David Walliams receives letters from depressed fans telling him they want to take their own lives.
The 46-year-old ‘Little Britain’ star opened up about his own battle with depression in his 2012 autobiography ‘Camp David’, and admitted he felt a "huge responsibility" in how he responds to each person.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, he said: "Every day someone contacts me, which is good. Unfortunately there’s this stigma and I feel like people don’t seek help.
"It’s very hard when you get a letter from someone saying, ‘I’m thinking about killing myself’. You feel a huge responsibility in the way that you respond to that person.
"They’re a total stranger, you know nothing about their situation other than what they’ve told you in a letter."
Although the comedian and children’s author – who also serves as a judge on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ – does his best to advise fans, David pointed out that he’s not a professional.
He explained: "You’re not a trained medical person, so I always say to people in that situation, ‘You should tell your family, tell your friends and seek help’.
"I’m not qualified to give absolute, watertight advice on those things."
David – who has described acting as his escape from the real world – revealed he started to overcome his depression with the help of a "great psychologist".
However, he also admitted it can hard to acknowledge having depression.
Speaking candidly, he explained: "It’s the stigma of it that stops people from talking about it.
"Depression changes the way you think and feel about everything. So it’s hard to accept that the reason you’re thinking that way is because you’re ill rather than because things really are that way. It’s really complicated."
David Walliams helps depressed fans
