Patty Duke promotes "Unanswered Prayers", talks about Lovato and Lohan

Emmy and Oscar award winner Patty Duke is currently promoting her upcoming TV movie, Unanswered Prayers. Aside from Duke, the made-for-TV is based on the Garth Brooks song of the same name, and stars Eric Close, Samantha Mathis, and Madchen Amick.

However, her interview with Popeater.com's Stacy Jenel Smith was more about the actresses' support of the troubled young Hollywood, including Demi Lovato and Lindsay Lohan.

Duke has reason to understand the difficulties and pressures of being young and successful. She was a child actress of note on Broadway and in television, making waves as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and then playing identical cousins Patty and Cathy Lane in her own series, The Patty Duke Show.

Her personal issues were eventually diagnosed as bipolar based. It took Duke years to get to the heart of her problems and live a stable life. Now, though, she and her husband of nearly 25 years live happily on a farm in Idaho. She's found peace with normal highs and lows.

When not working on her farm or acting, Duke often speaks out on manic-depressive and bipolar health issues as well as for Social Security. She's also written her memoir, Call Me Anna, and other books on mental health.

Having starred in other series including It Takes Two and Karen's Song, she actually would like to get back to series TV, if the right part came along.

As she promoted Unanswered Prayers, Duke shared her concern and thoughts about Lovato and Lohan.

She told Popeater about Lovato, "Be quiet and let the girl figure it out. These are people, these young girls. Some of them can build a shield against the negative media, but most of them can't -- and it hurts."

About Lohan's situation, she added, "I relate to it completely. What I don't relate to is when help is offered and they don't take it. That's what makes me crazy. The part of me that understands psychology and psychiatry tells me, 'No, they're not at their bottom yet.' It may be my bottom, but not theirs."

Popeater asked Duke what her message to Lohan would be, if she could tell her anything.

"That there is a safe place. There is a safe place inside of each of us, and when we finally go there, we find out that we can find other safe places, outside of us."

Unanswered Prayers airs on Lifetime on November 29.