Mischa Barton is terrified her career is over — and friends of the 23-year-old actress are afraid the former star of The O.C. actress will end up back in psychiatric care — after her new CW series The Beautiful Life was cancelled after just two episodes.

Bosses on The Beautiful Life- which was produced by Ashton Kutcher – were aware of Mischa’s fragile emotional state, so they asked her mother/manager Nuala to break the news the show was over.

“Mischa fell into her mother’s arms and sobbed. Nuala reminded her that there will be other opportunities and it wasn’t the end of the world, but Mischa got mad and screamed how she couldn’t understand. It was rough, apparently,” a source spills to Britain’s Star Magazine. “She said it wasn’t her fault they didn’t promote the show or keep it running long enough so people could discover it on their own.”

Mischa — who was placed under involuntary psychiatric care in L.A.’s Cedars-Sinai in July – was so devastated when the fashion-centered became the first show of the new season to get the boot, she’s now frightened she’ll never find acting work again.

“This show was such an ego boost for her at a time when she needed one. She has been insecure about where her career was going and feels she may be a has-been at 23. She hasn’t been overwhelmed with offers since ‘The O.C.’ went off the air,” the snitch blabbed on. “She needs to feel she’s still employable. Right now, that’s her deepest fear. That no one will hire her again. It’s not true, but that’s how insecure she can get sometimes.”