Countryfile’s Julia Bradbury opens up about her secret battle with depression
Julia said problems in both her professional and personal life prompted her to see a psychologist
JULIA Bradbury has opened up about her secret battle with depression revealing she sought the help of a psychologist after "things came to a head" in both her personal and professional lives.
The 46-year-old, who presents Britain's Best Walks, revealed counselling has helped her come back from some dark times.
Speaking to , she said: "Things came to a head. I was dealing with a stressful work relationship.
“There was a battle of wills going on and a romantic relationship that wasn’t going very well.
"Also I had been diagnosed with endometriosis, which affected my moods. It all got on top of me.”
The ITV star underwent IVF treatment and she and husband Gerard Cunningham are parents to Zephyrus, five, and two-year-old twins Xanthe and Zena.
Julia, who quit Countryfile in 2014, said she decided to go public with her story in the hopes of encouraging others to open up about their mental health.
She said: “Everyone has bad times. My own experience with depression was serious enough for me to go to my doctor and ask for a referral.
“I went to see a psychologist for a few months and he was really good. It did help to talk to someone neutral.
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“Sometimes you want to talk to someone outside your family who isn’t even a friend because you don’t want to be judged.
“I was still functioning but the counselling gave me support. It got me back on track.”
Julia is now launching a campaign for mental health charity MQ and is also an advocate of using exercise as an aid to battle mental health.
She said: “Exercise is important to clear the mind and walking is right up there. It is such a tonic, I call it mental wealth. It really helps."
However, she added that she "definitely wouldn’t call myself an exercise freak. I don’t spend all my time in the gym – I’m quite lazy.
“I just try to build it into my life. It’s worth making the time. It keeps us healthier for longer.
“And I have three young children so I need to be strong – there’s a lot of lugging around.”
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