News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A dad-of-four tragically took his own life after becoming addicted to steroids used to bulk up for his wedding.

Now his widow is bravely speaking out to warn of the dangers.

When Sarita Egan and her partner, Mark set a date for their big day in July 2013, the 35-year-old started taking steroids in the quest to look his best.

But after their honeymoon, Mark struggled to kick the habit and found himself suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

Realising he needed help, the normally happy mechanic, from Dublin, Ireland, got in touch with his local GP.

(Image: Caters News Agency)

But his wife claims he was stuck on the waiting list for help with addiction for two years.

Tragically Mark took his own life in June 2017 after experiencing multiple episodes of psychosis.

Sarita is now speaking out to raise awareness of the danger of steroid addiction in the hope it will help others going through the same thing.

She said: "Mark started using steroids in the build up to our wedding - they're legal in Ireland and neither of us realised the danger of them.

(Image: Caters News Agency)

"He had always taken care of himself, eaten well and worked out, but he wanted to bulk up and look good for our wedding and our honeymoon.

"We were childhood sweethearts - we met when we were 15 and we were pretty much together from then on.

"He was my best friend and he was my soulmate and we were dependant on each other and we had got each other's backs.

"It's something that's devastated our family - I miss Mark every day and I want people to know the lasting effects that using steroids can have."

The childhood sweethearts had travelled the world together before coming back home to Ireland and starting a family.

He doted on their four children, Dean, 11, Ryan eight, Calum, five, and two-year-old Amy.

And Sarita said they were heartbroken by his death, often crying themselves to sleep.

(Image: Caters News Agency)

She said: "His life was taken over by steroid addiction, just because he was trying to look good for his wedding. He worked so hard to keep functioning and in the end it just wasn't possible.

"Everyone knows that cocaine and heroin are bad for you but for steroids it seems like there's no warning.

"At first he said they made him feel really good. He had so much energy and he felt great and was able to jump up in the morning and do a workout, but they have their downfalls as well.

"You're meant to only do six weeks and stop and take a break. He found it very hard to stop them - because when you stop taking them you feel very tired, sick and nauseaus."

After two years of Mark struggling to come off steroids the couple went to the GP for help.

He was sent for blood tests and put on the waiting list to see a specialist at the hospital.

"He had severe headaches," Sarita said.

"He would wake in the middle of the night and squeeze his head from the pain. He didn't feel able to function properly as his head just didn't feel right.

"He ended up being on that waiting list for two years and around a week before he passed away he started experiencing psychosis.

(Image: Caters News Agency)

"Seeing him experience psychosis was the hardest thing I ever witnessed. In his first episode he thought he heard someone telling him they were coming to take his family away.

"He was so concerned he ran around the house trying to find who it was that was going to take us and he couldn't understand why I didn't believe him."

But the next day, Sarita said Mark couldn't remember what had happened.

Becoming more concerned, they booked him a doctor's appointment.

Only during the wait Mark suffered from more episodes and tragically took his own life.

Sarita said: "Everyone was heartbroken and shocked because we felt like he was always so happy and just the funniest person - if he was in a room he'd be the life of the party.

"He was always cracking jokes, playing tricks with the kids and they loved that. It was a really hard one to take in.

"He's such a hard worker, he very rarely missed a day of work - he worked as a mechanic for 13 year in same company and he probably missed only a few days.

"He was never aggressive or violence - he just wanted to protect his family.

"If he had got help when he first asked the GP, or if we'd have known how bad steroids can be then things would have been so much different.

"If this can help just one person, then I know sharing his story will have been worth it - because I wouldn't wish for any family to have to go through this."