Ryan Phillippe has "no shame" in his struggle with depression.
The 42-year-old actor – who has daughter Ava, 17, and son Deacon, 13, with his ex-wife Reese Witherspoon, as well as six-year-old daughter Kai with former partner Alexis Knapp – has often been open about his battle with the mental illness, and has now said he doesn’t regret talking candidly about the subject because he hopes doing so will make it "a lot less taboo".
Speaking to Stellar magazine, he said: "I have no shame. I was born with a certain issue that I have to struggle with, that I know millions of other people do, and all to varying degrees. To be open to talking about it, or acknowledging it, makes it a lot less taboo."
Ryan’s comments come just weeks after he admitted he likes to take part in activities such as meditation in order to help "focus and steady himself" in light of his struggle with depression.
The ‘Shooter’ star said: "I talk to myself quite often. I’m constantly talking things through in my head. I took a trip to Thailand, and I had such an amazing experience. Since then I’ve been reading a ton of Eastern philosophy about giving up some of the superficial things we’re attached to, which I’m trying to do.
"I also have issues with patience and depression, and I’m thinking about how to focus and steady myself and be kinder and better. Meditation and exercise work for me."
And Ryan thinks people should be more open about their mental health struggles in order to lend support from one another.
He said: "I believe that depression and mood disorders are on a spectrum akin to the way autism is, where it’s an individual experience. I think people fear being stigmatised or treated in a blanket fashion, which is sometimes the response to someone who says, ‘I struggle with depression.’
"But really, depression could manifest in a thousand different ways depending on who it is. I don’t think there’s any reason not to talk about it. We can help each other cope and give tools that we learn along the way."
Ryan Phillippe: There’s no shame in depression
