Jenny Ryan: The Chase star opens up about struggles after 'tough' month

express.co.uk:

The Chase star Jenny Ryan took to Instagram on Friday to explain why she hadn't been on social media in a while.Despite her fearless appearance on the ITV quiz show, the 39-year-old has suffered from depression and mental health issues since her teens.And the start of each year, Jenny says that's when her mental state tends to be at its lowest.The TV personality used the social platform's story feature to repost a TikTok video.She captioned the post, writing: "Wobbly mental health checkpoint."In the clip, Jenny said: "I've not been doing much social media for a little while."That's because I've been struggling with my 'wobbly' mental health."She went on to say that January is traditionally a "really tough time" for her, mentioning things such as not getting enough daylight and political matters being partly to blame."So that's not just affecting me but everyone who has wobbly mental health," she said while managing to crack a slight smile.Jenny continued by asking her 60,400 followers for a favour."Will you reach out to a friend of yours who you haven't heard from in a while…"… it doesn't have to be a deep and meaningful chat."Just send them a meme or a TikTok, and it will have such a positive impact on somebody who's feeling down at the moment."Jenny had previously discussed her mental health, saying she felt as if she had lost touch with reality at the peak of her depression battle.In a 2019 interview with The Mirror, the ITV quizzer expressed how she felt that her brain stopped working in her late teens.Jenny was later diagnosed with depression which she said was a relief because it assured her she wasn't the only person feeling the way she did."I'd always been the genius of the family.Teachers said I'd definitely go.