Gibson has insisted his outburst did not reflect his true feelings

He said on US TV that his tirade had been "the stupid ramblings of a drunkard", adding: "The last thing I want to be is that kind of monster."

Gibson told Good Morning America that he had to "allay the fears of others and to heal" those who had been hurt.

The star was banned from driving for three months and fined $1,300 (�700).

The 50-year-old, who has previously been treated for alcoholism, told interviewer Diane Sawyer that he began drinking two months before his 28 July arrest.

"Years go by, you're fine," he said, but a relapse could happen "in a heartbeat, in an instant, on an impulse".

He added: "All you can do is take another step, keep breathing."

Frightened and offended

Gibson said he planned to continue making films, but acknowledged that some people in Hollywood did not want to work with him following his anti-Semitic remarks.

"I feel sad because they've obviously been hurt and frightened and offended enough to feel that they have to do that.

"And it's their choice. There's nothing I can do about that."

The film-maker's latest movie, the historical action adventure Apocalypto, is due out in December.