Frankie Bridge said that her youngest child Carter, five, caught her on a 'particularly bad day'
Frankie Bridge has opened up about her personal battle with mental health, revealing that it left her in 'the depths of despair'. In a conversation with co-star Kaye Adams on Loose Women: The Podcast, she delved into the complexities of ageing and anxiety.
"It's a hard one because I feel like my answer should be that they know everything," she said, according to the Mirror. "I feel like I should have had the conversation with them, that I do suffer with depression and anxiety, but I think it's a hard conversation to have with them because I don't know how much of it they really understand.
"...I think the anxiety side they know about because my youngest often talks to me about anxiety, and that's quite an open conversation that we have, but depression, I feel like is harder to explain."
Depression is more than just feeling unhappy or low for a few days - it's a condition that causes persistent sadness for weeks, months or even years. NHS figures suggest that one in every four UK adults experience some kind of mental health issue, such as depression or anxiety.
"Some people think depression is trivial and not a genuine health condition," NHS guidance explains. "They're wrong – it is a real illness with real symptoms. Depression is not a sign of weakness or something you can 'snap out of' by 'pulling yourself together'.
"The good news is that with the right treatment and support, most people with depression can make a full recovery."
Just recently, Frankie said that her youngest child Carter, nine, caught her on a 'particularly bad day' where she was 'really crying' in the 'depths of despair'.
At the time, she told him that it was just a painful migraine, which he seemed to accept while expressing that he hoped she'd 'feel better' soon. But months later, she realised how much it affected him.
"I didn't really realise how much that had sat with him until my birthday a couple of months ago," the 36-year-old said. "Wayne said to me, 'Look, there's a present that Carter wanted me to get for you'.
"...When I opened it, it was two boxes of ibuprofen, and he said to Wayne, 'Should we get her something that can help with migraines because she gets them really bad, doesn't she?', and then that's why he'd got them.
"Actually, I just thought that was so sweet, but then I thought, I'm really going to have to explain this to him. Otherwise, every time when he's growing up, someone cries, he's going to think they've got a migraine."
Do I have depression?
While the symptoms of depression are incredibly complex and vary between individuals, the NHS has outlined several psychological, social and physical symptoms of the condition.
These include the following:
Irritability and feeling intolerant of others
Lack of enjoyment in day-to-day life
Neglecting interests and hobbies
Struggles in home, work or family life
Anxiousness and worry
Low sex drive/libido
Difficulty making decisions
Constipation
Hopeless and helpless
Suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself
Tearfulness
Speaking or moving more slowly than usual
Avoiding contact with friends and taking part in fewer social activities
Sleep disturbances
Lack of motivation or interest in things
Appetite and weight changes
Lack of energy
Persistent low mood or sadness
Guilt-ridden feelings
Low self-esteem
Aches and pains with no apparent cause
The NHS adds: "The symptoms of depression range from mild to severe. At its mildest, you may simply feel persistently low in spirit, while severe depression can make you feel suicidal, that life is no longer worth living.
"Most people experience feelings of stress, anxiety or low mood during difficult times. A low mood may improve after a short period of time, rather than being a sign of depression."
