Why Jada Pinkett Smith left Hollywood on the brink of career success

Jada Pinkett Smith was on the cusp of A-list fame when she decided she needed to leave Hollywood for her mental health.

It was the early nineties and Pinkett Smith had already starred in some of the most popular TV series at the time including In Living Colour, Dougie Houser M. D. and 21 Jump Street.

She'd begun scoring film roles including in The Inkwell in 1993 and Jason's Lyric in 1994 and was about to star in two of her most successful films – The Nutty Professor and Set It Off – when she purchased a rundown farmhouse, packed her bags and left.

READ MORE: Will Smith breaks silence following release of wife Jada's memoir

Pinkett Smith explains in her memoir Worthy, out now, her mental health had reached an all-time low after a childhood dealing with two drug-addicted parents, losing her grandmother who had helped raise her as well as a series of unhealthy romantic relationships.

A doctor prescribed the anti-depressant medication Prozac years earlier however Pinkett Smith struggled with it's side effects, deciding to wean off it for good.

READ MORE: Jada Pinkett Smith explains why she and Will Smith won't divorce

"I was not happy that it had killed my libido," she wrote in the book. "That wasn't going to work for me for a long period of time."

She then purchased the farmhouse located on the outskirts of Baltimore.

"In my early passages of healing, I was ready to be done with Hollywood and bought a farmhouse outside of Baltimore," she wrote.

"It required a lot of renovation, but the plan was for me to move back home.

"This way, I could fly to L.A. or go to New York for auditions, but I no longer wanted to be part of the Hollywood mix," she continued.

"I needed some peace. I needed some quiet. I needed to breathe."

Pinkett Smith made plans to fix up the rundown farmhouse and fill it with the pets she wasn't allowed to keep as a child, including "a menagerie of rescue dogs and cats."

The Baltimore farmhouse was near her childhood home so she was close to family who "helped me find my bearings and made me feel grounded."

The slower, more simple way of life helped her to heal.

She also spent time with her mother Adrienne who had settled in Columbia, Maryland and was in a stable relationship and drug-free.

Pinkett Smith also stopped drinking and using drugs and concentrated on "getting my sh-t together."

Pinkett Smith had met Will Smith by this stage but he was still married at the time, and her mother warned her even a friendship with him wasn't a good idea.

It wasn't until later that the pair would reconnect, begin dating and marry in 1997. Smith was already father to Trey and Pinkett Smith and Smith would go on to welcome two children together –Jaden and Willow.

Following their wedding the Pinkett Smith and Smith would settle once more in Hollywood, supporting each other's careers.

Pinkett Smith would taking on a starring role in Scream 2 and two of The Matrix movies and Smith would star in Hollywood blockbusters Bad Boys, Independence Day and Men In Black.

Pinkett Smith revealed in the book she and Smith have been separated for several years however have no plans to divorce.

Pinkett Smith confirmed to Today in the US she and Smith are working to "reconcile" their marriage.

"There's no finding another great love," she said. "We are working very hard at bringing our relationship together."

If you or someone you know is in need of support for mental health issues contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Alcohol and Drug Support Line on 1800 198 024.