Kirk Norcross has opened up about the traumatic moment he tried to save his dad’s life when he discovered he had killed himself.
The former TOWIE star appeared on Loose Women to open up about life since he lost his dad in the hope of raising awareness for male mental health and the Stand By Your Man campaign.
Kirk, 33, was left suffering from PTSD after the tragic loss of his dad, Mick Norcross, on January 21 2021.
Businessman Mick ended his own life after finding himself suffering from depression when he accrued debts in the Covid-19 pandemic.
Talking about the upcoming one year anniversary of Mick’s death, Kirk explained how suffering from trauma and PTSD around his dad’s death has impacted his life.
(Image: ITV)
He said: “It’s weird, I don’t know if people will understand. It’s been the quickest year ever and the slowest year ever. It’s so hard to explain. I’ve got a bit of a mental block. I can’t remember my Dad being here, but I can like a dream.”
He then recalled the events of the day Mick tragically committed suicide explaining: “I live next to my father, I was with him the night before, that morning, I was having my breakfast, he comes in and does what he normally does take a little bit off my plate, and he was fine.
“He actually gave me his next business strategy, I was like ‘brilliant if that’s what you want to do’, and yeah, that afternoon he killed himself.
(Image: ITV)
“I was indoors just having my lunch, and I got a call from my dad’s partner saying ‘I can’t find your dad’, and I do not know why, even though I’d seen him that morning, I knew what had happened. I don’t know why.”
Visibly emotional and breaking to push back tears kirk then described how he had tried to save Mick’s life when he found him.
He continued: “I knew what had happened, so umm, we knew he was in the house, he’d locked himself in the house and I smashed through the door, and I found him.
(Image: ITV)
“It’s hard to get the words out. I found him. When I got my dad on the floor I gave him CPR, I tried my best. I knew he was gone though. I knew, the minute I saw him.
It was surreal. It was like my life ended but I had so much to do at the same time. I just thought what would my dad have done in that situation, so once I gave him CPR and I knew it was done. I just laid with my father and I told him it was his time to rest.”
Kirk then admitted he has been diagnosed with PTSD around his dad’s death and that he struggles with flashbacks of the day.
(Image: micknorcross/Instagram)
He said: “I got diagnosed with PTSD so I have flashbacks of how I found my father. It’s like, I don’t know if you ever see the war films, with the PTSD and you see the flashbacks of the gunfights and that’s how it is.
“I’ll be walking down the road and it’s like BANG, or in my dreams. So I talk about it, I tell my friends, if I’m having my flashbacks I now ring my friends and say I need to talk to you.”
Kirk also opened up about his own experience of feeling suicidal as he urged others to find help if they feel like giving up.
(Image: ITV)
He said: “I tried to commit suicide many years ago. I just didn’t feel like I had a purpose then. I’ve got to take a positive out of what I’ve seen happen and the carnage that it’s caused and knowing that my dad didn’t have to do that. No one has to do that.
“If you ended a relationship, you can get another relationship, if you’ve lost all your money, you can get more money, if you’ve lost your job you can get another job, everyone that’s watching this you have survived 100% of your bad days, so why can’t you survive more of them?”
The Essex based star then expressed his admiration for his father and described how he still talks to him every day.
He added: “I have had one person say to me that he was selfish doing it. I still have massive respect for my father, My dad is a god to me.
(Image: Facebook)
“He was my best friend and my dad and he still is. I still conduct myself daily asking my dad what do I do today how do I talk to people. He has a go at me more times now than ever.
“It’s been hard. I genuinely believe the day my dad died I turned into a man. I’ve just been working hard at myself. I’ve set my own business up. I’ve got a jet washing business. I love it, I really love it, I love what I do with a passion.”
Kirk then confessed that he is nine months sober after relapsing in to drug addiction to try and cope with the pain of losing Mick.
He said: “I’m a recovering drug addict, I’m not ashamed to say, I’m quite proud to say. I did relapse when my father died, the day after. It was to numb the pain. I just couldn’t get that image out of my head. But I’m Literally a couple of days away from nine months sober. “
Kirk then confessed he hoped that his dad would be proud of him for trying to help other people who are going through the same ordeal as he encouraged other men to seek help and those around them to watch for the signs.
He said: “I think he would tell me I’ve finally become a man. I’m just doing it for him and everybody else. I don’t want anyone else to go through what my dad had to do and what we had to go through as a family.
“It doesn’t make you any less of a man if you tell someone you’re struggling. Even a stranger, go sit on a bench and say I’m having a bad day. If I can save one life I think I’ve changed the world.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts please visit itv.com/helplines or contact The Samaritans on 116 123.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
