Jon Hamm

Don Draper, the face of the award-winning AMC series Mad Men, is a man of many emotional issues. And he’s not alone. Jon Hamm, the outstanding actor behind the drama’s protagonist, has had his fair share of struggles over the years as well. But there is one big difference between the character and the actor: Jon Hamm is willing to talk about it.

In an interview with Graham Bensinger last fall, Hamm opened up about his personal experiences with mental health issues. After losing both of his parents as well as his grandmother at a young age, he struggled for many years with extreme grief and depression. He says that for a long time he internalized these feelings, “kind of like Midwestern, don’t worry about it I’ll be fine.” But eventually, Hamm did reach out for help after his sister expressed concern that he was obviously not well, and suggested that he see someone.

Hamm said that therapy was “profoundly helpful,” because it gave him a new perspective on what he was experiencing. With the help of his therapist and antidepressants, he was able to get his life back on track. While he’s no longer on medication, Hamm openly shares that he still attends therapy regularly, and how much he feels that it has helped him over the years. He also says how grateful he is for the people in his life during his darker times that helped him to “reorient” himself. Along with his sister, numerous family friends gave him the support and love that he needed to get better.

In another interview with InStyle Magazine earlier last year, Jon Hamm briefly discussed his more recent struggles with alcoholism and his participation in inpatient treatment in early 2015. When asked about his experience with therapy, Hamm said, “Medical attention is medical attention whether it’s for your elbow or for your teeth or for your brain. And it’s important. We live in a world where to admit anything negative about yourself is seen as a weakness when it’s actually a strength. It’s not a weak move to say, ‘I need help.’ In the long run, it’s way better, because you have to fix it.” He has continued to be outspoken about the benefits of rehab, both from his own experience and for people in general.