Fair City's Maclean Burke said he felt like a ‘robot’ after suffering from a psychological breakdown when he hit rock bottom. But the star, best known as Damian Halpin on the hit RTE soap drama, said he has come out the other side even stronger and feels ready to talk about his hardships in the hopes of helping others.
“I had a complete psychological breakdown to the point where I couldn’t speak,” he told RTE Guide.
“I was still going to work, doing all the stuff, but I was like a robot.
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“That took its toll on me but I found someone who cared for me and she helped me get through it. I talk openly about that now because maybe it might help others.”
The well known Carrigstown favourite has been open about how his mental health suffered during the break down of his marriage.
As time has moved on, he credits his new partner Cat Nolan for helping him get through the tough period, when he felt at his lowest point in life. And he said he couldn’t imagine life without her now.
“I know it sounds soppy but every day I’m just thankful to have her in my life. She is a great anchor for me and I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“There was no choice but for me to get through it. I had four kids to keep on track," the 42-year-old went on. Now I never want to go back there or be in that position again. It’s a very frightening place and in a way, you can’t control it.
“But as long as you have someone with you so that you can open up and talk about it, then you will get through it. Booze for some people is the answer. It was never my answer thank God.”
Instead, the fitness and weight lifting enthusiast found solace in keeping active. He explained: “It helps to keep all my psychological issues at bay, so it’s good for the head.”
Looking back at how far he has come since, the doting dad of four said he is now able to see the valuable life lessons that came out of the tough time.
“You can reach the lowest of the lows and still get over it and move forward. In some ways, what happened also helped me. Without the bad stuff, I would not have found the true value of life, the time with the people you love and the people who love you.
“I can look back and be thankful for the journey. Although it broke me, it didn’t really. It just bent me up a bit and luckily I got to straighten myself out.”
Burke is one of the most well known and loved characters on Fair City, having played the role for almost 25 years.
Now in a much better place mentally, he told how he also feels a whole new found appreciation for his career in Carrigstown too in recent years.
He explained: “It’s a bit of a love-hate relationship that you have with these characters really.
“And that goes for soap too. You kind of fall in and out of love with it. I’m at a point now where I love it again.
“It must be part of just growing older, where you think that you might be missing out on other stuff, that there are things you should be doing instead. But I’ve been very lucky with some very decent storylines over the years.
“Fair City is a great gig for a working actor who is also trying to raise a family. The show is my bread and butter.”
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