'I witnessed 9/11 tragedy as a child and had to enter therapy the very next day'

Rachel Kaly has admitted the 9/11 terrorist attacks were a "starting moment" for her mental health struggles as she witnessed the horror incident as a child .

The 29-year-old comedian was in elementary school when two hijacked planes were flown into New York's World Trade Center , killing almost 3,000 people. Rachel had to enter therapy the very next day and has now opened up about her experiences in her brand new stand-up routine, Hospital Hour.

"It was pretty crazy," Rachel said in an exclusive interview with The Mirror US . "I mean, it was such a big event that affected the whole world and I'm sure there are so many people who could make a show starting at that moment too, and I think it's just in all of our psyches."

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She added: "Growing up in New York after that, it just changes you and so for me, I think that was a moment that I can track back and be like, 'Oh this is where a lot of stuff probably started for me'."

Rachel's mom encouraged her to seek therapy after the tragic event. She explained: " It was very soon after 9/11. I mean, my mom always says I was an anxious kid before that but she's like, 'I had to put you in therapy after that'.

"So very soon after I was in therapy and I just had really bad anxiety after that. The therapy was pretty useless but I was there."

Rachel will soon be performing Hospital Hour at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Rachel said she is "really excited," but admitted she is nervous.

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"I've heard stories of people going and two people show up the whole run, but I've kind of flipped that in my head where I'm like, even if that happens I think it'll be an amazing experience," she told us. "I'm also just excited to run this show so many times. I mean, I've probably done it 30 times now over the course of the last year and a half or so, but to get to do it every night for 30 days, I have to imagine it makes the show the best possible version that it'll be."

Speaking about the show and her decision to focus it on mental health, Rachel said: " The show explores my mental health and how I ended up going into treatment so many times. It's kind of a way to tell my life story through this lens and it's pretty dark, but in the best way possible."

Rachel continued: "I' m a comic who likes to draw from my life and so it was like, well what's going on in my life and it's like well, I'm going to the hospital every day so I might as well talk about it." While Rachel has benefited from writing this show and opening up about her life, she's not the only one.

The comic explained how audience members have previously come up to her to thank her for being so open. She told us: "There was one time this guy came up to me after and was like, 'Can I talk to you?' And we went on a 45-minute walk at like 10 o'clock at night.

"I was like, he could murder me, but he started telling me his life story and he was like, 'This has helped me open up'. I think it's cathartic for people and the things that people tell me after seeing the show because I've been open, I mean I feel like I'm a therapist a little bit."

Hospital Hour - Pleasance Courtyard - Bunker Two, Edinburgh, July 31 – August 25.