James Arthur Says Anxiety Made Him Fear He Was Having Heart Attack

James Arthur discussed his battle with anxiety during a TV appearance saying that things got so bad he was calling ambulances to his house in the belief he was having a heart attack.

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Promoting his new single, Say You Won’t Let Go, the X Factor winner said how he struggled to cope gripped with depression and anxiety following his rise to fame on the hit show.

Speaking to Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, the 28-year-old said: “I wasn’t prepared for it – it was a lot of pressure and judgment, but I wanted to make something of my life at the time,”

“I suffered from depression, I was very insecure and anxious even before the X Factor – and I was self-medicating,”

James says “he wasn’t prepared for the level of scrutiny” and reacted by rebelling against it.

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“It was so bizarre to me, I didn’t know how to deal with it and I pressed the self-destruct button,” he said, adding:

“I didn’t realise how devastating my behavior could be – looking back I’m very embarrassed. I just buckled under the anxiety,”

“I was calling ambulances to my house thinking I was having heart attacks because of the anxiety.”

Copyright: [Rex]

James also revealed that he’s still in touch with Nicole Scherzinger who was his mentor on the show back in 2013.

“Nicole keeps in touch, she’s a megastar and she still reaches out on a daily basis – it’s a testament to her character.”