“There’s a line in the show where someone says [of her Stranger Things character], ‘She’s had anxiety problems in the past.’ A lot of people have picked up on that, like, ‘Oh, you know, she’s crazy.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, wait a second, she’s struggling.’ Two kids, deadbeat dad, working her ass off. Who wouldn’t be anxious?” she says.

Having herself been painted with a particular brush, the actor says that there’s a stigma surrounding admitting you’re struggling, saying:

“I talked about my experiences with anxiety and depression when I was that age. And I think by doing that, maybe coupled with my physical size, there’s this ‘crazy’ thing. And I’ve realised recently it’s literally impossible to try to change that story.”

Although she openly admits that she does “have the qualities” of being “sensitive, fragile,” she also says “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them.”

The star hit back at the mental health terminology, saying that this stigma surrounding it overshadows the fact that many of these feelings are experienced by many young women, saying:

“Even that word, anxious. It’s a bad word. And so like all of these words — it’s kind of what I tried to do with Girl, Interrupted, and why I was so invested in that book and trying to get it made [as a movie]. My whole point was, this happens to every girl, almost.”

“I'm so sick of people shaming women for being sensitive or vulnerable”: Winona Ryder on depression and anxiety