Thompson's struggle with depression

British actress Emma Thompson has long struggled with depression and insists the only way to beat her condition is to use creative therapy techniques.

The Oscar-winner first experienced depression during a stint on the London stage in her 20s and admits it was one of the darkest times of her life.

She says: "I'm prone to depression and to all sorts of mental illnesses. I did a musical in the West End - I became clinically depressed even though I was being paid to be cheerful. I had no life at all.

"I lived like a nun. I didn't drink. I didn't have sex. I was 24 for crying out loud. No wonder I was depressed."

Thompson reveals that the condition often comes back to haunt her, with her most recent episode of serious depression occurring as she struggled to get pregnant with her daughter Gaia who was born in 1999.

But she has now found a new way to manage her moods.

She adds: "I discovered something about writing recently. With writing, you can pick up a pen and say: 'I have to write'.

"And you should certainly write your early experiences because they are fascinating. Writing has freed me a lot."