Camilla Luddington about how she talks to children about antidepressants (exclusive)

Camilla Luddington Is an open book when it comes to her mental health – especially with her young children.

In fact Gray’s Anatomy actress, 41, who share their two children Hayden, 8, and Lucas, 4, with husband Matthew AlanTells people that it wasn’t until she became a mother that she met her own mental health challenges with.

“It has really forced me to take care of my own mental health because I think that when I became a mother I had never experienced anxiety before and my anxiety increased in a way that was just unfair to myself,” she explains. “Unreasonable to have myself to live that way every day. And I think that motherhood did is to force me to be like,” No, it’s not just me anymore. I have a family. I really have to take care of myself. It is really important. If I won’t do it for me, do it for them. ”

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Luddington says she began her journey with therapy “really late in life” and in the end Zoloft was prescribed to help manage her anxiety – despite her first doubt to take medication.

“I remember coming to a point where I had a palpitations every day, and I was like,” but I don’t have to take anything. It will change me. I will feel so different, “she says.” And I was so resistant … I think it’s so stupid now that I see how much it has helped me and how much more earthed I feel in life. ”

While an antidepressant may be difficult for an 8 and 4-year-old To understand, Luddington is transparent with her children about her daily “brain vitamin.”

“I really try to be open in public to take an SSRI because I feel that it is still something that people do not like to talk about,” she says. “And I know that so many mental health problems come up in high school and high school. So I just want to get it in my own family to feel that if they ever need to talk about something, not necessarily take something, but just to know that mom gets it and that it is not shameful in my family, where,” hello, I need this thing. It helps calm my brain. ”

Luddington has previously opened on how to have an open dialogue with their children about mental health Creates a different environment than the one she grew up with.

“I don’t think it is because my parents tried to keep it secret, but mental health just didn’t really talk about,” she told Wondermind 2023, which shares somewhere else that it is a “very British thing not to really seek therapy.” “I think it’s really important for (my children) to know not to be ashamed to seek help or take medication.”