Andrew Scott doesn’t think there’s "a person in the world" who hasn’t suffered with their mental health.
The 42-year-old actor has said he doesn’t think it’s "healthy" to always put a "positive spin" on things when he’s feeling down, as he believes everyone has days where they don’t feel great, and wants everyone to understand that it’s normal to feel as though it’s "storming down".
When asked if he’s ever had mental health problems, he said: "I don’t think there’s a person in the world who hasn’t. It’s like being asked if you have ever been physically ill, and saying, ‘Nope, never had anything wrong!’ Of course I have.
"For me, it’s like weather. Sometimes it’s f***ing storming down on you. This idea of west coast positivity p***es me off, the idea of putting a positive spin on it. I don’t think it’s healthy. There’s no point in being in the driving rain and going, ‘Shine, sun, shine!’ You can’t do it. You’ve just got to be in the weather. And that’s where I think our biggest problems come from."
And although he believes people need to face their mental health head on, he does think there’s still "so much more" to learn about the challenges surrounding the topic.
He added: "We’re still at the tip of the iceberg, in terms of our understanding of mental health. We need to learn so much more."
The ‘Sherlock’ star also believes that it’s "really f***ing important" to learn how to "take things a little more lightly".
Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, he said: "I love the idea of playfulness. And you do play a part. It’s really f***ing important in life. Just taking things a little more lightly."
Andrew Scott: Everyone’s suffered with their mental health
