Kevin Smith Opens Up About “Mental Health Crisis” After “Complete Break from Reality”
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The post Kevin Smith Opens Up About “Mental Health Crisis” After “Complete Break from Reality” appeared first on Consequence.
Kevin Smith has revealed that he went through a “complete break from reality” back in January that led to him seeking mental health treatment.
The filmmaker and actor opened up about the experience in a new interview with People, during which Smith also spoke about the childhood traumas that led to him overcompensating with a “larger than life” public persona he describes as “the other guy.”
“At that moment, I wouldn’t have been averse to not being around any longer,” Smith said about the mental health break. “I called a friend and said, ‘I’m in a weird, dark place. I need to go somewhere and get help.'” That somewhere was the Sierra Tucson treatment center in Arizona, where he spent the next month.
Smith shared two traumas in particular. At just six years old, he was forced to perform sexual acts with a young neighborhood girl. Then, he was publicly weight shamed about the size of his “gut” by his fourth grade teacher.
“I felt disgusting, like I didn’t matter,” Smith recalled about the latter incident. “That’s when ‘the other guy’ started to appear. I decided to be entertaining and make people love me before they noticed I was fat.”
After spending several hours per day in private and group therapy, Smith learned that “there’s no differentiation [between levels of trauma] to the human nervous system.” He was also taught mindfulness exercises that help him stay present in the now, rather than dwelling on the past or future.
To help Smith with his journey, he’s stopped smoking weed and plans to cut back on his work schedule. Perhaps most importantly, he’s decided to spend less time on social media. “I’m really interested in seeing if I can finally be comfortable sitting by myself, and just be alone with my thoughts,” he said.
Along with the interview, Smith has released a video that gives a first-person account of what he’s been through. Watch it below.
Read the full interview at People.
Smith’s last movie was last year’s Clerks III. Next month, he’ll guest on the Disney+ musical series The Muppets Mayhem.
Kevin Smith Opens Up About “Mental Health Crisis” After “Complete Break from Reality”
Eddie Fu
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