Chad Michael Murray makes shocking confession about 'One Tree Hill' era

Chad Michael Murray may have climbed the fame ladder through One Tree Hill but it also proved to be the toughest period of his life.

In a new interview with The Cut, the 42-year-old actor talked about how he was struggling with his mental health amid the show’s success.

He revealed that he was battling with agoraphobia which is a type of anxiety that causes a person to fear certain places or situations.

“I was around 23 and I had an event in Miami, but I couldn't leave my hotel room. The world felt like it was closing in. I was having anxiety attacks,” the actor, who played Lucas Scott on the show from 2003 till 2012, confessed.

Admitting that he needed to make some lifestyle changes, Chad continued, “ 'I woke up and felt unsettled. I didn't like the direction that I was going in my life. I went to church, and I got a tattoo of a cross on my left wrist, and I was like, I'm going to move myself in faith.”

Chad also shared that practicing gratitude has helped him to view life from a whole different lens.

“I remember in my younger 20s, I'd wake up and say, ‘Oh, I've got to go to work.’ And that's a very different place to even start your day. It's just a very different mindset where I have gratitude. I get to go to work and I love that opportunity to just spread love, try to elevate energy, and respect the craft. Instead of coming at it as a disgruntled, tired 21-year-old,” he said.