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Ryan Phillippe urges frank talk about depression: 'We can help each other cope'

The actor opened up about the sneaky nature of depression and why it's important for those who struggle with it to speak out.
/ Source: TODAY

Ryan Phillippe is one Hollywood star who's long been candid about his struggle with depression.

The actor, who stars in the new thriller flick "Wish Upon," recently opened up to Women's Health magazine about the sneaky nature of depression and why it's important for those who struggle with it to speak out — both for themselves and for others.

Image: Ryan Phillippe appears on the Today Show for his new series 'Shooter', November 11, 2016
Nathan R. Congleton / TODAY

Depression strikes different people in different ways and that can be confusing to many, including those who are suffering, said Phillippe, 42.

"I believe that depression and mood disorders are on a spectrum akin to the way autism is, where it's an individual experience," he said. "I think people fear being stigmatized or treated in a blanket fashion, which is sometimes the response to someone who says, 'I struggle with depression.'"

"Depression could manifest in a thousand different ways depending on who it is," he added.

The actor, who revealed to Elle magazine in 2015 that he's struggled with depression ever since he was a child, believes talking openly about the disorder helps everyone who suffers from it.

"I don't think there's any reason not to talk about it. We can help each other cope and give tools that we learn along the way," said Phillippe, who plays a Marine Corps sniper in the USA Network drama "Shooter."

The dad-of-three told Women's Health he considers himself a work in progress — and revealed he found plenty of self-help inspiration on a recent Asian trip.

"I took a trip to Thailand, and I had such an amazing experience. Since then I've been reading a ton of Eastern philosophy about giving up some of the superficial things we're attached to, which I'm trying to do," he said.

He also relies on meditation and exercise to help him deal with his moods and also with impatience.

Said the actor, "I'm thinking about how to focus and steady myself and be kinder and better."