Savage Garden: Darren Hayes needs therapy to deal with childhood trauma

Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes has detailed his experience with therapy and mental health.

The 50-year-old singer revealed on ABC panel show Q+A on Thursday that he goes to therapy every week to deal with his childhood trauma and depression.

‘I’m very open about the fact that I live with a major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder,’ he said.

Brave: Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes revealed on ABC panel show Q+A on Thursday that he goes to therapy every week to deal with his childhood trauma and depression

‘For a couple of reasons: I’ll try to keep it brief,’ he added.

‘I grew up in a family with a violent, alcoholic father. He was physically abusive to my mother and to us as children.’

‘I’m 50 now, and I still go to therapy every week because of the results of that.

‘I also inherited – and proudly live with – a depressive disorder that comes mostly from my mother’s side of the family.’

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Traumatic: ‘I grew up in a family with a violent, alcoholic father. He was physically abusive to my mother and to us as children,’ the Truly Madly Deeply hitmaker said

Hayes also said that two people from his ‘immediate family have committed suicide’. 

Despite living with depression and trauma, the Truly Madly Deeply hitmaker said he was fortunate to be ‘born in a country with an amazing healthcare system’.

‘I unfortunately live in a country [the USA] with an atrocious healthcare system,’ he added.

‘I am always advocating about this country and how incredibly lucky we are to have access to this. But I really survived and am here today because of access to therapy and medication.’

Support: Despite living with depression and trauma, the Truly Madly Deeply hitmaker said he was fortunate to be ‘born in a country with an amazing healthcare system’

The Brisbane native went on to discuss his mental health in a unique way.

‘I describe my mental health condition as kind of like a superpower. It allows me to see a spectrum of colours that I don’t think everyone gets to see,’ he told the panel.

‘I think that sometimes, the emotions that I feel allow me to soar to great heights and dive to great depths that helped me in my artistry.

During the show, Hayes also reflected on his latest single, Poison Blood, and how his mental health experience inspired the lyrics.

‘I say in that song, “It’s a blessing, a gift and a curse / Every day’s a decision to stay with my poison blood,”‘ he told host Virginia Trioli.

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Inspired: During the show, Hayes also reflected on his latest single, Poison Blood, and how his mental health experience inspired the lyrics

Hayes’ appearance on Q+A comes months after he announced he would be touring Australia to celebrate 25 years of Savage Garden.

‘For the first time in over a decade I’ll be returning to Australian stages with my Do You Remember? Tour, celebrating 25 years of music,’ he announced in March.

His tour kicks off in Perth on January 31, 2023, before heading to Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.