Sarah Silverman penned an essay on depression for Glamour Tuesday in which she described her personal experiences and sought to offer hope to those still struggling.
Silverman, 44, displayed honest vulnerability in the reflective essay that arose from her convictions following her role as a bipolar and destructive housewife in the upcoming film “I Smile Back,” which is set to hit theaters in a
limited release on Oct. 23, according to Vulture.
“People use ‘panic attack’ very casually out here in Los Angeles, but I don't think most of them really know what it is,” Silverman wrote. “Every breath is labored. You are dying. You are going to die. It's terrifying. And then when the attack is over, the depression is still there.”
Silverman, who is well-known for her stint on "Saturday Night Live" and her show, the "Sarah Silverman Program," revealed that she has struggled with depression since she was 13. Her first therapist committed suicide by hanging himself, according to the Glamour story. After another therapist put her on Xanax and eventually upped her dosages to 16 pills a day, she became addicted.
Throughout her struggles with depression and panic attacks, Silverman has often said that her late mother Beth Ann — who passed away on Aug. 19 — gave her inspiration and encouragement to persevere and press on through her struggles.
“One time, she said, 'Sometimes all you have to do is be
brave,'" Silverman told ET Online recently. “Just meaning sometimes you just have to exist through things and they pass or you get to the other side.”
Silverman has since learned to live with her depression and takes only a small dose of Zoloft combined with therapy, which she said “keeps me healthy but still lets me feel highs and lows,” according to her Glamour article.
“The dark years and those ups and downs — chemical and otherwise — have always informed my work; I believe being a comedian is about exposing yourself, warts and all,” Silverman wrote. “But there's one thing I know that I used to not know: It will pass. And it does.”
© 2018 Newsmax. All rights reserved.