Love Island's Niall Aslam left show due to stress-induced psychosis

‘I ended up watching Love Island in a psychiatric hospital’: Niall Aslam reveals he had to leave the show after suffering from stress-induced psychosis and hallucinations

Niall Aslam has told how he had to leave the show’s villa in 2018 after suffering from stress-induced psychosis and was subsequently sent to a psychiatric hospital.

The reality star, 25, who is diagnosed with Asperger’s, confessed on Tuesday he was prescribed heavy medication after he lost touch of reality and began hallucinating.

He also confirmed that he suffered from severe depression when he exited hospital and needed to be monitored by a crisis team.

Shock: Niall Aslam has told how he had to leave the show’s villa in 2018 after suffering from stress-induced psychosis and was subsequently sent to a psychiatric hospital

In a candid Instagram video, he said: ‘I came out and talked about my Asperger’s and I was diagnosed at 10-years-old, that was basically the reason I left Love Island. 

‘But what actually happened to me, I ended up watching Love Island in a psychiatric hospital in London, the Nightingale Hospital to be exact.

‘What I later found out is that I had stress-induced psychosis… Essentially what it is, you get so overwhelmed that you lose touch with reality.’

Niall went on to explain the effects of stress-induced psychosis and admitted he suffered from extreme depression following the incident. 

Honest: The reality star, 25, who is diagnosed with Asperger’s, confessed on Tuesday that he was prescribed heavy medication after he lost touch of reality and began hallucinating

He continued: ‘You kind of hallucinate you don’t know what’s going on, you’re not fully aware of your surroundings, you’re not safe, you need other people to look after you. 

‘It takes quite a lot of time to come down from that, but when you come down from it you really come down, you go into a really deep depression. 

‘I was at the hospital for two weeks but in my head I wasn’t fully aware of what was going on, I thought it was because of my Asperger’s.’  

When he was released from the hospital, Niall said he still struggled to comprehend what had happened as he was left to deal with the aftermath of his Love Island exit.

Recovery: After being released from hospital he still suffered with his mental health as he reflected: ‘I was really struggling… I was all over the place, I was depressed, I was avoiding things’

He added: ‘I was on so much medication getting loads of side-effects, that’s why I didn’t really do any interviews as I was getting really slurred speech from the medication. 

‘Then I had to come off the medication, I was on Xanax, really really strong stuff. I just ‘cold turkey-ed’ it, that was horrible. 

‘It was a really upside down time for me. I think it took quite a long time for me to recover fully from it because of the Love Island situation. 

‘I was trying to get back to reality and my reality was different. I was really struggling… I was all over the place, I was depressed, I was avoiding things.’ 

According to Niall, everyone assumed he was having an amazing time after the ITV show but he was constantly being checked on by a crisis team.

Tragedy: Love Island has been heavily criticised in the past for neglecting aftercare for it’s stars such as Mike Thalassitis who appeared on the 2017 series and committed suicide in 2019 (pictured in 2018)

Love Island has been heavily criticised in the past for neglecting the mental health and aftercare services for its stars. 

26-year-old Mike Thalassitis, who was on Love Island in 2017, was found dead in a park near his north London home in March 2019.

Sophie Gradon, who took part in 2016, died in June 2018 at the age of 32 after struggling with depression.

Her body was found at her home in Ponteland, Northumberland, by her boyfriend Aaron Armstrong, who killed himself 20 days later.

Presenter Caroline Flack took her own life in February this year at the age of 40, after suffering with her mental health and the stress of her upcoming trial for assaulting her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.    

Since the three stars’ tragic deaths, ITV has evolved it’s aftercare policy.

Bosses have promised to support the contestants’ families both before and after the show.

Niall has since recovered from his psychosis and he made a successful television comeback on the 2019 American version of Ex on The Beach.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.

Dearly missed: Sophie Gradon who took part in 2016 series of the ITV show, died in June 2018 at the age of 32 after struggling with depression

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