Radio star Chris Dittmar talks about his ‘shameful’ treatment of son during mental health struggle

Chris Dittmar says he learned a hard and lasting lesson after he confronted his son about a mental health issue.

Radio personality Chris Dittmar has spoken about his regret for not believing his son was battling a mental health issue, calling his own behaviour “shameful’’ after calling his adult child “pathetic” during an argument.

Dittmar made the admission as part of Triple Ms mental health podcast Real Men Can Talk, which starts on Thursday, and features interviews with Dittmar, as well as former Test cricketer Greg Blewett and ex-Adelaide footballers Andrew Jarman and Mark Ricciuto.

In the podcast Dittmar said he had been unhappy with his son’s behaviour and had confronted him.

“And I got really stern and very, very pointed with him and I said ‘mate, lift your game, this is pathetic,’’ Dittmar recalled.

Dittmar said his son told him then that he was struggling with his mental health.

“My response was ‘pig’s arse it is’. I said ‘you bloody pull your socks up mate, you lift, don’t hit me with that bulls**t.

“Well, it turns out it was a mental health issue. It was a bad, bad experience and something that was quite shameful for me, and the only positive to come out of it is that will never ever, ever happen again and I’ve learned from it,’’ Dittmar said.

Triple M breakfast duo Mark Ricciuto and Chris Dittmar. Pic: Supplied

The 57-year-old former squash champion said his own father had never shown positive emotion towards his children and he had wanted to be better than that.

“That’s the way my father spoke to us and it was wrong … he was aggressive, angry and it was a bloody hard existence, and I always said I’ll never ever put my kids through that same sort of parenting. And I did the first time I was challenged. So, I’m not very proud of that.’’

Former Redback and Aussie cricketer Greg Blewett told the podcast, which is part of Triple M’s No Talk Day, that he had sought counselling when his marriage broke up around the same time his playing career was ending.

Blewett said he had initially resisted the idea of counselling but found the sessions were “like the world lifted off my shoulders’’.

Blewett said it was also important for mates to look after each other and was grateful for one intervention of ex-teammate, and now Seven Network commentator, James Brayshaw for looking out for him at a time when he was struggling.

Brayshaw organised a night out with some mates at the British Hotel in North Adelaide.

“I can’t remember anything sort of life changing coming out of that chat but just … the effort that he went to and knew that he was thinking about me, probably made the biggest difference in the end.’’

Greg Blewett. Picture: Sarah Reed

Blewett said it was possible he was suffering from depression. He said he believed there was possibly some form of “chemical imbalance going on at the time”, which affected him in different ways. Even when it came to having a beer.

“I’m certainly not a massive drinker but I definitely went through a period where alcohol was affecting me in a different way,’’ he said.

“There was like a three or four month period there where I’d have the same amount to drink but then I was having weird blackouts.”