By Lily Waddell For Mailonline
Published: 02:05 BST, 15 May 2019 | Updated: 02:05 BST, 15 May 2019
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Carol Harrison shared she tried to kill herself because her mum Frances' mental health battle made the actress 'desperately unhappy'.
The EastEnders star, who played Grant Mitchell’s secret lover Louise Raymond, revealed it was her harrowing home life that spurred her on to become an actress.
But before her rise to fame, the actress, 64, now bravely recalled how she took an overdose and spent three months in a psychiatric hospital at the age of 18.
'I had a breakdown': EastEnders' Carol Harrison, 64, revealed she tried to commit suicide at the age of 18 because her mum's mental health battle made the star 'unhappy'
She told The Express newspaper: 'I had a breakdown when I was 18 because of it. I tried to commit suicide.'
Carol revealed she was drove to take an overdose shortly after her mum fought against the fascists at Cable Street in 1936.
However, it was also the television star's difficult childhood which encouraged her to become an actress because acting allowed her to escape from reality.
Inspiration: The EastEnders star, who played Grant Mitchell’s secret lover Louise Raymond, revealed it was her harrowing home life that spurred her on to become an actress
She explained: 'That's why I became an
