Sophie Turner Says Online Trolls Affected Her Mental Health For Years

Sophie Turner opens up about her mental health

Game Of Thrones star Sophie Turner has opened up about the negative impact the show had on her life.

She said negative comments about her character online would make her very self conscious.

Turner opened up in an interview with Dr. Phil this week.

 

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The actress has played Sansa Stark in the show since she was just 14-years-old.

She admits the whole experience on the show was incredible until she hit puberty.

"My metabolism was slowing down massively and I was gaining weight."

 

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Sophie says social media contributed to her depression but it wasn't the main reason.

"I wouldn't say that was the main reason, I think it's a yanno some sort of chemical imbalance."

However, she believes social media, "definitely was a catalyst."

 

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Social media trolls

The 22-year-old said people would write really negative things about her character online.

"I would just believe it. I would say, ‘Yeah, I am spotty, I am fat, I am a bad actress.'"

She says she would, "just believe it. I would get [the costume department] to tighten my corset a lot."

"I just got very, very self-conscious."

 

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She admits her depression lead her to lack motivation.

When she had a break in filming, she would stay inside with her co-star Maisie Williams.

"Maisie and I used to do this together. Being friends with each other was quite destructive because we were doing the same things."

 

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"We used to get home from set, go to Tescos across the road like a little supermarket and just buy food and go back to our room and just eat it in bed."

"We never socialised for a couple of years... we didn't socialise with anyone but ourselves."

 

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Sophie wouldn't want to see her friends

"I had no motivation to do anything or go out."

"Even with my best friends, I wouldn't want to see them, I wouldn't want to go out and eat with them."

"I just would cry and cry and cry over just getting changed and putting on clothes and be like, 'I can't do this, I can't go outside, I have nothing that I want to do.'"

 

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E! News reports the Game Of Thrones actress goes on to admit she has had suicidal thoughts.

"It's weird. I say I wasn't very depressed when I was younger, but I used to think about suicide a lot when I was younger."

"I don't know why though. Maybe it's just a weird fascination I used to have, but yeah, I used to think about it."

"I don't think I ever would have gone through with it. I don't know."

 

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Progress

Sophie admits her problems still persist today but that she's much better.

"I've suffered with my depression for five or six years now."

"The biggest challenge for me is getting out of bed and getting out of the house."

"Learning to love yourself is the biggest challenge."

 

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Turner sought therapy which has made her, "feel much better."

"I'm on medication and I love myself now, or more than I used to, I think."