Carol McGiffin on mental health struggles in lockdown: 'I've never felt so close to seeking help'

Carol McGiffin has revealed the toll the coronavirus and subsequent lockdown has taken on her mental health.

The Loose Women star divulged that she has been feeling stressed, anxious and struggles to get out of bed on some days, leaving her considering asking for help.

Speaking via video chat on the ITV show, the 60-year-old disclosed: “I have to say now during this lockdown and the stress that's going through everybody's mind at the moment, the sleep problems I'm having, the terrible anxiety dreams I'm having, everything else. I've never felt so close to seeking help in my whole life, and I'm quite old.

Read more: Nearly a third of Brits feel their mental health has suffered during lockdown

“I think I've escaped quite well so far and some days I must say I've got to the point where I think 'I can't get out of bed today'. “

McGiffin went on to say how it led her to better understand the struggles of her co-star Denise Welch who has been open about her decades long battle with depression.

“I've always been very sympathetic but I've never really understood how bad can that be and I am getting very close to it now with this because I can't see an end in sight to any of it and the future scares me, my health scares me, everything scares me,” she said.

McGiffin has been isolating in France with her husband Mark Cassidy, and returned to Loose Women last week for the first time since March.

Back in May, regular panellist Andrea McLean opened up on how she found herself in a “dark place” last year as she suffered a breakdown.

She explained she would’ve struggled to cope had she still felt the same way when the UK went into lockdown but thankfully she had managed to get better through help and support.