Jon Hamm opens up about mental health and the importance of therapy

Actor Jon Hamm recently opened up about his struggles with mental health and addiction, and his words are so important.

Two years ago, the actor went to rehab and went through a breakup with writer-director Jennifer Westfeldt. He credits therapy with helping him get through tough times and stay happy and healthy, telling InStyle, “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.”

This is not the first time the “Mad Men” star has spoken out about mental health and the benefits of getting professional help. In a 2011 interview with The Guardian, Hamm said, “I did do therapy and antidepressants for a brief period, which helped me. Which is what therapy does: it gives you another perspective when you are so lost in your own spiral, your own bullsh*t. It helps.”

Hamm joins a growing group of celebrities who are sharing their stories and doing their part to de-stigmatize mental health care, including Chance the Rapper, the royal family and Demi Lovato.

And mental health experts agree—celebrities speaking out on these issues is beneficial for everyone. “I think it’s unbelievably empowering,” Dr. Harris Stratyner, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City,  told E! News. “When it comes to things like psychiatric illness and substance abuse, there’s a stigma that’s attached…When a celebrity who is respected comes out and reveals it, it’s very empowering—particularly to young men and women—but to people of all ages.”

If you or someone you love is struggling, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Visit the National Alliance for Mental Health for information and resources.