Politics
Paddy McGuinness had therapy after spiralling into depression as he struggled to cope with his children’s autism
PADDY McGuinness has revealed he went to therapy after spiralling into a clinical depression.
The TV comic reached out for help as he struggled to cope with his children’s autism diagnosis.
PAPaddy McGuinness needed therapy after his children’s autism diagnosis[/caption]
InstagramPaddy and his wife Christine have opened up about their struggles in a new documentary[/caption]
In a series of powerful scenes in Paddy And Christine McGuinness: Our Family And Autism, the 48-year-old reveals his fears that twins, Leo and Penelope, eight, and five-year-old Felicity’s diagnosis may mean they never know how much he loves them.
Paddy at first refused to talk about it, but ended up in therapy to deal with his feelings.
He says: “It chipped away at me, with all of the things you have to do, things you have to deal with as a parent of children with autism. It dawned on me that, that’s it, that’s it for ever. There’s no ‘they’ll get better as the years go on’.
“In that whole haze of clinical depression, if you’d have given me the chance to take autism away from my children, I would have said ‘yeah’ but autism is part of who they are, so why would I want to take away a part of my children which I love?
“I wasn’t unhappy for me. I was just stressed with the whole thing but I worked my backside off because I thought the only thing I can do for these kids is give them a life where they’re as comfortable as possible.
“What I should have been thinking is I need to give them as much love as I can. It’s more about having time with them. I realise that now.”
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His wife Christine admits she was initially devastated by their kids’ diagnosis but then began looking into the condition, while Paddy struggled to accept it.
She says: “I was so upset about it because I didn’t understand it. Once I understood it, I realised it doesn’t change my children at all. My husband buried his head in work.
“There are times he just can’t cope with it. There are times when I want to shake him and say, ‘just get on with it. It’s not that big a deal’.
“But then the softer side of me thinks how awful must it be to live in a house with children who maybe you don’t understand or maybe you wished didn’t have this condition.”
Paddy And Christine McGuinness: Our Family And Autism, BBC1, tonight at 9pm.
BBCTop Gear host Paddy breaks down in tears in a new documentary[/caption]
BBCIn a series of powerful scenes in Paddy And Christine McGuinness: Our Family, Paddy tells of the impact his three autistic kids have had on his life[/caption]
