Co Kildare man speaks about battle with depression with 5 deaths by suicide in the county within days

Within a few days five Co Kildare people have lost their lives to suicide spurring a candlelight vigil in Newbridge  next Tuesday. One Newbridge man has overcome depression and panic attacks. Niall Munnelly(36),  owner of The Performance & Fitness Academy, spiralled into feeling very low at the age of 24. Mr Munnelly attempted suicide and could see no end to the despair. Over the past number of years, he has been integral to the You're not alone 5km,  raising €22,000 for HOPE-D. He said: "Depression hit me when I was 24, looking back I had mental health issues, all the way growing up. I was battling my demons from a very young age. At 24 it came to a head." Life was good on the outside for the 24-year-old Mr Munnelly, he had a job as an electrician and owned an apartment in Dublin. However, he was not happy and was dabbling in drugs and alcohol to mask his problems. He said: "I did not know what it was, I got very down in myself. I got panic attacks, I was confused, I did not know anyone who was suffering from depression." Mr Munnelly recalls bursting into tears in front of his family and disclosing that he had attempted to take his own life. He recalls how even running would trigger a panic attack. Mr Munnelly said: "I felt that I was a nuisance to my family, I could not see the end. How was I going to keep on living in my sixties, if I felt like this at 24." He spent 18 months on a dose of Xanax and Prozac. Mt Munnelly spent 18 months living at his father's home, as his parents had separated at that stage.  He was unable to work. He said: "It was a horrible time, I spent a lot of time on my own in the house." In the end, he reached a point where he felt he could not go on and told his father that he wanted to end his own life. He was encouraged come off his medication and begin exercise. He said: "I had played sports for my county, I was in Mosney for athletics, I would try to get out for a walk, but I was lazy and dopey from all the medication." His was encouraged to contact family friend Gerry Loftus, who he describes as his saviour. He said: "He talked to me, he got my confidence back. He was my guardian angel, who got me back on a path. I was broken, I do believe he came into my life at the right time. 24 more hours and I could have killed myself." Mr Munnelly found his cure to depression in physical fitness. He said: "Fitness and exercise became my life. Feeling good about myself was almost instant, I could function better within about three to six months. I could return to work. There was a euphoric moment, my brain and my body started firing again. Tablets work for a lot of people, but I threw them away in the end. Fitness is the most underutilised antidepressant in the world." After reaching a good point in his mental health, Mr Munnelly moved to New Zealand where he began working in a fitness studio and worked there for a number of years. But his heart was in Newbridge and Ireland. He returned home, went to college and established six years ago, The Performance Academy at Ladytown, Naas, with his brother Dominic Munnelly. Now he is also starting to train as a Psychotherapist. He said: "Now 13 years later, physically and mentally it’s the best I’ve ever been. It’s been a long, long road to recovery to get to where I am today and to have what I have today, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Suffering from depression, anxiety and panic attacks saved my life and put me on the path that I’m on today so for that I’ll be forever grateful. I’m not playing down mental health at all but I just want to show people that might be suffering that there’s light at the end of the tunnel and to keep fighting. Suffering can be a long hard road with set backs but you need to keep fighting and never give up. You’re not alone. If I can do it, so can you." He would like to see more state funding for mental health services and is disappointed that HOPE- D in Newbridge relies solely on public fundraising and the generosity of the public,  without any state assistance. HOPE-D is a completely voluntary donation based organisation operating its counselling services at rented accommodation, No 2 Henry Street Newbridge-just up from the old Oscar Cinema. The organisation has eight counsellors, six females and two male . They also provide Refloxology and Reiki. Next Tuesday, October 10, HOPE- D, are encouraging people to bring candles and lanterns in a candlelit vigil, in Newbridge, for all those who have lost their lives to suicide. On next Tuesday evening people are being encouraged to 'walk together in solidarity' from 2 Henry St, Newbridge, down the Main St and gather at The Liffey Linear Park for 7.30pm, where there will be speakers and readings. [caption id="attachment_187970" align="alignleft" width="300"] Niall Munnelly, then & now.[/caption]                 The symptoms of depression can be complex. If you are depressed, you often lose interest in things you used to enjoy. Depression commonly interferes with your work, social life and family life. There are many other symptoms, which can be psychological, physical and social.