Sarah Silverman reveals battle with depression ahead of 'I Smile Back' release

NEW YORK, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Sarah Silverman opened up about her experience with depression in an interview published Tuesday, ahead of the release of her latest film, I Smile Back.

Sharing her story with Glamour magazine, Silverman -- a seasoned comedian and Comedy Central star -- revealed she has lived with depression, on and off, since she was 13 years old.

"I was walking off a bus from a school camping trip. The trip had been miserable: I was, sadly, a bed wetter, and I had Pampers hidden in my sleeping bag -- a gigantic and shameful secret to carry," Silverman said. "My mom was there to pick me up...seeing her made the stress of the last few days hit home, and something shifted inside me."

For three years, the comedian said she battled depression and anxiety, skipped school frequently and started having panic attacks.

After that, she reveals she tried several anxiety medications for panic attacks and attended therapy sessions. "Once, my stepdad asked me, 'What does it feel like?' and I said, 'It feels like I'm desperately homesick, but I'm home,'" she added.

Since battling the mental illness that started in her youth, Silverman has been able to live with depression and said she "learned to control it, or at least to ride the waves as best I can." Her personal history, she reveals, is what "informs" her work because to her, "being a comedian is about exposing yourself, warts and all."

The Glamour article comes days before Sundance winner I Smile Back is released. In the serious flick, Silverman plays Laney Brooks, a depressed wife and mother who self medicates to get through. She reveals the role was not a pleasant one to play, because it brought her back to some "very dark years," but she is "so glad" to have made it.

"It may not have been fun, but it was the next best thing: It was scary," she said. "That makes you grow."

I Smile Back is scheduled for release Oct. 23.