Little Mix fans have been sending their support to singer Perrie Edwards, after she spoke for the first time about her struggles with panic attacks and anxiety.
Perrie shared her experiences in a candid Instagram post on Wednesday night, revealing she’s been struggling with anxiety for years, but has been able to curb her panic attacks with the help of therapy and speaking to those around her.
She wrote: “When I first started to feel the effects of anxiety I thought I was losing my mind and it terrified me. I felt so alone and like I was the first person in the world to ever experience it.”
Describing her first “intense and overwhelming” panic attack, Perrie said that her mental condition “spiralled” from there, leaving her “in a really dark place, feeling alone and scared”.
“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,” she continued. “It completely took over my life.”
Perrie added that it was only after finding out that others with anxiety felt the same way as her that she “felt more eager to beat it”, speaking to a therapist and loved ones, developing coping mechanisms and “restricting her time on social media”.
She added: “I took control of my life and accepted what I couldn’t control… 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.”
Fans were quick to thank the star for her honesty, with many also sharing their own experience of mental health struggles, inspired by her:
Since the release of their most recent album LM5, Little Mix have been speaking up about a number of issues close to their heart, with Leigh-Anne Pinnock detailing the racism she has experienced as the only black member of the band and Jesy Nelson announcing a documentary for BBC Three centred around body image.
Last year, they told HuffPost UK that as they enter a new stage of their career, they have felt more comfortable being open about their experiences, with Perrie saying: “I think, honestly now we’ve got older and we’ve been in the industry for a long time, we’ve experienced things that we’re like, ‘do you know what? I ain’t gonna hush-hush anymore’.
“If I’m feeling something, and I’m feeling passionate about it and something’s happened to me, personally, in the band, workplace, whatever the situation, I’m going to speak out about it.”
Useful websites and helplines:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org.
