental health.
Back in May, Joe wrote a powerful, candid blog during Mental Health Awareness Week, revealing the true extent of his struggles.
Speaking on Lorraine today (September 19), Joe said: “I think I wanted to talk about the suicide thing . I’ve written recently to address the fact of why I don’t think suicide is a selfish thing to do.”
“I think if somebody takes their own life, they leave a lot of questions and unfortunately they’re not here to answer them anymore. So, as somebody that nearly did do that, I kind of just wanted to write something about what goes on in somebody’s head when they’re at that point.
“Also not necessarily from an angle of it being the lowest point in my life, it was when I did that on that day, but it’s like a daily thing for me. It’s kind of how a bit of my brain works. I wanted to just talk about that and say that, certainly for me anyway, this is a thing that I deal with on a day to day basis.”
Discussing what advice he would give to his younger self, Joe said: “I honestly never, ever know what to say to him but I would just say to him what I say to myself now which is, ‘in a minute this will change’.
“Something that I’ve learnt is that life is basically just a stack of moments and you can only ever see one at a time. Sometimes my brain tells me that taking my life is the best and only option that I’ve got and I know that happens for a lot of people.”
He added: “I think the important thing to tell myself and to tell him and to tell anybody else is that in that moment you might feel like that, and you might feel like that in the next one, but there will always be a moment that’s coming where you won’t feel like that, so please wait for it.”
When asked how he was feeling at the moment, Joe said: “I feel in a more confident place to be able to deal with what my brain is doing, which is why I decided that it was probably about time that I started talking about it. “
Lorraine airs on weekdays from 8.30am on ITV. Hollyoaks airs Mondays to Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look episodes airing at 7pm on E4.
We would encourage anyone who identifies with Joe’s experiences to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), and Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Digital Spy Soap Scoop video – hit play below for all the latest Hollyoaks spoilers, as Darren and Mandy’s affair is exposed and Luke considers fleeing with Ollie.
Source: Read Full Article