Emma Stone opens up about anxiety and panic attacks

Washington: American actor Emma Stone, recently, pulled back the curtain on her lifelong struggles with anxiety and panic attacks.

In a recent interview for the Child Mind Institute, Stone discussed her first panic attack and how that “terrifying” moment repeated itself over the next few years, reported E!Online.

The ‘La La Land’ star described her first attack when she was just 7-years-old. “After first grade before I went into second grade, I had my first panic attack. It was really terrifying,” she said.

“I was at a friend’s house, and all of a sudden I was convinced the house was on fire and it was burning down. I was just sitting in her bedroom and obviously the house wasn’t on fire, but there was nothing in me that didn’t think we were going to die,” she added.

She mentioned that these occurrences happened constantly for over two years and how it made her school life difficult. She also explained that she went to the nurse’s office every day in second grade and feigned sickness so she could call her mom and go home.

After these incidents, the ‘Maniac’ star began attending therapy, where she was diagnosed with generalised anxiety and panic disorder.

Stone also discussed how acting and improv helps her cope with anxiety and how “sharing” and “making mistakes is a big trigger of fear” for her.

[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]