Seeking justice is not any small activity?simply ask Mariska Hargitay.

The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star admitted that the heavy subject material of the present, which premieres its twenty sixth season Oct. 3, could be exhausting to shake off.

?That?s been a process,? Hargitay advised Selena Gomez in a brand new sit-down for Interview journal printed Sept. 23. ?When I started the show, I wasn?t aware of how deeply it would go into me. My husband Peter is always like, anytime I go anywhere, my first question is, What?s the crime rate here?? So it?s on the brain.?

The Emmy winner?whose portrayal of Olivia Benson is the longest-running live-action character in primetime TV historical past?confessed that the present?s concentrate on crimes comparable to sexual assault, baby abuse and home violence does take a toll.

?There?s been times when I didn?t know how to protect myself, and I think I was definitely a victim of secondary trauma from being inundated with these stories and knowing that they were true,? Hargitay defined. ?Those were the parts that I didn?t know how to metabolize, just because of the sheer volume of it.?