Colton Haynes speaks openly about his battle with depression: ‘I spent three weeks paralysed in bed’
By Joshua Haigh
Colton Haynes has opened up about struggling with his mental health.
The American Horror Story: Cult actor took to Instagram yesterday on World Mental Health Day to talk openly about his personal battle with anxiety and depression.
Haynes shared a picture of himself he had taken during the height of his episode, and told his followers how he had spent the three weeks previous doing nothing but “crying” in bed.
“This is a photo I took of myself about a month ago when I had reached a point where I had no idea what to do. I had been in bed crying/paralyzed for 3 wks with no explanation. My personal life & career were at an all time high.
“I’ve talked about this before but I can’t stress enough how important it is to seek help when your feeling down or in your darkest moments. I’ve struggled with Anxiety & Depression since I was in the 5th grade & it’s not something that should go untreated or uncared for.”
He continued: “I know a lot of people don’t understand mental illness & pass it off as ppl being dramatic…but it’s a chemical Imbalance that no one wants to struggle through. It’s not easy.”
“Let’s all take a second to reach out to those in need of help & those who just need someone to talk to or some encouragement. A little love goes a long way. My heart is with my fellow survivors & ppl struggling through this disease…you aren’t alone,” added the star.
Earlier this year, the actor, who officially came out last year and is engaged to Jeff Leatham, took to his social media to express frustration with the supposed focus on the personal lives of gay actors when considering them for roles.
He thanked the openly gay TV producers Ryan Murphy, Greg Berlanti, & Jeff Davis for showing that “gay actors are more than just their personal lives”.
Colton has worked with Murphy on Scream Queens and the upcoming season of American Horror Story. Jeff Davis is the man behind MTV’s Teen Wolf, where Colton got his big break, and Berlanti oversees Arrow, which Colton starred on from 2013 until 2016.
Colton finished by writing: “So disappointed in how Hollywood cant understand that playing a character has nothing to do with how u live your personal life.”