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"James Arthur has revealed that he battled with depression before The X Factor changed his life, and has said the show helped pull him back from the brink of suicide. The 24-year-old X Factor finalist said that after a traumatic childhood spent in and out of foster care, he became withdrawn and started to feel dependent on drink.  &amp;quot;This time last year was the darkest point in my life,&amp;quot; he told Look. &amp;quot;I wanted to be making music and I wasn&amp;#039;t, so I cut myself off from everyone and I was in a bad place.&amp;quot; The singer was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but decided he didn&amp;#039;t want to take medication.  &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;d stay in my bedsit on my own or get obliterated [on drink] to try to forget about it,&amp;quot; he explained. &amp;quot;I felt ready to give up on life. I didn&amp;#039;t want to jump off a building, but who knows how bad it could have got?&amp;quot;  Arthur&amp;#039;s father left when he was just 2 years old, and at the age of 15 the singer himself left home, meaning that he had little contact with his parents while growing up.  &amp;quot;I lacked a male role model, and I didn&amp;#039;t want to listen to what he had to say because I felt he wasn&amp;#039;t there for me,&amp;quot; Arthur continued. &amp;quot;But now I understand more about it, and get on really well with both my parents.&amp;quot;  Arthur added that when he finally decided to audition for The X Factor after years spent gathering his courage, his father was there to support him.       &amp;quot;I asked mum and dad to come to my X Factor audition, and it was the first time that they&amp;#039;d been in the same room in years,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Since then they&amp;#039;ve got on really well - it&amp;#039;s strengthened my relationship with them.&amp;quot;  Adding that he is feeling more positive than ever, he said: &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;ve got my confidence back. My attitude&amp;#039;s been rejuvenated.  &amp;quot;The X Factor saved me. It&amp;#039;s helped me beat my demons, and I know I&amp;#039;ll never let that happen again.&amp;quot; Photo gallery - &amp;#039;The X Factor&amp;#039; semi-final results show in pictures:  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/the-x-factor/news/a442868/x-factor-james-arthur-on-depression-i-felt-ready-to-give-up-on-life/>