Success Has Not Ended Anxiety Attacks For Lee Byung Hun

You might think that starring in two Hollywood blockbusters, having your movies rock the box office in Japan or being loved by a beautiful actress would help ease an often-crippling sense of anxiety, but you would be wrong, says Lee Byung Hun.

On a March episode of "Healing Camp," Lee, the star of the drama "Iris," and the films "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" and "Red 2" talked about his experiences with depression and anxiety. The actor said he first became depressed when he had to clear up debts that accumulated following the death of his father.

"Every moment felt like death for me back then and that experience is something you cannot understand unless you have experienced it yourself," he said.

That period of depression led to acute anxiety attacks.

"Once when I had to fly to America, just as the plane was about to take off, I began to have trouble breathing," said Lee Byung Hun. "It was then that I realized that I was suffering from acute anxiety disorder."

The actor says he takes medication to deal with disorder but even taking medication does not completely eliminate his anxiety attacks.

"It isn't so much of a big deal when I am filming because the faces of the cast and crew are familiar to me, but when I stand in front of a large crowd of people, it can be difficult," he said. "When I go to award ceremonies or fan meetings, I have fears that are difficult to describe."

In a recent documentary program called "The Old Rookie Lee Byung Hun and Hollywood," the actor admitted that his panic disorder created an incident during a radio program in July. During a live program, the actor had to get under a table to ease his anxiety.

"On that day I believed my anxiety could result in a broadcasting accident," said Lee. "It could have led to me collapsing or having to leave because I couldn't endure the anxiety any longer."

Although he rationally knows that he has to work and be professional, his symptoms can be overwhelming.

"My mind and the symptoms I feel are constantly at war," he said.

He is not the only celebrity to admit to having anxiety attacks. Other celebrities who deal with panic disorder include Shinhwa's Jun Jin, singer Kim Jang Hoon and actor Chae Tae Hyun.

Hopefully Lee Byung Hun won't have an anxiety attack at his upcoming wedding to actress Lee Min Jung as 1,200 guests are expected to attend.