‘Supernatural’ star Jared Padalecki opens up about his struggles with mental health and depression
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a recent interview, Jared Padalecki recalled the dark phase of his life when he struggled with mental health issues and depression.
In a sneak peek from the June 25 episode of ‘I’ve Never Said This Before’ podcast obtained by People, the ‘Supernatural’ star got candid about his mental health struggles.
The 41-year-old actor shared in the podcast that he hit a “really low moment” in 2015 that ultimately led him to check himself into a clinic.
Jared Padalecki recalls his mental health struggles
Appearing on the podcast, Padalecki revealed that during his low point in 2015, "I was letting my thoughts take over and going to places of dramatic suicidal ideation.”
Referring to his wife Genevieve, he shared, "I called my wife and she said, ‘Get home'."
"And so, I got home, went to a clinic for a couple weeks and looked into it and haven’t been suicidal since — not for a moment," shared the actor.
The ‘Gilmore Girls’ star shared that after a long career of learning to appear happy for the camera, he realized he needed a “full reset” for his mental health.
Padalecki explained, “You go to an audition or on a red carpet and they don’t want, ‘Jared, how are you doing today?’ ‘Oh today was rough, I didn’t sleep'," before adding cynically, “They want, ‘Oh it’s great! Excited to be here!’"
He continued, "I had done that for so long, trying to focus on what’s best for the person who’s talking to me as opposed to just being honest.”
The ‘Walker’ actor, nevertheless, shared that his past sufferings are not his “scarlet letter,” meaning, he doesn't view them as “shameful.” Rather, he flaunts them with pride.
Padalecki shared, "I wear it proudly. I put it on my face and tell everybody," before adding, "If you’re not in a situation where you need that degree of help then don’t seek it. I needed a surgeon — not literally — but I needed it and here I am."
However, he admitted that he still experiences highs and lows in his life.
"I’m fine, nothing to worry about but I have a lot of sadness about Walker [being canceled], the family," Padalecki confessed regarding the cancelation of his show ‘Walker’.
"Today’s a hard day. It's been a hard month since we found out, but I’m in a great place with my wife, our children, my friends, my family. Seek help, open up,” remarked the star.
Jared Padalecki launched T-shirt campaign to help people struggling with depression
In 2015, Padalecki emerged as a vocal advocate of mental health struggles. He launched a T-shirt campaign through Represent.com to benefit the nonprofit organization To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) which works with people suffering from depression.
While talking about his 'Always Keep Fighting' T-shirt, he shared with Variety, “Maybe a lot of people don’t know this, but Season 3, we were shooting an episode, and I went back to my trailer to get changed and just kind of broke down.”
He continued, “A doctor came to set and talked to me for about 30 minutes or 45 minutes and said: “Jared, I think you’re clinically depressed. I think I should write you a note and we can shut down production for five days and then we can take it from there.” And it kind of hit me like a sack of bricks.”
“I mean, I was 25 years old. I had my own TV show. I had dogs that I loved and tons of friends and I was getting adoration from fans and I was happy with my work, but I couldn’t figure out what it was; it doesn’t always make sense is my point. It’s not just people who can’t find a job, or can’t fit in in society that struggle with depression sometimes,” explained the actor.
After he came back from the verge of depression, he made it his life’s work to raise awareness about the same.
Padalecki explained, “I say constantly that there’s no shame in dealing with these things. There’s no shame in having to fight every day, but fighting every day, and presumably, if you’re still alive to hear these words or read this interview, then you are winning your war. You’re here.”
He continued explaining the idea behind the shirt, “You might not win every battle. There are going to be some really tough days. There might be several tough times in any given single day, but hopefully, this will help somebody to think, 'This isn’t easy; it is a fight, but I’m going to keep fighting', and that’s why we did this shirt.”
