Getty ImagesHelena Bonham Carter knows there's a history of mental illness in her family, but she's not letting it get to her just yet. The
Alice in Wonderland actress, whose mother Elena suffered a severe breakdown 38 years ago, believes mental illness is hereditary and accepts the fact she may suffer herself in the future.
Helena and Tim (Getty)
Helena, who is in a long-term relationship with
Tim Burton, said: “There’s a good streak in our family of, I’d say, healthy insanity. My mother, and I know, my grandmother and great-grandmother. I think it’s very much genetic.
I haven’t suffered yet, but I know there’s potential there. I’ve been depressed and don’t like it. I was definitely depressed when I was 18, wondering who I was. I was under a lot of scrutiny but I hadn’t worked out for myself whether I wanted to act. I felt very isolated because I was out of my peer group.”
Helena, 43, sought therapy for her problems, but is unsure whether speaking to someone helped. The actress, who landed her first acting role at 16, added to
The Times newspaper: “I had therapy. I’m not sure if the therapy helped. It just passed. It was fine. You find a way through it, but it is hard, still, to talk about it.”
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Helena and Tim (Getty)
