Exclusive: Former South Australian opposition leader David Speirs has opened up about his darkest moments after his departure from state politics under a drug charge cloud.

Speirs said the pressures he was facing at the time led him to having suicidal thoughts but his own struggles have inspired a change in behaviour and a drive to help others facing similar battles.

“It was a very dark time,” Speirs said.

“I’m not sugar coating it, I made mistakes, but the consequences were very, very dramatic.”

Speirs is committed to walking the Kokoda track in Papua New Guinea in support of men’s mental health.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to lean into something I’m passionate about, something I’ve experienced, which is mental health challenges,” he said.

But in his fundraising efforts, his return to social media has sparked rumours on whether he would return to public life and in particular a run as an independent for his former seat of Black.

“I do miss it and I wouldn’t rule out returning to public life in some way in the future but I’m not ready to make that decision at the moment,” he said.

“I don’t feel I’ve got the resilience, I don’t feel I’ve healed enough.”

For now he said he would remain committed to getting through the challenge of the next few weeks and being an active part of his community.

“Life is OK but I’m still rebuilding,” he said.

“I’m not going to hide away and be a hermit, that would be terrible for me.

“I’m ready to tell my story, to talk about it, to learn from it and maybe help others learn from it as well.”

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