Archbishop admits suffering ‘black dog’ of depression

JUSTIN WELBY has revealed that he has suffered with the “black dog” as he spoke for the first time about his depressive episodes.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said he has only recognised that he experiences bouts of feeling “hopeless”, which have not been formally diagnosed as depression, within the past year.

Asked in an interview for GQ magazine whether he had ever been depressed, he said: “I think if you had asked me a year ago I’d have said ‘no’, and 10 years ago I’d have said ‘absolutely not’. But what was that phrase Churchill used? ‘Black dog’. There is an element of that. I think as I am getting older I am realising it does come from time to time.

“I have those moments – you would know this – when objectively everything is fine, but you think you are, beyond description, hopeless.”

Katharine Welby-roberts, the Archbishop’s daughter, has written and spoken about her own struggle with mental illness, anxiety and suicidal feelings. She was diagnosed with depression at the age of 19, and also suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome. Welby described her as “brilliant”.

Welby also told interviewer Alastair Campbell, who has campaigned about mental health issues, that he had “never seen anyone” about his own depressive episodes, though he had help with regard to post-traumatic stress disorder following his work in conflict zones. “At the moment [depression] seems to pass,” he said.

The Archbishop also spoke about the experience of having two alcoholic parents, saying that he remembered “really bad moments” from his childhood.

“It is unbelievably chaotic, frightening, disturbing, living with alcoholism. It is terrifying.”