Mary Black has opened up about her experiences with post-natal depression, highlighting the importance of talking about mental illness and seeking help.
Black has three children with her husband Joe O'Reilly; Conor, Danny and Roisin, and spoke about her struggle with post-natal depression following the birth of 38-year-old Conor, describing how frightening a time it was, while appearing on The Late Late Show.
"That was a rough time; we were delighted when Conor arrived... I think I was traumatised from the birth, it took a while, but I began to not feel great in myself and for a long time I denied it, I'd think ah I'm just down in the dumps," Black told Ryan Tubridy.
"But I remember looking at him when he was a baby and thinking it was a terrible world I was bringing him into; you'd be watching terrible things on television and you were vulnerable to that. I became so worried about things that I shouldn't have been worrying about – everything was fine, but in your head you're not fine.
"So eventually I had a bit of a meltdown and I needed to go for help. It was post-natal depression, and it was a very frightening thing because it brought on... Depression or post-natal depression or any sort of depression, it wasn't talked about... It was frightening and I didn't know much myself about it and luckily my doctor sent me to somebody for help."
Black wanted to put forward the message to viewers that "there is a light at the end of the tunnel" and added that "it did happen to me again but it wasn't as frightening because I felt like because I was ok before I'll come back around to that light and be ok again."
She continued, "I think it's important to talk about it, there's still a bit of stigma attached to mental illness, even though more and more people are talking about it but I think it's important because nobody goes through life with everything wonderful all the time – it's not like that."
Black also recalled trying to find a balance between her home life and career as a touring musician.
"I tried to balance the home life – it was hard. It was hard leaving the kids. That was the hardest part of everything in my career, particularly when they were younger, it was heartbreaking," Black said.
"On the other hand, I wouldn't have been complete as a person had I not continued what I did, because I always loved singing; it was a big part of who I was.
"So to leave that behind me would've been a sacrifice for me but I think they also would've somehow missed out on something too in who I was as a person and who I became as a mother – I think it became a better mother in many ways."
"Joe didn't travel so it was hard on him too, at home juggling babies," she added.
If you have been affected by issues raised in this story, please visit: www.rte.ie/helplines.
