Osher Günsberg's wife on living with his mental illness

Osher Günsberg’s wife has opened up about what it’s like living with his mental illness, revealing that some days it feels like she’s “living with another man”.

Audrey Griffen met her TV host hubby on the set of the first season of The Bachelor back in 2015 and said from the beginning he was always “open and honest about his state of mind”.

However, despite their life in the spotlight appearing to be perfect, she admits in a self-penned article on Ten Daily it hasn’t “always been plain sailing”.

The makeup artist described that even though she knew what her man was going through, some days it felt as if she was “living with another man”, one who was filled with pain and who coped by pushing her away.

“I found it difficult to reconcile this “Other Osher” with the Osher that I loved, as he behaved in ways that my Osher wouldn’t,” she said. “Sometimes the “Other Osher” said or did things that hurt me deeply, or made me feel like our relationship wasn’t enough to make him happy.”

Despite it being tough, she said she would remind herself that his actions were being driven by his anxiety and fears and focus on that.

But before things got better, they got really bad. The 44-year-old hit a dark place she explained, one where he was flooded with “thoughts of suicide”.

She found that he was keeping busy as times of idleness could give way to fear and anxiety, and said that, “[Some]times I would have to drag him emotionally back to the present, to join us in the real world instead of drowning in the terror that he sometimes found himself in.”

Audrey fought hard, determined to help her man. And eventually, she made a break through.

“In the end, it wasn’t reasoning that helped crack through that belief of his, but reassurance that he wouldn’t be alone,” she said, though of course it was only the beginning of Osher’s road to recovery.

She detailed that she often felt she had to “drag” him back to real life, admitting at times she felt guilty not knowing if she was doing the right thing.

The biggest change came though she said when Osher began talking about his health struggles on his podcast.

She said that his audience really resonated with his experience as he began sharing more and more of his journey. It was something that really brought home the fact that he isn’t alone.

Audrey said the pair are now in a “healthier space” but it can still be a rollercoaster ride for her and daughter Georgia, who do their best to support him.

Osher himself has credited his wife for bringing him back from the edge, telling the Daily Telegraph last year he was “so grateful” for all she has done.

If you’re experiencing feelings of anxiety or depression contact Beyond Blue, Batyr or PANDA for support.