Eoghan Murphy Reveals Mental Health Struggles Behind Political Exit
Former Housing Minister discusses panic attacks and coping mechanisms that led to his resignation from politics.
Former Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy quit politics amid concerns for his mental health, he revealed yesterday.
The 42-year-old, who resigned from the Dail in 2021, told how he suffered panic attacks and went on a 24-hour booze bender in London to escape the pressures of the job.
He said: “I was embarrassed about why I was leaving politics and a bit ashamed as well.
But I was quite desperate to get out, so I was trying to move very quickly." He added that he wanted to have exit interviews and leave, reflecting on how his initial idealism was lost over time.
Murphy discussed his mental health, saying, "My therapist feels that I don’t give enough when talking about it because I always talk about it as panic attacks." He acknowledged having moments of crisis severe enough to cause him to quit politics swiftly, although leaving it was more challenging than expected.
Murphy has detailed in a new book how he "just lost it" in a meeting with then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar when he tried to explain his need to resign.
To combat anxiety and pressure, he resorted to sleeping pills and long-distance runs, as well as excessive drinking.
Speaking on RTE Radio One, Murphy mentioned frequent confrontations and the emotional toll of direct and brutal interactions with people.
Elected as a Dublin city councillor in 2009 and serving in the Dail from 2011, Murphy also worked for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe after leaving politics.
The 42-year-old, who resigned from the Dail in 2021, told how he suffered panic attacks and went on a 24-hour booze bender in London to escape the pressures of the job.
He said: “I was embarrassed about why I was leaving politics and a bit ashamed as well.
But I was quite desperate to get out, so I was trying to move very quickly." He added that he wanted to have exit interviews and leave, reflecting on how his initial idealism was lost over time.
Murphy discussed his mental health, saying, "My therapist feels that I don’t give enough when talking about it because I always talk about it as panic attacks." He acknowledged having moments of crisis severe enough to cause him to quit politics swiftly, although leaving it was more challenging than expected.
Murphy has detailed in a new book how he "just lost it" in a meeting with then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar when he tried to explain his need to resign.
To combat anxiety and pressure, he resorted to sleeping pills and long-distance runs, as well as excessive drinking.
Speaking on RTE Radio One, Murphy mentioned frequent confrontations and the emotional toll of direct and brutal interactions with people.
Elected as a Dublin city councillor in 2009 and serving in the Dail from 2011, Murphy also worked for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe after leaving politics.
