Gillian Anderson Opens Up About Her Mental Health Struggles

Thanks to her starring turn in the sci-fi mystery series The X-Files in the ’90s, Gillian Anderson became an icon in the genre world alongside Sigourney Weaver for Alien, Jodie Foster for Silence of the Lambs, and Carrie Fisher for Star Wars. Anderson then went on to star in critically-acclaimed shows like The Fall and Hannibal, furthering her legacy even more. Sadly, it hasn’t always been smooth-sailing for the star, as she recently revealed the mental health struggles she deals with, which include the fear of being dyslexic.

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During a recent interview with The Telegraph, the 48-year-old actress explained that she’s first started speaking to a therapist when she was 14 and that some days she’s felt so low that she hasn’t wanted to leave her house. She also revealed that she has had such a hard time remembering things, she fears she may be dyslexic, but is also too scared to be tested in case she finds out she has the condition.

Anderson said the prospect of possibly forgetting her lines on set is “terrifying” and she has gone so far as to hire private tutors to help fill in gaps in her memory about historic events, but the experience was ultimately a “disaster.”

The actress explained to The Weekend magazine, “I took notes, blah, blah, blah, but couldn’t remember a thing he taught me. Nothing. I’m not even sure, if you’d asked me the next day, I could have told you what I’d learned.”

Her memory issues aren’t limited to her scripts and history, but even some of the subjects closest to her heart, like novels. She confessed, “You know, even my favourite books, I couldn’t tell you what they were about. It’s always been that way.”

All of Anderson’s struggles throughout life have helped her co-write the book “We: A Manifesto For Women Everywhere” which includes advice on how she coped with life’s endless challenges. Some of those tips involve writing a list of everything you’re grateful for at the end of the night and focusing on your personal strengths over your weaknesses.

Anderson also regularly meditates, which she describes, “All I know is that when I meditate, one goes beyond the physical, and it is possible to tap into a sense of absolute contentment and joy in that place.”

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[H/T Telegraph]