Why Actor Eric Dane Didn't Realize He Was Depressed

It can be difficult to decide when your depression is “bad” enough to seek medical attention. That is, if you recognize that what you’re through is depression to begin with. Like some people, when “Grey’s Anatomy” star Eric Dane knew something wasn’t quite right, he assumed he didn’t have depression because, well, he had nothing to be depressed about.

In an interview with The Today Show on Monday, Dane explained that depression was the reason he took time off from filming his current series, “The Last Ship.”

“I took the time off, I was dealing with some depression. I was conflicted about it, because I didn’t really feel like I had anything to be depressed about,” he said.

Dane said after going to the doctor and starting medication, he’s doing much better. In his interview, he also addressed a common myth: that you need a reason to be depressed. He said:

I felt really conflicted because I couldn’t figure out what I was depressed about. But it’s very real, and that was the scary thing, when you wake up and you’re like, I don’t want to get out of bed. I was seeing these doctors, thinking there’s something physically wrong with me, because I’d never felt like that, I mean I’ve dealt with depression throughout my life, and it was always manageable and it just felt like, you know, everyone kind of feels a little blue, but this just hit me like a truck. I had to take some time off, I went away, I took care of it and I’m feeling great.

With symptoms like fatigue, irritability and insomnia, it’s not easy for everyone to label their symptoms as depression. That’s why it’s really important to reach out, and ask for help. “You’ve got to listen to your body,” Dane said, on why people need to pay attention to their mental health. “It’s a very serious thing.”