Proud mum Denise Welch has revealed that her son wrote a song about the postnatal depression she suffered after he was born.

The actress is now five years sober from her previous alcohol and drug use and said that son Matt Healy’s band The 1975 had included the tribute to her on their Brit award and Mercury Prize-nominated album I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It.

She Lays Down includes such lyrics as “She chose cocaine / But it couldn’t fix her brain” and “She’s appalled by not loving me at all”, as well as relating a story about the star hoping a plane she and her family were on would crash.

Denise Welch
Denise is very close to her musician son (Ian West/PA)

The 58-year-old told the Daily Mirror: “That song is about my depression. It’s a beautiful song. I didn’t know he was going to write it. He wanted it to be completed before I heard it.

“It’s tough for me to listen to because it’s so heartfelt.”

But she proudly added: “I’ve had so many messages on social media about how that has been the soundtrack to people’s lives.

Matt Healy
Matt’s lyrics have touched many fans (Ben Birchall/PA)

“It’s helped a lot of people. He takes his responsibility as a songwriter incredibly seriously, and for that I’m very proud. He knows the effect he has on other people. I’m incredibly proud of him.”

Denise said of her experience with mental illness: “I’ve suffered depression for 27 years. My episodes are much fewer and the gaps in between are longer. I’m much kinder to myself in my episodes. I have an incredibly supportive family.”

The 1975
The 1975′s album has been nominated for a Brit (Matt Crossick/PA)

The former Loose Women star has talked before about her postnatal depression following Matt’s birth, and said that it led her to try to throw herself out of a moving vehicle at one point.

The mother and son are making a film together called Black Eyed Susan about her depression which will feature music from Matt, and Denise added: “It’ll be a family affair.”