‘I HAD PSYCHOSIS AFTER BRI SPLIT’
Kerry ‘self-medicated after McFadden break-up’
KERRY Katona has candidly opened up on suffering from psychosis following her split from husband Brian McFadden.
The TV personality and mum-of-five sent her love to actress Helen Flanagan, who recently told of how she suffered an episode of psychosis after a “bad reaction” to ADHD medication.
The former Coronation Street star explained how she had been struggling with her mental health after splitting from her long-term partner Scott Sinclair 18 months ago.
Kerry thanked Helen for being so open and explained how she can relate because she went through something similar when her marriage to ex Westlife star Brian McFadden broke down in 2004. Writing in her weekly OK! column, Kerry said: “Helen Flanagan has opened up about going into psychosis after a reaction to medication she was prescribed when she split with Scott Sinclair. 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.
Worry
“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.”
The admission comes after Kerry opened up about her recent struggles with anxiety after suffering from a number of panic attacks.
“I’ve always suffered from anxiety, but over the past couple of weeks it’s been really bad,” she told New magazine.
“I don’t know what has triggered it. I kept trying to ignore it, but then on Mother’s Day night it came to a head and I just broke down in tears.
“My throat was closing up and I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“The anxiety has stayed with me ever since.”
Kerry continued: “It’s been awful — it can be crippling. There are times where I don’t want to leave the house, but I force myself to.
“I feel like I just want to curl up and hide. It’s scary. I keep thinking, ‘What is going on with my body?’ I’ve been in tears saying, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I’m panicking that I’m going to die.”
EX-HUSBAND: Kerry and Brian back in 2003