Christopher Eccleston almost "lost everything" when he battled clinical depression.
Christopher Eccleston
The former 'Doctor Who' star told how he feared he would "die" at his lowest point, which ultimately saw him hospitalised as he struggled with his mental health.
Speaking to Big Issue magazine vendor Clive, Christopher told the outlet: "I think the received idea about people who sell The Big Issue is that they've never had a 'successful life'.
"But I discovered that when I had a severe clinical depression and I was hospitalised... I nearly lost everything.
"There was one night I thought I was going to die. I was running down Euston Road with a suitcase. Now, if anybody has seen me they'd have gone, 'Oh, there's Doctor Who'.
"My point is, I don't think people understand how quickly it can happen. Particularly in times of economic recession."
The 57-year-old star told how he "broke down" while shooting the first series of 'The A Word', which aired on the BBC in 2016, and was unable to sleep because he was "convinced" he wouldn't wake up again.
He said: "I was playing a character called Maurice, who was comic and bluff.
"I was spending 10 hours a day being him, then I would go back to my hotel room and I wouldn't sleep.'
"I found out afterwards that I'd been in fight or flight for a couple of years and could no longer fight or fly, my brain chemistry was telling me I was about to die.
"I wasn't necessarily going to take my own life.
"I don't know whether it would be called psychosis, I was just convinced that I was about to die all night."
But when he went to work every day, Christopher felt "fine" as soon as he got into character.
He added: "But when 7am came, I would go to work and there would be Maurice's costume.
"And I swear to you, Clive, I put it on and I was fine."
During the conversation, the actor agreed to work with Clive - who has written a short play that will be performed at Plymouth's Theatre Royal alongside 'NHS The Musical' - on a project in the future.
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