'Game of Thrones' star Kit Harrington says he 'managed to forge a new life' amid ADHD diagnosis in rehab
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kit Harrington opened up about his diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during his stay at a rehabilitation center.
The 37-year-old actor shared insights into his mental health challenges, struggles with alcoholism, and social anxiety, all while he was starring in 'Game of Thrones.'
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Kit Harrington says he 'managed to forge a new life' from rehab
Speaking on a recently launched neurodivergence-focused podcast named 'The Hidden 20%', Harrington revealed to the host Ben Branson that before he was diagnosed with ADHD at an American clinic, he was part of another rehabilitation program.
"I realized that my life was hinging on this. Luckily it was the right place at the right time. I managed to forge a new life from there," he said.
"I entered rehab drunk, sobered up in there, and went, ‘F--- this, not you guys in a circle. No, thank you.’ And I left that pretty quick and said, ‘I’ll try to deal with this by myself,’ which didn’t work after about four years," Harrington said of his rehabilitation experience.
Kit Harrington is now sober and 'present' despite ADHD struggles
The 'Criminal' actor who is a father-of-two, a two-year-old son and a six-month-old daughter, whom he shares with his wife Rose Leslie stated that he is now sober and "present" despite ADHD challenges.
According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, ADHD is “marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development."
"My head wants to go to every other thing in the room at once,” Harrington told the podcast host.
Kit Harrington struggles to find a balance between parenting and acting
The 'Baby Ruby' actor reflected on his struggle to find a balance between his acting career and parental responsibilities.
"The practicality of getting down to my work at the moment [I am] finding quite tricky. I don’t multitask well," said Harrington.
"If there’s more than one thing going on in my head I get overwhelmed. I get incredibly fretty, anxious. My head’s all over the shop. I can’t deal with it," he added.
Kit Harrington was upset by 'demeaning' comments after Season 8 of 'GOT'
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Harrington further explained how online comments about his eight-season stint as Jon Snow on 'Game of Thrones' impacted his mental health.
"That is a dangerous rabbit hole to fall down because you find all of the bad stuff that people are saying as well as the nice stuff,” he said of being upset by "demeaning" comments, according to People.
