Actor Jim Carrey is writing a self-help book for sufferers of depression who want to avoid using drugs to beat the condition.

The Mask star battled with depression for years after his meteoric rise to fame in the 1990s, using Prozac and other medication to try and control his dark thoughts.

But the 46-year-old states numbing the pain with medication is not the way to deal with the problem, and hopes his new book will help people focus on where their problems stem from.

He says, "I dealt with depression for a while by medicating with Prozac and although it was good for dealing with the problem there and then, I wasn’t getting to the bottom of my anger and frustration.

"I think we have a real problem these days in that everything is treated with a drug. I think there’s a whole new way of healing depression that doesn’t require drugs, and I’m writing a book about it. Who better than a comedian to talk about depression right?"