‘I was in the worst mental state I’ve ever been in’: Merrick Watts reveals how SAS Australia has helped him overcome his battle with depression – after seeing a psychologist and doing a meditation course ‘didn’t work’
Australian comedian and radio star Merrick Watts spoke candidly about his battle with anxiety and depression on SAS Australia on Monday.
And now the 46-year-old has revealed how signing up for the grueling Channel Seven show has helped him get through his darkest times.
Speaking to Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa on Tuesday, Merrick said that he was in the ‘worst mental state’ he’s ever been in before agreeing to go on the show.
‘I was in the worst mental state I’ve ever been in’: On Tuesday, Merrick Watts revealed on Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa how SAS Australia has helped him overcome his battle with depression – after seeing a psychologist and doing a meditation course ‘didn’t work’
The father-of-two said that before going on SAS Australia, he spoke to his doctor, saw a psychologist and even did a 10-week mediation course, that all did ‘nothing.’
‘I felt like I was chipping away,’ Merrick said, recalling his depression battle.
‘I did all the right things, I spoke to a psychologist, I spoke to my doctor, I did a 10-week meditation course. Nothing was working. I know that what I needed was to rebuild my confidence.’
‘I felt like I was chipping away’: The father-of-two said that before going on SAS Australia, he spoke to his doctor, saw a psychologist and even did a 10-week mediation course, that all did ‘nothing’
Merrick said he knew that going on SAS Australia would help him ‘rebuild his confidence.’
‘When I’m confident I’m very, very capable. When I’m not confident I go back into my shell… I knew that just the process of getting ready for SAS Australia would be enough to rebuild my confidence and I was right.’
‘I look at myself, a year ago and when I signed up for this show I was in the worst mental state I’ve ever been in. I look at myself a year later and I’m in the best physical and mental state I’ve been in in my entire life.’
He finished: ‘It’s been extraordinarily good for my mind and my body.’
‘It’s been good for my mind and body’: Merrick said he knew that going on SAS Australia would help him ‘rebuild his confidence’
On SAS Australia on Monday, Merrick spoke about his mental health battle and said that his confidence took a hit after losing his radio career ‘about three years ago’.
‘For 20 years, I worked in radio, and I was phenomenally successful. I had a number one radio program, getting massive ratings, earning a lot of money. It was a really, really good time. And it ended,’ he reflected.
‘You do something like radio for 20 years nonstop. You get used to a certain way of doing things, and then when you’re out of it for a little while, it’s exciting and then it’s kind of cool and it’s a release.’
Mental health woes: On SAS Australia on Monday, Merrick spoke about his mental health battle and said that his confidence took a hit after losing his radio career ‘about three years ago’
‘But then all of a sudden, there was a period where I just didn’t have a lot of work. There was a moment there where I just went, “What’s next for me? Who am I? What am I going to do?”
‘I lost my self-confidence and I lost my strength and myself. That slowly started to manifest into anxiety and depression.’
Merrick confessed that his struggle with anxiety and depression was what prompted him to sign up for the show.
‘I’m doing this course to completely change myself from what I was. Everybody knows me as just a happy-go-lucky kind of guy…’ he explained.
‘But I haven’t felt that way for a while. And I want to feel that way again.’
For confidential support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
Changing his life: ‘I’m doing this course to completely change myself from what I was. Everybody knows me as just a happy-go-lucky kind of guy…’ he explained