Max George ended up in hospital due to battling depression after The Wanted split
Max George has revealed he struggled with depression after The Wanted split up and ended up in hospital having brain scans.
The band went on hiatus in 2014 and singer George, 32, has now shared the impact it had on him.
Opening up on Made In Chelsea's Jamie Laing and Francis Boulle's Private Parts podcast, he said after the band members went their separate ways he headed across the pond to Los Angeles to star in Glee.
Read more: Max George has camera in Strictly dance studio so girlfriend can watch him
But when that ended, he started having problems and at one point couldn’t even walk.
"I had a three month period where I couldn't even go out of my apartment without being sick,” said the star.
"I couldn't walk. My head was spinning. So I ended up in hospital having tests and scans on my brain, all sorts. I did not know what was wrong with me, it was crazy, and apparently it was all down to being, I guess depressed."
George said he felt that he was lucky, with a great family and work, but that when he tried to pick himself up, “nothing worked”.
He said: “The doctors put me on stuff over there. To be fair that did help but I came off it because I didn't want to get in the mindset of if you go six, seven or eight months taking stuff you are going to think you can’t be you without it.”
Sharing more about the experience, he went on: “I remember, the first morning I woke up, I was absolutely fine the day before, and my jaw had seized up and I thought in my sleep I’d got lockjaw.”
When his jaw felt the same the following day, the singer went to the doctor but was told nothing was wrong.
“So I started thinking it must be in my head then,” he said.
George returned home to the UK for Christmas and sought further opinions from doctors, but when nothing showed up “they agreed it was sort of anxiety, depression”.
Read more: Max George says it would be 'amazing' to have kids with girlfriend Stacey Giggs
Then one morning he woke up and his head was “completely clear”.
"I couldn't believe it had gone,” said the star. “I cried to myself because I just felt like me again. I was like, ‘What’s happened?’”
“I felt like my life could start again,” he added.
Watch: Max George offers support to The Wanted bandmate Tom Parker after cancer diagnosis