English actor Kit Harington recently got personal, opening up about his struggles with his mental health and alcoholism in hopes that he can somehow help others who are going through the same with his experience.

“Things that have happened to me since Thrones ended, and that were happening during Thrones, were of a pretty traumatic nature and they did include alcohol,” he said in an interview with The Sunday Times.

“You get to a place where you feel like you are a bad person, you feel like you are a shameful person. And you feel that there’s no way out, that’s just who you are. And getting sober is the process of going: ‘No, I can change.’

Harington goes on reveal about seeking help at a Connecticut treatment facility after going through “some pretty horrible stuff,” following the conclusion of Games of Thrones’ in 2019. 

 “One of my favourite things I learnt recently is that the expression ‘a leopard doesn’t change its spots’ is completely false: that a leopard actually does change its spots. I just think that’s the most beautiful thing. It really helped. That was something I kind of clung to; the idea that I could make this huge fundamental change in who I was and how I went about my life.”

The 34-year-old welcomed his first child with wife and fellow Game Of Thrones co-star Rose Leslie six months ago. When asked during the interview if he had ever experienced suicidal thoughts, the actor replied, “I will give you an answer to that question: the answer is yes. Yes of course.”

“I went through periods of real depression where I wanted to do all sorts of things. But I definitely don’t want to be seen as a martyr or special. I’ve been through something, it’s my stuff.”

He hopes that opening up about his own demons can help others battling with their own, stating that “If it helps someone, that’s good.”