Kevin Smith reveals he received mental health treatment after experiencing childhood trauma

27 April, 2023

Kevin Smith

Content warning: This story contains discussion and description of sexual assault.

Kevin Smith has revealed that he spent a month in a mental health treatment facility after having “a complete break from reality” last year. The events were caused by unresolved issues concerning childhood trauma.

In a new interview with People, the Clerks and Chasing Amy director spoke for the first time about his experiences of being sexually abused and guilted for his weight as a child. He also explained how the experiences led to him checking into a treatment centre last year, where he learned coping mechanisms to deal with the trauma.

According to Smith, the decision to seek help occurred at the beginning of 2022 after he awoke one morning in January, feeling a sense of terror and convinced he was losing his mind. “It was scary,” he said, explaining the feeling as a “complete break from reality”.

“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.'”

The filmmaker — who is also an actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster — then went on to describe that the moment was caused due to childhood trauma, which he experienced over 40 years ago.

One of the incidents referenced relates to his experience of sexual abuse when he was just six years old. Here, he explains that he was forced by an older boy to perform sexual acts with a young neighbourhood girl, but had always told himself that they were “just playing doctor in an alleyway.”

A second traumatic moment was also referenced, dating back to when he was nine years old and a teacher made fun of his weight in front of the class.

Explaining that the experiences made him feel “disgusting” at the time, he also added that he developed a “larger than life” alter ego to help him move on from what had happened.

“I was already a self-loathing mess. ‘The other guy’ became my favourite piece of clothing to wear. I’d just let him take over,” he said, discussing how he immersed himself in his work to escape his past.

Kevin Smith. CREDIT: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

These were all realisations that Smith later addressed during his time at Arizona’s Sierra Tucson treatment centre, where he went to sessions alongside military veterans suffering from PTSD. Here, he explained, he learned healthy ways of coming to terms with his past, including breathing exercises, self-accepting thoughts and slowing down his work schedule.

“I’m really interested in seeing if I can finally be comfortable sitting by myself,” he concluded, “and just be alone with my thoughts.”

Earlier this year, Smith announced that he would be launching a new radio show called Music In The Morning. The show airs on Amazon’s live radio app and kicked off on January 18.