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it's ok not to be ok
Support for DJ Nikki Hayes as she opens up about mental health challenges
The Spin 1038 broadcaster has been tweeting about her mental breakdown.
DJ NIKKI HAYES has spoken of the importance of seeking help for mental health problems, after having a breakdown six weeks ago.
The Spin 1038 broadcaster – who was released from hospital two weeks ago – has been tweeting in recent days about her experience of depression and anxiety, saying talking about her challenges has been key to her recovery.
Hayes has spoken in the past about her battle with mental health, telling Ireland AM in 2013 that she had twice tried to take her own life, attempting to overdose at 17 and then again at 19.
“I felt very isolated, very alone. I didn’t really know where I wanted to be in life and I wanted to get out,” she said of her teenage years.
This week, she took to social media to talk about more recent challenges, using the hashtag #itsokaynottobeok as a way of encouraging people not to be ashamed of acknowledging their problems.
Now, Hayes says she is “starting to feel excited about what the day can bring again”.
And her honesty has been met with a lot of support on Twitter, where she was praised for speaking so openly about her mental health.
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Helplines:
- Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
- Console 1800 247 247 – (suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)
- Aware 1890 303 302 (depression, anxiety)
- Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie – (suicide, self-harm)
- Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)
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