Christy Carlson Romano Reveals She Had a Private Breakdown: 'I Felt Like I Failed Myself'

Christy Carlson Romano is opening up about a dark time in her life.

The 35-year-old Kim Possible actress penned a personal essay for Teen Vogue, published on Tuesday (May 28).

“Many of you know me as the girl from that TV show or movie you once saw on the Disney Channel. Maybe you saw me on Broadway or in a Lifetime Movie. I am an actress and if you were going to define my ‘brand’ you might say I was ‘perfect’ or ‘pulled together.’ I’m here to throw a wrench at that image,” she wrote.

“I have largely suffered in silence…during a period of time in my life, I grappled with depression, drinking, and more, desperate to find fixes for how I felt.”

“I won’t be the last child actor to tell you the pitfalls of early-onset fame. But if I’ve learned anything from these experiences, it’s that being famous should come second to creating a life that you personally feel fulfilled with,” she wrote.

She detailed her time on Evan Stevens, and what happened afterward.

“Even Stevens ended the summer before my start at an Ivy League school that fall…my heart broke when I realized that I was never going to experience the teen-movie happy ending with a group of friends in a Jeep on their way to the beach. I felt like I failed myself, and the tape that had started playing years before now started to play louder, faster, and angrier.”

She also offered very helpful advice at the end of her essay.

“Anyone reading this, or anyone who decides to go into the entertainment business (including my daughters, should that time come), know this: having a clear understanding of your personal value helps to positively shape everything you do. If you don’t, if you aren’t careful, you just might end up getting what everyone else wishes for but wondering what you want yourself.”

For more from Christy, head to TeenVogue.com.