Katherine Heigl has spoken up about the negative impact of being labeled “difficult” in the entertainment world on her mental health.

While Heigl did not specifically mention Grey’s Anatomy, the actor is known to have had a tumultuous working relationship with Shonda Rhimes, the show’s creator.

The “Grey’s Anatomy” actress stated in an interview with the Washington Post that the allegations about her grew to the point that she was deemed unprofessional, which she now believes was unjust.

“I may have said a couple of things you didn’t like, but then that escalated to ‘she’s ungrateful,’ then that escalated to ‘she’s difficult,’ and that escalated to ‘she’s unprofessional,’” Heigl explained in an interview. “What is your definition of difficult? Somebody with an opinion that you don’t like? Now, I’m 42, and that s— pisses me off.”

“At the time, I was just told to shut the f*** up,” she said. “The more I said I was sorry, the more they wanted it. The more terrified and scared I was of doing something wrong, the more I came across like I had really done something horribly wrong.”

Heigl went on to describe the consequences of the ongoing pushback, saying that her family and friends were “scared” by her fast deteriorating mental state.

“I regret deeply that I scared them like that,” she said, “but I just couldn’t control it. I had no tools.”

Heigl claims that her anxiety grew so bad that she had no choice but to leave Hollywood.

“I asked my mom and my husband to find me somewhere to go that could help me because I felt like I would rather be dead,” she explained. “I didn’t realise how much anxiety I was living with until I got so bad that I had to really seek help.”

“You can do a lot of inner soul work, but I’m a big fan of Zoloft.”

She also believes in the benefits of time and reflection.

“I’ve grown into accepting that ambition is not a dirty word, and that it doesn’t make me less of a feminine, loving, nurturing woman to be ambitious and have big dreams and big goals,” Heigl said. “It’s easier to be happy because I have a little more gentleness for myself.”

She’s also changed her name, telling the Washington Post that she prefers the name Katie.

She answered, “Whichever you prefer. Just don’t call me difficult.”

Heigl will next be seen in Netflix’s Firefly Lane, where she also serves as an executive producer.