Hollyoaks' Stephanie Davis reveals 'high-functioning autism' diagnosis which she believes explains her alcoholism
Stephanie Davis has revealed she has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism.
The 26-year-old Hollyoaks star has started a new video blog asking for help and advice as she admitted she had struggled to accet the diagnosis at first, but after reading more about it, it had helped explain other problems she has experiences, such as alcohol addiction.
Davis said: "So I've been diagnosed with a few mental health issues and I'm not ready to talk about them all yet, I don’t know if I ever will be. This is a lot for me.”
Read more: Stephanie Davis opens up on abuse and PTSD
She went on: “This is me... I have high-functioning autism.”
The soap star - who was runner up in the 2016 series of Celebrity Big Brother - went on to admit she had “self-medicated” with alcohol.
Davis said: “I would have to drink a bottle of wine before I went out. I do believe I've self-medicated now a lot because of the anxiety.
“I would sweat and would be feeling sick and I would have a tantrum like a three-year-old.
“I would throw myself on the bed, crying my eyes out, then I would try and get myself ready and would drink a bottle of wine to try and calm my nerves.”
Read more: Stephanie Davis reveals she drank three bottles of wine a day
The actress - who is mother to two-year-old son Caben - said she also drank in a bid to cope with social situations.
She revealed: “That's why I drank a lot more, because I found it so exhausting.
“The next day, I would have an emotional hangover. It was all too much.
“I've always hated busy [places] unless I was drinking, then I could just about get through it.”
Davis has previously spoken about her battle with alcoholism and attempting to end her life during a toxic two year on-and-off relationship with Caben’s father, model Jeremy McConnell who she met on Celebrity Big Brother.
The actress joined the cast of Hollyoaks in 2010 but her contract was terminated in 2015 amid allegations that she was turning up to work drunk. She returned to the E4 soap as Sinead O’Connor last year and is currently dating co-star Owen Warner who plays Romeo Quinn.
Jane Harris, Director of External Affairs at the National Autistic Society, told the MailOnline: “We really hope that Stephanie’s revelation that she’s autistic will encourage people to find out more about autism.
“Almost everyone is aware of the term. But we need more people to understand what it’s like to be autistic. As Stephanie says in her video, every autistic person is different and will have their own strengths and challenges.”