As a mental health issue that is often brushed off as 'stress' or 'nerves,' celebrities are increasingly speaking out about the crippling effects of this seemingly invisible illness.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE
“When my mother told me about my childhood, she always told me that there was a light in me, a spark that inspired me constantly. When I started school, the light went out. It was never known what it was, a kind of social anxiety”. And it turns out it didn't stop there: "I tried to jump out of an Air France flight once," she revealed to Entertainment Weekly.
"I can't believe I didn't get arrested. I got really claustrophobic and I had to get out." Despite usually flying privately, that apparently doesn't help with the anxiety; "It's scary not being able to control yourself," "I'm not afraid of the airplane, I'm afraid of me on the airplane and losing control of myself," she admitted.
SELENA GOMEZ
“I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off. Thank you to all my fans for your support. You know how special you are to me, but I need to face this head on to ensure I am doing everything possible to be my best. I know I am not alone by sharing this, I hope others will be encouraged to address their own issues."
ELLIE GOULDING
"My surroundings would trigger a panic attack, so I couldn’t go to the studio unless I was lying down in the car with a pillow over my face. I used to beat myself up about it. There were a couple of times after I released Delirium when I was doing promo and thought, “Oh god, it’s coming back, it’s coming back,” but it didn’t. I think my body has become quite good at controlling anxiety."
KENDALL JENNER
“Anxiety was a huge hurdle for me to deal with this past year (and security concerns didn’t help), but I think I’m finally learning how to cope.”
ZOELLA
“I go through phases where my anxiety isn't as bad and when it's pretty awful. When it's good, I'll be able to leave the house, go shopping, visit other countries for work, do meet and greets and generally live life like a 'normal person'. When it's bad, I can't even leave my bed or I'll start my day off by opening my eyes and having a panic attack.”
TAYLOR SWIFT
“It can feel, at times, if you let your anxiety get the better of you, like everybody’s waiting for you to really mess up - and then you’ll be done."
EMMA STONE
“The first time I had a panic attack I was sitting in my friends house and I though the house was burning down. I called my mum and she brought me home, and for the next three years it just would not stop. I would ask my mom to tell me exactly how the day was going to be, then ask again 30 seconds later, I just needed to know that no one was going to die and nothing was going to change."
BEYONCÈ
“I was beginning to get fuzzy I couldn’t even tell which day or which city I was at. I would sit there at ceremonies and hey would give me an award and I was just thinking about the next performance. My other was very persistent and she kept saying that I had to take care of my mental health.”
ZAYN MALIK
"I love performing. I love the buzz. I don’t want to do any other job," he says.
"That’s why my anxiety is so upsetting and difficult to explain...It’s this thing that swells up and blocks out your rational thought processes."
This article originally appeared on marie claire.