Kerry Katona "went into psychosis" after her marriage to Brian McFadden ended.
Kerry Katona 'went into psychosis'
The former Atomic Kitten singer - who has been open about her struggles with bipolar disorder - told how she "self-medicated" in the wake of her split from the ex-Westlife star in 2004, and it led to her mental health spiralling.
Commenting on actress Helen Flanagan's recent admission that a reaction to medication she took in the wake of her relationship ending had led to psychosis, she wrote in her column for new! magazine: "Good on her for being so open. It’s so hard being a mum. Say what you want about 'D-listers' like me, but we get it from all angles, having to juggle constant criticism with parenting and relationships.
"Having children is the hardest job in the world. I have five and constantly worry about them all. The fact that Helen went and got medication is good too.
"When I split with my first husband, I self-medicated and that sent me into psychosis, so she’s doing better than me."
Kerry - who has Molly, 22, and Lilly, 21, with Brian, Heidi, 17, and 15-year-old Max with second spouse Mark Croft, and 10-year-old DJ with late third husband George Kay - has recently taken some time off from work to be with her children, and she admitted taking a break has helped her mental health.
She wrote:"We didn’t go away anywhere during the Easter holidays. I didn’t book any work travel and I’ve tried to stay home and be with the kids. I love when they’re at home for the holidays, because I enjoy spending time with them.
"My anxiety hasn’t been great recently, so I was really glad to not be living out of a suitcase.
"Molly is back home from college this week – it’s really exciting because I haven’t seen her for months. She has demanded that I don’t work while she’s here. We’re just going to relax and watch TV together – that’s our thing."
Tagged in Atomic Kitten Brian McFadden Helen Flanagan