It’s been just over a month since Mischa Barton was placed under an involuntary psychiatric hold at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, but now she’s finally speaking out about what happened.

The 23-year-old actress explained to Time Out New York saying, “I went through a tough spot where everything compounded on me, and it was like a perfect storm, like everything was happening to me at once.” This perfect storm, according to Barton, was a combination of some contractually obligated travel abroad and a wisdom tooth surgery gone terribly wrong.

She disputes the reports that she had a mental breakdown, and says the whole thing was blown out of proportion. For her sake, I hope she’s right.

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Fame

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When it comes to shaping up Mischa Barton is nothing but serious. Currently in New York City to shoot the TV show The Beautiful Life, the actress has been hitting the downtown Equinox gym and even hiring a trainer.

“Mischa is really focused on getting into shape,” says a source with knowledge of the situation. Last month, the actress, 23, suffered a breakdown and spent several days in a psychiatric ward after police were called to her home in Los Angeles.

The focus on fitness might be just what Barton needed. “She has big self-esteem issues,” a source close to her told People last month. “She hates her legs. She isn’t comfortable with her body. It’s been a big source of stress and self-hate.”

Since relocating to New York City in late July, Barton has been trying to change that. “Mischa has been doing a lot of conditioning with weights as well as cardio on the treadmill, and some kickboxing,” says a source. “She’s been very consistent and she seems focused.”

Source, Bauer-Griffin

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After being placed under involuntarily psychiatric hold earlier this month, Mischa Barton is back at work and doing “great,” her costars on The Beautiful Life tell People.

“We had our first read-through [Wednesday] and we’re all so very excited to have her back. She’s such a great girl,” costar Sara Paxton said at Model Home Project’s pre-launch celebration for The Power of WE at The Gates in New York on Wednesday.

“We really didn’t talk about everything that’s been going on. It was really all work,” Paxton adds.

Costar Ben Hollingsworth admits the cast was just as much in the dark about the specific reason behind Barton’s hospitalization as anyone else. “We were all worried about her. We didn’t really know what was going on, but she’s looking great. She’s feeling great and it’s just good to have her back,” he says. “We start shooting again on Friday and she’s ready to work. We’re all ready to jump into it and are very excited – even Mischa.”

Hollingsworth believes Barton’s new role may help her cope with all that’s been going on in her life.

“She’s gone through it more than anyone in the cast and her character in the show is very intertwined into that lifestyle. I think she’s going to be able to draw on a lot of real-life experiences that she’s had to go through with paparazzi, rumors, and invasion of privacy and all that comes in the public eye,” he says.

As for Hollingsworth’s role on the show: “My character is basically based on Ashton Kutcher (who created the show) and how he experienced life as a model coming to New York from Iowa.”

The Beautiful Life debuts on the CW in September.

Source, Bauer-Griffin

Mischa Barton is on schedule to return to the set of her CW show The Beautiful Life, People confirms.

The 23-year-old actress “will be resuming production as planned with the rest of the cast in NYC,” her rep tells People. “She’s back to business as usual.” The show is due to start filming Friday.

Barton was hospitalized July 15, but has been making improvements, her rep told People.

Ashton Kutcher, creator and producer of The Beautiful Life, recently talked about Barton at a technology conference in Pasadena, Calif. “I can tell you right now Mischa Barton is doing great,” Kutcher said, according to Reuters.

Source, Bauer-Griffin