Chad Michael Murray struggled with his mental health amid his 'One Tree Hill' success.
Chad Michael Murray has opened up about his mental health struggles
The 42-year-old actor has revealed that he was battling agoraphobia - which is a type of anxiety that causes a person to fear certain places or situations - during his time on the teen drama series.
Chad - who played Lucas Scott in 'One Tree Hill' - told The Cut: "I was around 23 and I had an event in Miami, but I couldn't leave my hotel room.
"The world felt like it was closing in. I was having anxiety attacks."
Chad ultimately recognised that he needed to make some lifestyle changes in order to deal with the issue.
The actor shared: "I woke up and felt unsettled. I didn't like the direction that I was going in my life.
"I went to church, and I got a tattoo of a cross on my left wrist, and I was like, I'm going to move myself in faith."
Chad was "walking around with a really pained heart" earlier in his career. But now, he's rediscovered his love of acting and he's determined to "respect the craft".
The actor - who has starred in a number of well-known TV shows, such as 'Gilmore Girls', 'Riverdale' and 'Dawson's Creek' - said: "I remember in my younger 20s, I'd wake up and say, 'Oh, I've got to go to work.' And that's a very different place to even start your day. It's just a very different mind-set where I have gratitude.
"I get to go to work and I love that opportunity to just spread love, try to elevate energy, and respect the craft. Instead of coming at it as a disgruntled, tired 21-year-old."
Tagged in Chad Michael Murray