LONDON: Helena Bonham Carter says ''healthy insanity'' runs in her family and accepts the fact she may suffer from mental illness herself at some point in her life.

Helena Bonham Carter believes she has the "potential" to go insane.

The 'Alice in Wonderland' actress - whose mother Elena suffered a severe breakdown 38 years ago - believes mental illness is hereditary and accepts the fact she may suffer herself in the future.

Helena - who is in a long-term relationship with Tim Burton - said: "There's a good streak in our family of, I'd say, healthy insanity. My mother, and I know, my grandmother and great-grandmother. I think it's very much genetic.

"I haven't suffered yet, but I know there's potential there. I've been depressed and don't like it. I was definitely depressed when I was 18, wondering who I was.

"I was under a lot of scrutiny but I hadn't worked out for myself whether I wanted to act. I felt very isolated because I was out of my peer group."

Helena, 43, sought therapy for her problems, but is unsure whether speaking to someone helped.

The actress - who landed her first acting role at 16 - added to The Times newspaper: "I had therapy. I'm not sure if the therapy helped. It just passed. It was fine. You find a way through it, but it is hard, still, to talk about it."