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Home Page > Entertainment > Beloved Irish American musician Seamus K admits battling crippling depression

Beloved Irish American musician Seamus K admits battling crippling depression

One of irish America's best known entertainers discusses battle for his sanity

SEAMUS K,

IrishCentral Contributing Writer

Published Thursday, July 26, 2012, 7:10 AM

Updated Thursday, July 26, 2012, 10:24 AM

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Seamus K

Photo by Handout

My wife was a rock through the experience, although I know it was difficult for her on many levels. She had to take care of the kids and make sure they were okay, put in a full day at work and then come visit me at the hospital each evening and put on a brave face.

I’m spending a lot more time now with my wife and with the kids. I’m more involved with the children than I have been at any time in the past. I want to be around to see them grow up and be there for them in good and challenging times.

I also have a lot of guitar licks that still need to be heard and plenty of silly jokes waiting to be told. I wake up every morning thankful that I can enjoy another day and as the song goes, I take it, “One Day at a Time.”

Below are a list of resources that can be of help for those dealing with depression and anxiety. In this day and age, there is no need for them to suffer in silence.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255. AA is at 212-870-3400 or www.aa.org. Narcotics Anonymous is at 818-773-9999 or www.na.org.

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MarybethC.P. | Aug 01, 2012, 01:20 PM EDT

Thanks for sharing this, Seamus K.! It's super-important for all the world to understand health issues that may have a "stigma" attached, as you say! I also hope you are aware of alternative nutritional advice which has been helpful to those who suffer with depression and other mental health diseases. Thank you again!

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handsome68 | Jul 26, 2012, 02:46 PM EDT

Both my Irish-born parents tended towards depression. My 3 siblings have had some issues with it, and at least one with alcoholism. As for me, for some years now I have been taking medication and going to counseling for it. I don't go over up to 2 drinks a day if that much, and to quote my mother, I "watch it like a hawk". I had constant anxiety, suffered from both high and low self-esteem, and stuttered for years, and am only getting better now, quite late in life. God is good. And I realize more or less all the time now: I am good, too.

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IrishRyan | Jul 26, 2012, 12:14 PM EDT

i hope seamus gets through his depression, its a terrible illness and most people arrograntly think its people just being unhappy. Its ALOT more than that and is the most common psychological illness on the planet, 1 in 5 will experience it once in their lives. Get well seamus and i hope you pull through

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jerrydonovan | Jul 26, 2012, 12:11 PM EDT

Firstly,Murph46,get yourself a good doctor as the current occupant of 1600 Pennslyvania ave.is going to continue his occupancy for the next four years.Seamus God bless you and your family.I will remember you in my prayers.If you ignore knuckledraggers like Murph46 they eventually crawl back in below a rock.

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redhand32 | Jul 26, 2012, 11:51 AM EDT

Seamus, first let me say, please excuse the retarded remark of "angry white guy" "Murph46," whose puerile trivialization of a serious illness such as depression betrays his own affliction, overdosing from Ignorance Addiction from Fox "News" and Rush Limbaugh. As you probably know, "angry white guy" syndrome strikes GOP, Tea Baggers, and the like, It causes their higher faculties to rot from too much Hannity, O'Reilly, and Limbaugh. Getting Serious, I would like to thank you for also humanizing "depression" as the illness it is, not a "character defect" as many uninformed, mostly right wingnut types argue. I am waiting for the shoe to drop, when Limbaugh and his ilk have another contraception moment, and suggest that our liberty is compromised if employers must continue to pay for "character defects." Those of us who suffer from Clinical Depression, who seek treatment for ourselves and families are not the weak ones. It those in denial who either reject their condition, or insult others such as ourselves as weaklings, who fall short of facing life's challenges. All the best !

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Murph46 | Jul 26, 2012, 10:07 AM EDT

I get depressed every time they show the roomer at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!

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KilkennyCats | Jul 26, 2012, 09:55 AM EDT

Seamus, I admire your courage, and your wife's as well. Good luck to you and your family. I look forward to seeing you perform in PA and elsewhere.

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