Shia LaBeouf Blames Childhood Stardom For His PTSD And Alcohol Abuse

“I was an ordinary kid, for real, in an extraordinary situation,” he said.

The story of LaBeouf's traumatic childhood is depicted in his film Honey Boy,

LaBeouf began auditioning for TV and film roles the following year before landing Even Stevens in 2003.

In order to be closer to the set, LaBeouf moved into a motel with his father, who is described as a rage-prone Vietnam vet and sex offender who aims to make his son's life miserable.

His role in Even Stevens earned him a Daytime Emmy in 2003.

"I became addicted to that kudos," LaBeouf admits.

"It kind of fueled my way of working for a long time — just pining your own pain, and holding on to it, and not really ever dealing with it or questioning it, but just keeping it in a little bottle that you can pop the top on whenever it's needed, when the switch needs to be flipped."

"I was trying to earn my father. I was trying to shake off Disney. I was trying to shake off blockbusters. And I was trying to work with people who [explective] with me," the actor explained.

It was around this time that LaBeouf was gaining a reputation for disorderly conduct, ultimately leading to his arrest in 2017, which the actor recalls as his rock bottom.

"It was the first time I’d been told I had PSTD,” he explains. “I just thought I was an alcoholic, like a true-blue drunk and I needed to deal with that. I knew it was an issue but didn’t know there was this extra whole other thing that was hindering my ability to have any peace in my life and my ability to deal with people."

You can listen to the full interview here.