Kevin Smith details breakdown, mental health treatment

Kevin Smith has detailed his latest health scare, revealing that earlier this year, he suffered a “complete break from reality”–and no, he’s not talking about writing a fourth Clerks.

On his mental health, Kevin Smith told People that he had a breakdown in January, even hinting at some seriously dark thoughts that went through his mind. “At that moment, I wouldn’t have been averse to not being around any longer. I called a friend and said, ‘I’m in a weird, dark place. I need to go somewhere and get help.’”

As a result, Kevin Smith checked himself into a treatment center to get professional help for his health. He also reflected on his time attending therapy sessions, although he initially felt a bit guilty since he was in a group that included people suffering from PTSD. “In the beginning, it was tough to share when somebody’s talking about watching their friend get killed and I’m like, ‘Well, my fourth-grade teacher told me I was fat’…But I learned that there’s no differentiation [between levels of trauma] to the human nervous system. Internally, trauma is trauma.”

Smith’s issues go back to his youth, although the writer/director has been able to hide them from his public persona, going on to create his own universe that developed a loyal cult following. Hey, who else could you sell Tusk to? Now that Kevin Smith has opened up about his health, he’s hoping others can benefit. “I’m terrified to see everyone’s reaction to [all of this]…But I know there’s somebody out there who doesn’t know this stuff—like I didn’t—who could get something out of this.” We are glad Kevin Smith sought help for his mental health concerns and has been brave enough to share his stories.

Kevin Smith has kept quite busy since his 1994 debut, Clerks, a time he also says he was “a self-loathing mess.” In less than 30 years, he has directed 15 features, with two in 2022: Clerks III and KillRoy Was Here, the first movie released as an NFT…and we’ll just pretend we know what that even means. Next is Moose Jaws, which will again bring Smith to the horror genre he has grown accustomed to.

What is your favorite Kevin Smith movie and scene from it? Let us know in the comments section.