- hannah richie
- BBC News, Sydney
image source, Getty Images
Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed that he sought treatment for debilitating anxiety disorder while in office.
In his new book, Mr Morrison cites “pure physical exhaustion” and the “relentless brutality of politics” as central to his struggle.
He said he was sharing his story to “de-stigmatize” mental illness.
“My doctor was surprised I had survived this long,” Mr Morrison wrote in an excerpt published in The Australian.
“Without this help, I would have developed severe depression.
“Politicians are not made of stone, but politicians are often treated as if they are, including each other,” he continued.
Mr Morrison, a conservative who led Australia from 2018 to 2022, wrote on social media that he wanted to “normalize” something that is “very common to many Australians”.
He also told ABC News that he wanted to make clear that politicians with mental illness can still perform at a high level.
“Because I asked for help, I was able to function fully. [It is] It’s important that people understand that this doesn’t have to hold you back. I kept the Oaks ashore in the middle of this,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, referring to the US-UK defense agreement.
The 55-year-old father-of-two joins other leaders around the world in opening up about similar issues, including former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who has spoken out about her battle with burnout, and Mr Morrison’s predecessor Malcolm Turnbull. He has joined the ranks of the people. His memoir in which he wrote that he experienced suicidal thoughts in 2009.
During his time in the top job, Mr Morrison oversaw Australia’s pandemic response and the 2019-20 bushfire crisis, and was embroiled in historic scandals over his secret appointments to several cabinet positions.
He retired from politics in January after 17 years in public service and joined the private sector.
His resignation had long been expected after Labor’s Anthony Albanese suffered a crushing defeat in the 2022 election, leaving the Liberal Party and National Coalition with the lowest number of seats on record.
