Hannah Murray Reveals Wellness Cult Ordeal After Psychotic Break at 27 and Bipolar Diagnosis
Updated
Updated · TheWrap · May 23
Hannah Murray Reveals Wellness Cult Ordeal After Psychotic Break at 27 and Bipolar Diagnosis
8 articles · Updated · TheWrap · May 23
Murray said a years-long involvement with a wellness cult ended in a psychotic break, hospitalization and a bipolar diagnosis after she joined at 27.
The 36-year-old actress told The Guardian she was drawn in while searching for something to "fix" her after years of partying, substance use and the emotional instability of acting.
She said an "energy healer" introduced her to the group during filming of Kathryn Bigelow's "Detroit," when intense scenes left her physically shaken and vulnerable.
Murray, known for five seasons on "Game of Thrones" and three on "Skins," has since left both acting and the wellness industry and now avoids practices such as meditation and yoga.
Her account is detailed in "The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness," framing her experience as part of a broader warning about how mainstream wellness remedies can become seductive for people in distress.
How does the popular search for wellness lead vulnerable people into dangerous cults?
Where is the fine line between a spiritual awakening and a psychotic break?
Is the unregulated $480 billion wellness industry creating more harm than good?