'Stranger Things' star David Harbor opens up about his severe mental health struggles

David Harbor has spoken openly about his long battle with mental illness.

The Stranger Things star revealed that he initially believed his problems stemmed from financial difficulties and the instability of a career in acting, but his perspective changed when he began earning a substantial income as a cast member of the hit Netflix show.

"I wonder about mental illness sometimes, whether it’s an actual disease, as they say, or whether it’s a recidivist condition like homelessness or something," David told THR.

"It comes with certain components that feel like a disease, for sure - I still think I’m mentally ill even though I have more money! he continued. "But a lot of people say: 'I wasn’t mentally ill. I was just broke.' And I do feel like there’s something about, 'The greatest sin in America is poverty.'

The 51-year-old furthe said, "There is something about being broke in the East Village [in New York], worried about being able to pay your rent, that causes stress on the nervous system."

"Also, I think the artistic life is a choice - you’re going into territories that other people don’t have to go to, and you in a sense say, ‘I want to go there,'" added David.

For those unversed, David played the role of Jim Hopper in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.