Katy Perry opens up about her mental illness.

Image: Getty

UPDATE:

Pop star Katy Perry has candidly spoken about her experience with depression during an interview with The Project.

After splitting from ex-husband Russell Brand in 2011, the 30-year-old Firework singer became depressed to the point she contemplated suicide. “It was sad and there were thoughts, but there were never actions, thankfully,” she told host Rove McManus.

Katy also explained she wrote her song ‘By the Grace of God’ so anybody going through the same thing wouldn’t feel alone.

“You always feel like you’re the only one going through that. Well then comes along a song that speaks to you, that makes you feel like, ‘Gosh, I can get through this. If she can get through this, I can get through this.”

Danny Baker previously wrote:

I recently posted a question on my Facebook page asking people who’d suffered from depression to describe what it felt like so that those who’d never experienced it could understand it better. Here were the responses:

You may also like:

What to do if you think a loved one might be suicidal.

How recovering from depression saved my life. 

To those who are currently suffering from depression:

I know how painful depression can be, because I’ve been there myself. But please take solace in the fact that you are not alone – as you can see from all these responses, and the dozens of others that, due to lack of space, I couldn’t include in this article. Remember that the World Health Organisation estimates that 350 million people suffer from depression worldwide; you are one of many, and you have nothing to be ashamed of.

The other thing I want to tell you is that, as hard as it may be to believe, recovery IS possible. If you don’t believe me, download a free copy of my memoir, which recounts my struggle and eventual triumph over depression. When you read it, you’ll see that I’ve felt everything described in the list above, and that there were times when I was convinced that I’d never, ever get better. But these days I’m very happy and healthy – as are thousands if not millions of other people who’ve also suffered from depression. We’re all proof that recovery is possible.

To those who’ve never suffered from depression:

Perhaps it’s not possible for you to understand what it truly feels like to have clinical depression unless you’ve suffered from it yourself, but the above descriptions should give you some indication. If nothing more, they should make you realise that depression is far, far more severe than just “having the blues” or feeling “sad”. It is a soul-sucking, debilitating illness – one that is so severe that it claims nearly a million lives a year worldwide. So if you know someone who has it, don’t just tell them to “pull themselves together” or to simply “get over it”. Instead, listen to them. Support them. And most importantly, be their friend.

Danny Baker is a 25 year old author, life coach and mental health advocate from Sydney, Australia. If you enjoyed reading his post, you may be interested in his book My Recovery Blueprint – How I Overcame Depression in Three Straightforward Steps and how you can do the same. Get your copy from Amazon here.

If this post brings up issues for you, you can also visit Beyondblue: the national depression initiative  online, or call them on 1300 22 4636. You should also talk to your local GP.