Mai FM radio host Tegan Yorwarth has opened up about her depression diagnosis in a bid to urge fans and listeners to "run it straight" when it comes to looking after their mental health.
Yorwarth uploaded a candid video to her Instagram page on Monday night in which she revealed she had been on a "very tough journey" to deal with anxiety and depression after being diagnosed earlier in the year.
"I'm still working through it, but I'm getting there," she said. "It's not something that just fixes itself overnight."
As one third of the Mai Morning Crew, Yorwarth said she felt a responsibility to use her platform to help others who might be struggling with similar issues, telling fans: "I just want to put it out there that you're not alone."
The radio host, who tied for Best New Broadcaster at this year's New Zealand Radio Awards, admitted the pressures of a public job sometimes made it scary to speak up.
"Because I've sort of got to be the best version of myself and I'm always expected to be energetic and bubbly, it's almost harder for me to have that conversation of 'actually I'm not feeling alright, I'm not okay'," she said in the video.
Yorwarth wanted to people watching the clip to know that mental illness is "more normal than you think".
"It's okay to not be okay all the time. Don't ever bottle that stuff up, it's not good for you. Think about yourself first," she said.
Finishing on a light note, Yorwath urged viewers to remember "sometimes you gotta be a sad bitch before you're a bad bitch!"
The broadcaster received an outpouring of support in the comments section of her Instagram post, including some words of encouragement from her co-host Jordan River, who wrote: "Stoked you're in a place to share this korero."
