We know and love him as the happy-go-lucky comedian. But on Monday night, Dave Hughes showed off a more sensitive side when he shared his personal experiences with cannabis and the impact it has had on his life.
The 44-year-old spoke candidly, admitting when he was 21 he suffered from depression and decided to quit drinking and smoking cannabis all together.
“I was drinking heavily and smoking marijuana and I went to my mother,” he explained.
Dave told his mum, who was a registered nurse, about the scary episodes he was having at night.
“I said, ‘Mum I think I have schizophrenia.’”
She then took him to a doctor, who advised him to stop dabbling with the booze and illicit substances.
“It took me courage to say to my Mum ‘I think I have an issue here’ and we went to the doctor together and I felt so much better just having told people about it and the road to recovery started then.”
“I don’t drink at all. I think the toughest man at the pub is surrounded by a group of drinkers and says, ‘no, I’ll be right’,” he said.
The brave-funny-man brought to light a serious issue that many men face in this country and hopefully with more people coming forward with their experiences it will inspire others to reach out for help .
If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Beyond Blue: 1800 22 46 36
