LIFE LESSONS: 'I NEEDED TO GO TO REHAB BEFORE I ENDED UP IN A BOX'

AFTER YEARS OF MENTAL HEALTH BATTLES, TANYA BARDSLEY HAS FOUND PEACE, BALANCE AND THE STRENGTH TO FIGHT FOR CHANGE

- EVE MACDONALD

Former Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley is a woman on a mission. She is determined to help others struggling like she has with ADHD but who have slipped under the radar when it comes to getting a diagnosis and support.

And Tanya knows only too well what potentially fatal consequences this situation may have, after enduring a lifetime of mental health battles including three suicide attempts - the first when she was just eight years old. Here, she exclusively tells OK! how she reached breaking point after "self-medicating and abusing alcohol" towards the end of 2022.

"I was on a hamster wheel of death - I'd drink, feel anxious and have suicidal thoughts," Tanya, 42, reveals while explaining how this terrifying spiral led her to check into rehab.

As we join the mum-of-four and her footballer husband Phil Bardsley at their stunning home in Wilmslow, this dark period of Tanya's life seems very distant as she shares how she has now found peace, sobriety and spirituality. The life-changing experience of rehab has empowered her to fight for urgent changes to be made to support women who are secretly suffering with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Tanya recently visited the House of Commons with Tatton MP Esther McVey, who had urged Parliament to look at the severe delay in the diagnosis of ADHD. Their aim is to reduce the waiting list for a diagnosis and make the public - especially women - aware of the disorder. Tanya says, "I'm passionate about getting people diagnosed quicker even if they don't wish to take medication. It's so important to get the help you need whether it's meeting people just like you, or chatting to a GP, or visiting a support group like AA, we need to raise awareness.