Washington man who planned suicide in depths of depression speaks about his new outlook on life

Lee Hogarth set up his company 'Invincible' to help others.

Lee Hogarth, 31 from Washington is now six years free of panic attacks and medication after years of suffering from anxiety and depression before almost taking his own life.

The 31-year-old has suffered from anxiety from the age of nine and fell into depression in his 20s before attempting to crash his car near the A19.

Lee says he now feels “invincible” after overcoming his ‘one dimensional life.’

Lee Hogarth is now raising money for the Anxious Minds charity.

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He said: “It got to the point where I was too scared to leave my bedroom, I had mental breakdowns at work and constant panic attacks.

"I went to get help from the NHS, councillors and mentors but I didn’t see an end because I would get fed up of distractions so I just wanted it to all go away and that’s when I planned my own suicide.

“I got in my car and started driving heading for the A19, but I ended up slamming on my breaks and just missed the curb – it just clicked and I thought what am I doing.”

Lee is now on a mission to help as many people in the North East as he can.

Lee, who used to be an electrician, has since set up his fitness company, Invincible, which he hopes can help others who might be struggling with mental health issues.

He said: “I had a well paid job, a family, a house – I had everything but I wasn’t happy.

"I now have a much more balanced life and that’s why I want to help others to help them become independent and take control of their own lives.”

Mr Hogarth has also planned a fundraising walk to raise money for charity Anxious Minds.

The fundraising page has already raised £865 for Anxious Minds and the business owner is determined to raise more money and awareness.

He added: “I was scared to speak up and I used to sit in fear and nobody would know, I now want to reach out and help others.”

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