Darren struggles with depression
ASHLEY TAYLOR DAWSON TELLS US HIS ALTER EGO DARREN’S DEPRESSION HAS BEEN A JOURNEY FOR HIM, TOO…
This is what Hollyoaks does best, getting a message out there to the public and encouraging people to open up,” explains actor Ashley Taylor Dawson, as he joins us to talk about his character Darren’s battle with depression. “Sadly, depression is so common these days, and it’s something that everyone can relate to.”
It’s been clear to viewers for quite some time that all is not right with Darren, as he struggles to carry out even the simplest of tasks, and often breaks down in tears when nobody else is around. A conversation with his old love rival Kyle leads Darren to finally figure out what’s going on this week – but as Ashley tells us, this is just the start of Darren’s journey…
Hi Ashley. how do you feel about tackling such an important story?
I do feel a bit apprehensive. But this storyline has been a real eye-opener for me. Before we started, I had to have an interview with a psychologist, which was really interesting. We’ve all been through something, haven’t we? At first I was a bit reticent to even go there, but if I can’t go and speak to someone myself, then I would be completely contradicting the storyline I’m playing. It’s important to practise what I preach.
So talk us through the symptoms that Darren has been displaying so far…
He’s really struggling. His emotions are taking over, which is something he’s never experienced before, and he doesn’t understand what’s going on. Darren is this fun-loving guy, cracking all the jokes – he’s old-school, he thinks he just needs to ‘man-up’ and get on with it.
Why doesn’t Darren feel that he can talk to anybody about how he’s feeling?
It’s a typical man’s point of view. He doesn’t think that he’s entitled to feel like this when Luke’s just been told he has a terminal illness, and Tony’s been locked up for months by a serial killer. He doesn’t think he needs to talk about it, he thinks if he just gets on with things, it will go away. However, as research has taught us, that’s not the way to deal with things.
Darren’s thrown himself into organising an open-mic night, but doesn’t attend the event – why?
It’s all part of depression – you can’t face the world, and sometimes just getting out of bed is too much. He’s put so much pressure on this night, he’s arranged it all, and the last one was a failure as he forgot to hand out the fliers. So the best way for him to deal with it is to hide, and say he’s ill.
It’s a conversation with Kyle that finally makes Darren realise he has depression. What happens?
Kyle realises that Darren hasn’t turned up to the open-mic night, so he goes to see him – and quite frankly puts Darren in his place. Kyle’s the one who breaks down the barrier and tells Darren he’s depressed. I don’t think Darren even understands what depression is at that point – but he feels as though he’s finally taken the rucksack off his shoulders and can breathe for a little bit.
What are you hoping the viewers will take away from this story?
The main thing is, don’t suffer in silence. It’s good to talk – but it’s not just about talking, it’s about who you talk to. You can speak to the wrong people. It’s natural for some to say, “You’re okay, you’ll be fine,” but that might be the worst thing they could do as it closes the gate on you opening up. Whether you tell your loved ones or seek professional help, it’s good to take baby steps.
Darren’s struggling, but thinks he just needs to ‘man-up’…