Empire actor Taraji PP. Henson recently opened up about battling depression and anxiety. The actress, in an interview with Variety, spoke about mental health and how she too had to deal with the struggles of depression and anxiety. Speaking about the same, she said, “My anxiety is kicking up, even more, every day, and I’ve never really dealt with anxiety like that. It’s something new.”

Calling out fame's negative impact on her mental health, she revealed how as she has grown older, Henson has become more guarded and private about her life. “It was fun at first, but the older I get, the more private I want to be,” further adding, “I think there’s a misconception with people in the limelight that we have it all together, and because we have money now and are living out our dreams, everything is fine. That’s not the case. When they yell ‘Cut’ and ‘That’s a wrap,’ I go home to very serious problems. I’m still a real human.”

Encouraging individuals suffering from anxiety and depression, Henson revealed that she has been seeking help. “I talk to someone. I have a therapist that I speak to. That’s the only way I can get through it,” she told Variety. “You can talk to your friends, but you need a professional who can give you exercises. So that when you’re on the ledge, you have things to say to yourself that will get you off that ledge and past your weakest moments.” She sees a therapist on a regular basis, “It has to be regularly, and that’s what I learned. It gets frustrating because you’re waiting for them to fix you, but it’s not that easy.”

It is nice and pertinent for people to talk about mental health. During her peak in Bollywood, even Deepika Padukone opened up about battling depression, encouraging fans and people to make mental health of prime importance. In the past, several Hollywood actors have also opened up about depression and expressed how it is necessary to seek help.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 03, 2019 02:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).