The Truth About Ruby Wax’s Mental Health Crash

Ruby Wax has spent decades making people laugh, but this conversation is about what happens when the jokes stop working. In this episode, Ruby speaks with rare honesty about living with depression, relapse, and the exhausting work of trying to hold yourself together when your mind won’t cooperate. She talks about coming off antidepressants to explore psilocybin therapy and ending up in a mental health ward, the shame that can creep in when you “should” be better by now, and why mental illness doesn’t care whether you’re on holiday, winning awards, or doing everything “right.” Ruby also opens up about letting go of old identities, including the version of herself built for attention, validation, and success, and how terrifying it was to walk away from a huge TV career to start again. She describes fame as addictive, relapse as confusing, and recovery as anything but linear. This isn’t a polished guru’s guide or a neat redemption arc. It’s a conversation with someone still doing the work, falling over, starting again, laughing at herself, and telling the truth about how messy it all can be. 00:00 I Didn’t Choose Mental Illness 04:45 Success Didn’t Protect Me 09:30 When My Mind Turned Against Me 14:30 Medication Made It Worse 19:30 Hitting Rock Bottom Publicly 24:10 Silence, Mindfulness, and Fear 28:40 Realising Thoughts Aren’t Reality 33:10 Why Fame Feeds Suffering 37:50 Reinventing Who I Am 42:00 What Actually Heals the Mind Simba mattresses 👉Great recovery starts with great sleep. That’s why On The Mend is powered by Simba. Start your 200-night trial & experience the Simba difference: https://highpfrmc.com/OTM_Simba_YT Heights👉 Join Matt in getting your energy back with Vitals. 20% off here: https://highpfrmc.com/OTM20 Need Support? Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org Narcotics Anonymous: na.org Alcoholics Anonymous: alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk Mental Health Mates: mentalhealthmates.co.uk Shout: https: giveusashout.org IAPT: england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/