Alastair Campbell Speaks Openly About His Depression

20 April 2017, 18:17

The former communications director for Tony Blair talks candidly about wrestling with depression and how its impact on his family led him to seek help.

As Labour's press secretary and director of communications Alastair Campbell was one of the most influential people in British politics. At the same time though he was suffering badly from depression, as he explains to Iain Dale.

"Most of those people I was working with, they thought I was a bit of a genius. They thought 'this guy is just incredible. He's able to drink all the time and work all the time.

"I was falling apart inside."

Campbell focused on work and avoided his mental health problem, refusing to acknowledge it existed. This changed when he realised the affect it was having on his family.

After a bad episode, which led to Campbell being locked up by police after he was seen acting oddly, his wife started to suffer physically.

"As a result of that, I felt I had a responsibilty to sort myself out.

"I think up until then I felt I was on this amazing high-flying career. I felt really in control of everything. But clearly I wasn't for quite a long time."

Alastair Campbell was speaking to Iain Dale as part of LBC's Mental Health Matters day.