Suzanne Shaw has said she’s “struggled” with depression and anxiety for nearly two decades.
The former Hear’Say singer shared she has managed to get rid of the “self-loathing” she previously felt by cutting out alcohol.
“I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for more than 18 years,” Shaw, 39, told Runner’s World magazine. “But it was only recently that I felt ready to open up about it because I wanted things to change.
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“For years, I had been hoping my mental health issues would just go away, but it never happened; instead, I was having more dark days.”
The ex-Emmerdale star added she used drink as a “quick fix” when she was feeling anxious, leading to her giving it up for a year.
“I became an ambassador for One Year No Beer, where there is a supportive community while you are on its programme. Not only do I now not have hangovers, I also don’t have the self-loathing I had before,” she explained.
Shaw found fame in music group Hear’Say, which was formed on 2001 show Popstars. She went on to establish herself in musical theatre with roles in Summer Holiday, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Rocky Horror Show.
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She won the third series of Dancing on Ice in 2008 and went on to take part in the All Stars series in 2014.
Shaw has two sons, welcoming her first child Corey, 16, with Darren Day in 2004 and second son Rafferty, five, with partner Sam Greenfield in 2015.
With additional reporting by PA.
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