Duff Mckagan - Duff Mckagan Suffered Depression After 9/11

The former Guns N' Roses star has admitted the atrocities of 2001 took a toll on his mental health and he suffered depression for the first time in his life in the aftermath of America's worst ever terrorist attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people.

In a blog for Seattleweekly.com, MCKagan writes, "I had never experienced real depression in my childhood or early adulthood... But I have suffered panic attacks for most of my life, and I do understand that chemical imbalances and other inputs can stack up against someone... And then September 11, 2001 happened.

"The world seemed to be in upheaval, and all fronts were under attack. Everything was suddenly fearful, and my own place on this earth seemed muddy and without bedrock... I sunk into a thick, black state of being. Depression for the first time...

"And once the door was opened to depression in my case, the monster became a living thing in my life. I could look at it and examine it after time, but in that initial instant, I did not see a light at the end of the tunnel. The world seems to get scarier by the day."

MCKagan reveals he did eventually get through the dark time and urges anyone suffering from depression to think positively and talk over problems with friends and family.

He adds, "What I have found in fighting thoughts and feelings of depression is to actually talk and get out - face the day head on if you can. 'Today is going to be the best day in my history' is not a bad place to start. Share your 'stuff' with others. Don't be afraid to do it. You may just be surprised by how many like-minded people there are out there. Depression and anxiety have touched most of us to some degree or another."