GH's Genie Francis opens up about her battle with depression

General Hospital's Genie Francis (Laura Spencer) reveals that being let go from her iconic role last year sent her into a depression that lasted several months.

When it was announced that Genie Francis was unexpectedly being dropped down to recurring status at General Hospital last year, fans of the soap opera were incredibly let down. Her character, Laura Spencer, is an icon, and the news didn't seem to make sense on any level. But while fans of the long-running series were indeed crushed, the one most affected by the upsetting news was Francis herself.

Now that the actress is happily back on the ABC soap opera with a full-time contract, she's being forthcoming about how it felt to be unceremoniously pushed off the canvas many months ago. Not surprisingly, she declares it was a tough blow to absorb.

"I got very, very depressed. It lasted for maybe, I don't know, three months," she shares with Soap Opera Digest, adding that her sudden unemployment took a toll on both her emotional and physical health. "I am an emotional eater and I always will be, no matter what I do. So, yeah, I did a little [emotional] eating. And then I fought my way down. I still have a little further to go before I feel like I am fully back, but luckily for me, I do have the Nutrisystem family, that net, to fall back into, which is so good."

In addition to her Nutrisystem support group, Francis credits the messages she received from fans for giving her some degree of levity during her tough time.

"It helped me a lot to hear how my fans responded on Twitter and things like that," she says. "Watching that unfold made me feel a lot better, every day."

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For more from Francis about why her GH past has been "painful" at times and why her return to the canvas this time around has been so satisfying, check out Soap Central's recent interview with the actress here.

What do you think about Francis revealing that she suffered some depression after being dropped to recurring status at GH? Have you ever been emotionally affected by major career changes or setbacks? If so, how did you deal with it? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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