In a candid talk with ‘The Hidden 20%’ podcast, ‘Game of Thrones’ star Kit Harington opened up about his mental health struggles, including a recent diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), after the TV series.
As per The Times, which shared some parts of the upcoming episode of the podcast set to air on January 17, Harington said that entering rehab was a turning point in his life:
“I realized that my life was hinging on this. Luckily, it was the right place at the right time. I managed to forge a new life from there.”
The actor then revealed he tried another rehabilitation program but left early to tackle his issues alone:
“I entered rehab drunk, sobered up in there, and went, ‘F*ck this, not you guys in a circle. No, thank you.’ And I left that pretty quick and said, ‘I’ll try to deal with this by myself,’ which didn’t work after about four years.”
‘Game of Thrones’ Had an Impact on Harington’s Mental Health
Harington also shared that apart from his ADHD diagnosis at an American clinic, his struggles include alcoholism and social anxiety. As the actor said, these were intensified by the pressures of fame from ‘Game of Thrones.’
Now a father of two, Harington revealed the difficulties ADHD presents in his personal life, especially in parenting and focusing in busy environments. He admitted to finding it tough to balance his parental responsibilities and acting career due to his issues with multitasking and feeling overwhelmed with multiple tasks.
Reflecting on his career, Harington touched upon the heightened mental health challenges during the peak popularity of ‘Game of Thrones.’ During this period, he began to have a dependency on alcohol, which he leaned towards in his teen years as a means to escape anxiety.
Harington’s emotional turmoil reached a climax post-GOT, leading to a ‘breakdown’ during his performance in the London West End play ‘True West’ between 2018 and 2019. This period prompted him to seek help, resulting in his 2019 stint in a Connecticut mental health and wellness facility. There, he addressed stress, exhaustion, and alcohol use.
Looking forward, Harington is slated to star in ‘What Remains of Us’ and ‘Eternal Return,’ both currently in the production phase.
