Henry Winkler revealed he was "out of my mind" before he made a big decision about his life at 70.
The Happy Days alum, 80, explained in a new interview that things were "going sideways" before he finally turned to therapy.
Speaking on In Depth With Graham Bensinger, the actor said he felt like he was "treading water," spurring him to seek help from a therapist.
"About 10 years ago, maybe 12 years ago, I was pretty good at either figuring things out or making it or smoothing things out in my mind or rationalizing," he said on September 9. "And I just couldn't do it anymore."
He added: "I was not being able to just [say], 'Oh, well, OK, I'll move that aside and I'll just move forward.'
"I needed to now empty myself out of all of the rancid garbage I had allowed to infiltrate."
Therapy has helped Henry immensely, and he said that his ability to "just listen and not have to throw your point of view in unless it's asked for" has made an incredible difference to his mental health.
© Getty ImagesWhen Graham asked his "view on why you were doing that before?" Henry replied: "Because I was out of balance. I was out of my [expletive] mind."
When asked if he still felt that way, he said: "I'm getting there."
He added: "I was Swiss cheese. I was filled with holes. And I had to constantly be anxious about stepping in one of those holes. And my job is to become a chunk of cheddar, not a hole in sight."
© Getty ImagesTurning to therapy helped Henry develop "a connection to the depth" within him as an artist, which helped him in his award-winning role as Gene Cousineau in HBO's comedy, Barry.
"I could not have done Barry if I did not have therapy," he stated.
Henry's marriage to Stacey
© Getty ImagesElsewhere in the interview, Henry confessed that therapy has also helped his relationship with his wife, Stacey Weitzman, explaining that before he sought professional help, he "didn't let anybody in."
Henry has been married to Stacey since 1978, after they tied the knot in an intimate wedding in New York City.
The couple met two years earlier at Jerry Magnin's clothing store in Beverly Hills, where Stacey worked in the PR department.
© Getty Images"She was wearing purple parachute pants and she had red hair and without her even saying a word, I thought, 'Whoa, beautiful woman standing in front of me,'" Henry told People.
While sparks didn't initially fly for Stacey, the actor returned a week later and ran into her again. "I came back to the store the next week, and she was there," he explained. "And within 10 minutes, I learned how strong she is."
The couple are parents to three children: Jed, whom Stacey welcomed during a previous relationship, Zoe, and Max.
