Lauren Goodger opens up about secret six-month battle with mental health
Former Towie star Lauren Goodger has opened up about her secret battle with mental health, admitting she has been struggling for at least six months.
The reality TV personality, who used to be engaged to co-star Mark Wright, posted an Instagram story explaining her recent troubles.
In the lengthy series of videos, she said: "I've struggled the last quite a few months I'd say, minimum six, probably a bit longer, with mental health and I've been in quite a dark place and it's not something we post or talk about.
"The reason I'm talking about it now is because I feel like I've come through it, I'm not in that place, it's very early days.”
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Goodger added that she had just returned from a detox break in Portugal and admitted: “I cried every day, just because I've been through a lot with family, relationships, work, I've had stresses on with everything and my job and work and trying to get my business up and running. Like my tanning stuff, I've been trying to do, I've just had nothing but knock-backs and it makes us human and it makes us real.
"I've had friendships, relationships that haven't lasted and I don't look at it like a negative, I look at it like that was meant to be exactly what it was at that time, however hard it became.”
Lots of reality stars have spoken out recently about their struggles with fame and mental health following Love Island contestant Mike Thalassitis’ death from suicide earlier this year.
Former Towie star Joey Essex has talked about the help he was offered behind the scenes on the show, and former Jeremy Kyle Show consultant psychotherapist Graham Stanier has worked with some of the programme’s cast.
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Shows like Love Island have been called into question over their psychological support for contestants, and The Jeremy Kyle Show has now been cancelled following a guest’s suicide.
Goodger said: "The pressures I go through in the media, I've had people in my life that use me, I've had people in my life that were there for that good time, not all bad, but now I'm taking five minutes on my own to better myself and to not be in that dark place that I was in.
"Even last night I saw my family, some of them I haven't seen for years and I never post my family because I'm not that close to them and I'm not ashamed to admit that, but they are all there and I love them and they love me and I'm glad that I'm making these changes now and I'm keeping my positive friends around me and it's all about who you're around, who you're around you become as well."
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She added: “I am in a good place and I wanted to post because I do feel really happy.
"I've had lonely times, I've had sad times, I've had losses, I've had rejection but then I've gained some amazing things and succeeded at certain things but it takes time and it's lessons and I feel good at the minute and I feel like I'm ready to come back and I'm coming back with a bang and I'm ready for work.”
Goodger promised to post more updates about her mental health, including her battle with anxiety.
