Nikki Murphy, 51, described to Dublin Live years of what she called “being turned away” by services, a late diagnosis of ADHD, and a period in which suicidal thoughts and violent rage left her bedridden for weeks
Nikki Murphy
A Dublin woman is walking the length of Ireland to demand better menopause care and to push the Government to recognise and fund dual diagnosis.
Nikki Murphy, 51, described to Dublin Live years of what she called “being turned away” by services, a late diagnosis of ADHD, and a period in which suicidal thoughts and violent rage left her bedridden for weeks. She said: “I literally didn’t want to be here. I just felt suicidal every single day.
“I was not going to take my own life, I would never do that to my children, but the thought of it was in my head. Constantly.”
Her story speaks to a growing concern among women’s health advocates that a combination of declining oestrogen, undiagnosed neurodivergence, and previous trauma can bring about new mental health issues – and drive some women toward alcohol and drugs as a form of self-medication. Nikki said she discovered cocaine herself, but that she “never took cocaine to be high”.
Nikki Murphy
“I took cocaine to function,” she said. “It got me through the day. It made me feel normal. I could constantly compartmentalise tasks that I otherwise would have found overwhelming.”
Nikki said she was only diagnosed with ADHD at 25, after years of being told her symptoms were either depression or post‑traumatic stress disorder. The north inner city native described the cumulative effect of ADHD, menopause-related hormonal change, and earlier trauma had left her repeatedly in crisis.
“I was taking to my bed for six weeks at a time, riddled with anxiety, getting put on meds and getting told maybe we’ll change the dosage,” she said. “I just said, no, I can’t do this anymore. And I just started researching the menopause.”
Her research convinced her that Ireland’s healthcare system was failing many women in midlife. Nikki also highlighted what she said were shortcomings in public information.
She said: “The HSE pamphlet I got is so alienating. It doesn’t tell you that nearly 70% of women go through a lot more than sweats and mood swings.
“It’s hush‑hush. And there’s no allowances in the workplace for women going through this.”
Nikki’s walk has two immediate aims: to push for stronger public information about menopause, and to press for legal recognition and funding for dual diagnosis services. She said the recent Mental Health Act failed to incorporate dual diagnosis in a way that would obligate proper resourcing.
Nikki has been in touch with the Kelvin’s Amendment campaign, which is pushing the government to recognise and fund dual diagnosis – the co-occurrence of mental health disorders and substance use issues – within the Mental Health Act. It was started by the family of Kelvin Brennan, a 26-year-old Kildare man who died by suicide in May 2025 after struggling for years to get treatment for his mental health and addiction issues.
“If you don’t recognise it in the Mental Health Act, you’ve created a loophole where someone presenting at addiction services can be told they’re a mental health case and turned away, or vice‑versa,” she said. “In the meantime, lives are being lost.”
Nikki is walking the Ireland Way, a 1,000km walk the length of the island from Castletownbere in Co Cork all the way to Ballycastle in Co Antrim. The walk is intended both to raise awareness and to highlight gaps in care for both issues, but it also provides what Nikki is calling her “self-regulation”.
Nikki said: “The rhythm of the trail keeps me grounded, and it keeps me focused, it’s actually giving me a reason. If we collectively stand together, they have to listen.”
She described the walk both as a protest and as fundraising, as donations to her GoFundMe will be directed to specifically to support the charity Mental Health Reform, who work with people who experience mental health difficulties, and their families and friends, in promoting a fundamental improvement in mental health services, social inclusion and vindication of rights in Ireland. Nikki hopes to meet practitioners and menopause experts along her route, and she invited people affected by the issues to join parts of the walk to share their stories.
“It’s a national emergency,” she said. “People are dying, dual diagnosis is not being recognised, and we need more open discourse about women’s health, because one size does not fit all.”
You can donate to Nikki’s walk by clicking here, and you can follow Nikki’s journey at her Instagram here.
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