Keira Knightley Opens Up About Past Breakdown and Mental Health Struggles

Just 17 when her first major roles in Bend it Like Beckham and Pirates of The Carribean: The Curse of The Black Pearl propelled her to stardom, Keira Knightley has revealed that she was ready to give up acting after suffering a breakdown when she was 22.

“I had PTSD and panic attacks" she revealed in an interview. "I literally couldn't work for a year and I didn’t know whether there would be an end to that."

The Atonement actress said that it was her family and support network that helped her return to a more stable place in her life.

“I have a super-solid background and thank fuck for that. My family and my small, but very close, group of friends just wrapped me up, and I think, without that, it would have been a very different story. I knew I always had somebody there to cuddle me who didn’t want anything from me. Ultimately I didn’t want them [the media and paparazzi] to win. The only thing I want to do is make films”.

Knightley cited perfectionism as one of the reasons behind her breakdown. “I always wanted to be top of the class, and I always wanted to be perfect, and I always thought that I could just do fame right”.

“I tried being 5lb heavier, but people say you have cellulite and then 5lb lighter and then you’re anorexic and causing people to die. It was just so much. But in a funny way I think I was quite lucky in that it was so insane that I sort of recognized it”.

The actress joins a number of celebrities who have recently opened up about their mental health, including Caroline Flack who spoke about her experience with depression and using prescription anti-depressants following her win on Strictly Come Dancing.