He may have played a tough River Boy during his stint as Heath Braxton on Home and Away, but behind-the-scenes actor Dan Ewing was battling mental health issues.
WATCH BELOW: Dan Ewing’s special message for Home And Away fans
Dan, who is currently starring on SAS Australia, has recently reflected on his rise to fame, and the struggles he experienced with anxiety.
In an interview with the Imperfectly Perfect Podcast this week, Dan revealed he struggled with anxiety when he first joined the cast of Home and Away in 2007, and turned to alcohol to cope.
“I really struggled. I was just some kid from [Sydney’s] northern beaches, so then to shoot to fame on the biggest show in Australia in Home and Away… I wasn’t ready,” he said.
“My partner at the time wasn’t ready, and I didn’t know it at the time, but I was really suffering with anxiety.”
Dan, who was 25 at the time, went on to explain that he turned to alcohol to deal with being in the spotlight.
“You disguise it as, ‘Oh, it’s blowing off steam, we all do it,’ and we all have done it. But for me, I just didn’t understand that there was a better way, there was a better process because it was just kind of the norm,” he said.
He added that while you learn as you go, it was “not conducive to a great relationship or a great marriage or a great lifestyle”, and that he was still working and “kicking goals work-wise”.
“It was kind of, not hidden, it wasn’t like I was a fully-fledged alcoholic, but I was just getting blind on weekends to subside this anxiety that I just wasn’t ready for,” the 36-year-old said.
“I wasn’t ready for notoriety – I just wasn’t,” he said, before adding that he is “very grateful” for the job and the success of Home and Away and the characters.
“But I certainly wasn’t ready and I didn’t have an awareness of what mental health was or taking care of that sort stuff first was.”
A decade on, Dan has now turned to meditation, journaling and a “process” to better help deal his mental health, which is something we’ve had a glimpse of on SAS.
When asked why he came on the show in the first place, Dan said is was because he is “trying to become a better version of myself.”
In a piece-to-camera we also saw Dan mention that he would be without his “meditation music” and candles, while he braves the tough selection process.
Need help? Call Lifeline on 131 114, visit or call beyondblue on 1300 224 636. There are also free 12-step help programs available online
