Yahoo News Little Mix star Perrie Edwards opens up about anxiety battle in candid Instagram post
Little Mix star Perrie Edwards has opened up living with anxiety and panic attacks and “taking control of her life” in an emotional Instagram post.
The singer, 25, told fans that she wanted to “open up about something” and “be honest” with her social media followers, admitting that she felt like she was “losing her mind” when she first started to experience anxiety and even thought she was having a “heart attack” when she first had a panic attack.
“Over the past few years I have suffered really badly with anxiety and panic attacks,” Edwards wrote. “I felt so alone and like I was the first person in the world to ever experience it.
“I’m not sure what triggered that first one but it soon spiralled & I found myself in a really dark place, feeling alone and scared. I had people around me but I couldn’t explain to them what was happening to me or why.
A post shared by Perrie Edwards ✌️🌻 (@perrieedwards) on Apr 17, 2019 at 8:55am PDT
“It affected me so badly that I didn’t even want to leave the house. I would step foot out the door and feel the overwhelming need to go straight back inside. It completely took over my life.”
Edwards went on to tell fans that the “physical attacks had stopped” but that she was facing “reality” that she would "probably always” have anxiety.
She continued: “I’ve had a relationship with my mind for 25 years now, so to feel it working against me sometimes makes me feel like a prisoner in my own head.
“It feels like the most unnatural thing in the world but the thing that helped me the most was discovering I’m not alone. As soon as I realised I wasn’t going insane I felt more eager to beat it. I had therapy and I surround myself with my loved ones. Talking to someone relieves you of SO MUCH STRESS.”
The singer, who is dating footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, explained that she had “worked out coping mechanisms and triggers” as well as dialling back on her social media time because it often made her feel “trapped and claustrophobic”.
Edwards finished: “I don’t want to hide it anymore. I suffer from anxiety and I want you to all know if you suffer from anxiety you’re not alone.”
The star was quickly supported by fans commenting on her post, many praising her for her “brave” post and hailing her a “perfect role model” for speaking out about mental health.
