Zachary Levi Shares He Had “Mental Breakdown” Before Seeking Treatment – Gracemont Gazette

Prior to the treatment program, the Tangled actor had been “running to lots of other things, whether it was sex or drugs or booze” to numb himself “from the pain that I was running away from most of my life,” he said on the podcast.

“The irony is that booze can give you this temporary relief, but then the next day amplifies that anxiety tenfold,” he said. “So, then you’re running back to get more and it just becomes this vicious cycle.”

Reflecting on the root of his struggles, he said it all began during his childhood.

“The majority of my life, I grew up in a household where my stepfather was a perfectionist on the highest of levels, his bar was so high, was impossible to reach, and then a mother who was a borderline personality,” he said. “So, she didn’t have an impossibly high bar. She had an impossible target because it kept moving.”

As Zachary got older, he found himself struggling with his own perception of his career, adding, “I feel like I’m a bit on the outside looking in. I’ve never really felt like I am a part of whatever the cool kid group is.”

Now, he’s embracing prayer and meditation as he continues to move forward. His full podcast episode will be available for listen on June 28.