'GoT' star Sophie Turner opens up about struggling with depression

Now, six years later, she is in a better place

Celebrities might seem to have it all but that doesn't make them immune to things - especially mental health issues. Game of Thrones starlet Sophie Turner is the latest to admit to struggling with depression, in a candid interview with Dr Phil McGraw on his podcast Phil in the Blanks on Tuesday, reported by CNN.

PHOTO: SCREEN GRAB

The 23-year-old says criticism over her role on the hit medieval series was one of the reasons that sparked her depression. Turner said she never suffered from depression as a child but when she hit puberty, things got really bad, pinpointing the exact reason she began to suffer.

PHOTO: HBO

“I was only 17. My metabolism was slowing down massively and I was gaining weight. There was social media scrutiny and everything — and that is when it kind of hit me."

When asked if social media was the cause, the British beauty emphasised that it was a contributing factor, but not the whole reason.

PHOTO: Helen Sloan/HBO

All the scrutiny over Game of Thrones led the actor to think she was not attractive. “I could not be true to the character because I was so worried about Sophie,” Turner told McGraw.

Turner would often have suicidal thoughts. Tasks like getting out of the house or seeing her friends weighed on her down. “I would not want to see them or go out and eat with them,” she said in the podcast. "I would cry over thinking about changing and having to put on new clothes.”

But now, six years later, Turner is in a better place now, thanks to therapy and medication. She has learnt how not to over analyse her body every time she looks in the mirror and also stays away from online comment sections. Joe Jonas, her partner and famous singer has helped her immensely in recovering from the traumatic experience and regain control of herself.

PHOTO: HBO

"When someone tells you they love you every day, it makes you really think about why that is and I think it makes you love yourself a little bit more. So, yeah, I love myself,” she told McGraw.

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