In March 2015, Jared Padalecki launched the "Always Keep Fighting" T-shirt campaign to help raise funds for To Write Love on Her Arms, a nonprofit organization that works with people suffering from addiction, depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, Variety reported at the time. Padalecki's own experience with depression inspired him to act, he told Variety. And his experience portraying Sam Winchester in "Supernatural" inspired him to be the person to do the helping. "Sam and Dean, are always dealing with something greater than themselves, and I've sort of learned from the two of them that they get through it with each other, and with help and with support," he told the magazine.
Padalecki explained that his depression peaked while filming Season 3, when he had what he described as a breakdown, per Variety. "[I]t kind of hit me like a sack of bricks. ... It's not just people who can't find a job, or can't fit in in society that struggle with depression sometimes," he said. Padalecki noted that counting on the support of his two best friends, one being Jensen Ackles, was crucial.
That summer, more than 6,000 fans held up candles during a "Supernatural" convention to show support for his fight against depression, per ET. "I will never forget this day. ... TOGETHER, we can and will make a difference! Keep letting your light shine. I will do the same," he wrote on Facebook (via ET).
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
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