Mental health campaigner who started #FindMike to spend Christmas in hospital

Jonny Benjamin checked himself into hospital after his illness worsened

Jonny Benjamin, who launched the 'Finding Mike' campaign to track down the man who saved his life (Facebook/Finding Mike)

A mental health campaigner who launched an international search for a man who saved his life during a bout of suicidal depression will spend Christmas in hospital after his illness worsened.

Jonny Benjamin suffers from schizophrenia and suicidal thoughts and told viewers on his YouTube channel last night that he was at “rock bottom” and was going to check himself into hospital for this own safety.

Earlier this year Mr Benjamin launched the #FindMike hashtag to help him locate a man who talked him out of attempting suicide in central London six years earlier. His search went viral and was ultimately successful.

"I absolutely cannot stand myself, being in my skin, doing this - hearing my voice. I hate, hate myself. How do you recover from that? I don't know if I can,” he said in his new video.

"Just when I think I can't get any worse, it somehow seems to. I really am at rock bottom and I see my suicide as the only escape from it. I can't be around anyone any more. When I am, I am shaking, trembling ... even around the people that I love,” he said.

"So, yeah - I'm going into hospital. I don't want to go - I desperately don't want to go, but I don't have a choice."

After receiving support from contacts on the internet Mr Benjamin tweeted his thanks.

"Thank-you for tweets -feel v touched by support,” he said.

Yesterday he tweeted that he was “really struggling but determined to overcome this”.

Suicide is preventable and anyone who feels they are at risk should contact Samaritans.