Sheridan Smith has revealed she was rushed to hospital and had five seizures after she stopped taking anti-anxiety pills.
However, the actress bounced back to become a mum and has filmed an ITV documentary on mental health struggles to help other women.
Sheridan was nominated for BBC drama The C Word at the 2016 Baftas and “went off the deep end” after show host Graham Norton cracked a joke about her pulling out of West End show Funny Girl.
In the documentary, Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum, she says: “Graham made a joke about me being a drunk.
"I was so humiliated. But what people didn’t know was I had become addicted to anti-anxiety tablets.
“That night, I took myself off to a hotel on my own.
"In my crazy mind I thought, ‘I don’t want to be in rehab, I’ll do it myself’.
"So I went there and stopped taking my tablets.
“Weirdly, a friend had rang me and came to the hotel.
"It’s a miracle she did because what I didn’t realise is that if you stop taking these tablets abruptly, you seizure.
“I seizured five times. I got rushed to A&E and she (the friend) got me breathing again.”
The Baftas came at a tough time in Sheridan’s life as her father Colin was diagnosed with cancer.
He died months later and she left Funny Girl due to mental health issues.
In the documentary, Sheridan, 39 speaks of her joy at becoming a parent with insurance broker Jamie Horn, 30, and how she now wants a second child.
Holding baby Billy, who was born in May, she says: “This little miracle. I have never felt love like it.
“He completes me. I never thought that would be me or my life but I can’t wait to get a sibling for him now.”
She describes motherhood as the “best feeling in the world” and adds: “I’d kind of been told that by people but I actually never thought I was maternal – even though I’ve always had animals.
“Everyone said motherhood will change your life but I guess I hadn’t thought about it until it happened.
"Then when I saw him... I mean there are no words that could explain that bond, that connection.
“Just recently, he’s started smiling.
"The day he smiled at me was more amazing and emotional even than the day he was born because you suddenly think, ‘Oh my God, you love me back’.
"Suddenly all those sleepless nights and all that worry goes out the window.
“You look in those little eyes and the love you feel, it's like a connection I’ve never felt and thank God I’ve done it.
“It’s like he’s my world. You stop being so selfish and maybe worrying about things that don’t mean that much. It’s all about him now.”
Sheridan, who is worth £17million, has appeared in award-winning dramas such as Cilla and Mrs Biggs as well as acclaimed West End shows.
The documentary reveals how she met Jamie and how he has boosted her confidence.
The couple “matched” on dating site Tinder in 2018 and have been inseparable since.
Jamie claims it was love at first sight, saying: “On our first date, she was so timid, sweet and nervous.
"She came in an hour late to this packed boozer.
"She gave me this smile from across the bar and that was it.
“When I met Sheridan, I didn’t know anything about mental health.
"Learning how to cope and deal with that and understand it was a difficult time.
"People don’t understand how far she’s come.
"It makes me so, so happy – it’s like I’ve got my best mate back.”
Sheridan is shown during her pregnancy talking about anxiety and depression with other mums-to-be.
She says: “What I’ve learnt is the worse thing you can do is to close off.
"I know it sounds weird as I’m an actor but I don’t like talking about myself.
“I’ve always found the thought of going to therapy a bit self-indulgent. ‘I don’t want to talk about myself all day’, ‘people have got it a lot worse than me’ – all those classic things.
“A lot of people feel that way. But it’s OK not to be OK. You can reach out and get help.
"Even if it’s not with the people you love, do it secretly, with a charity.
"They’ve got your best interests at heart and want to help.”
● Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum is on ITV next Tuesday at 9pm.
