Helen Flanagan reveals she suffered from psychosis after reaction to medication
By Laura Harding, PA Deputy Entertainment Editor
Helen Flanagan has revealed she was sent into a psychosis after a “bad reaction” to her ADHD medication as she battled with her mental health.
The actress, 33, best known for her role as Rosie Webster in Coronation Street, said she was “emotionally struggling” after splitting from the father of her children.
She recently broke up with footballer Scott Sinclair – with whom she shares Matilda, seven, Delilah, five, and Charlie, two.
Flanagan pulled out of a theatre tour of Cluedo 2 as she battled a bad reaction to her medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
In her first Instagram post since January, she wrote: “Had a few months off from social but I’m back now.
“So basically I really struggled mental health wise December/January. I felt really not great in my head over Christmas and I didn’t really feel that much different when I took the kids away for new year.
“I had a lot of difficult things going on things I just can’t talk about on Instagram.
“I felt terrible, so I was due my theatre tour which I was excited about so when I came back from holiday I thought it was best for me to take some medication so I’d feel better and be able to cope better with being a working single mum of three and I was emotionally struggling with the break up from the father of my kids.”
She added: “I had a really bad reaction though to the medication (an ADHD medication) and it sent me into a psychosis for a few days which I didn’t know I was in.
“I just love my kids so much x this bad reaction though was a few days before rehearsals were starting and sadly I just wasn’t mentally well enough to do it.
“I was heartbroken as I’ve always been professional as an actress but i needed to stay at home and feel better for me and my kids, with the help of my amazing parents.”
Flanagan added she felt like she was in a “really good happy place”, and has found therapy to be “amazing”.
She continued: “I feel like I’ve worked on myself with things that were quite tough to me but I feel lighter now.”
Flanagan was replaced in role of Miss Scarlett in Cluedo 2 by Strictly Come Dancing winner Ellie Leach.
At the time, it was announced that Flanagan had withdrawn from the show for “medical reasons”.
