Chad Michael Murray battled agoraphobia amid One Tree Hill success
Chad Michael Murray has revealed that he was battling with agoraphobia at the height of his career.
Chad Michael Murray struggled with his mental health amid his 'One Tree Hill' success.
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 recognized 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."
