Celebs Who Struggle With Anxiety Speak Out On The Subject

Anxiety is incredibly common.

If you have anxiety it can seem like everyone else is happy, stress-free, and bursting with confidence—particularly celebrities. And why shouldn't they be? They're gorgeous, talented, and have the wealth and resources to make magic happen in their lives every day. But anxiety isn't like that. It can strike anyone, at any time, and for no apparent reason. Anxiety disorders affect about 18% of adults in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. That means more than 40 million people have problems—panic attacks, social phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms—severe enough to be classified as a disorder. Millions more feel anxious but fall short of an actual diagnosis. Over the years, celebrities have been more open about their own anxiety, helping to fight stigma and let fans and viewers know they’re not alone. Here, 15 celebrities who have talked about their own anxiety and depression.

Emma Stone spoke to the Wall Street Journal about experiencing panic attacks as a child.

Emma Stone has acted in movies like Crazy, Stupid, Love; The Help; and Birdman, and has been nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globes. But she's also been open about her frequent panic attacks. While she went to a therapist, she found that acting was the biggest help when it came to battling anxiety. “There’s something about the immediacy of acting," she said in a 2015 interview with Wall Street Journal. "You can’t afford to think about a million other things. You have to think about the task at hand. Acting forces me to sort of be like a Zen master: What is happening right in this moment?”

She added:

"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."

Jennifer Lawrence spoke to French magazine Madame Figaro about her anxiety as a pre-teen.

Since rising to stardom as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, Lawrence has starred in her fair share of movies, like Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and Joy. She got her start in the 2010 film Winter’s Bone. In a New York Times interview in 2015, she talked about how she deals with anxiety. “I find a certain peace by thinking of me in public as sort of an avatar self. You out there can have the avatar me. I can keep me. And I just try to acknowledge that this scrutiny is stressful and that anyone would find it stressful. So I’ve got to try to let it go, and try to be myself, and focus on important things, like picking up dog poop.”

Sarah Silverman described her panic attacks in Glamour.

As a comedian, Silverman has written and performed on Saturday Night Live as well as on her own Comedy Central show, The Sarah Silverman Program. She’s spoken openly about her lifelong battle with depression and her use of medications like Xanax, Klonopin, and Zoloft. “But if you ever experience it, or are experiencing it right now, just know that on the other side, the little joys in life will be that much sweeter," she said in an interview with Glamour in 2015. "The tough times, the days when you're just a ball on the floor—they'll pass. You're playing the long game, and life is totally worth it.”

Referencing her depression, she added: "It feels like I'm desperately homesick, but I'm home."

Beyoncé spoke about needing some time off after a stressful period in her life.

Taylor Swift opened up to NME about her insecurities.

Mara Wilson spoke about her own experiences for Project UROK.

Lena Dunham posted a message on her Instagram about anxiety and exercise.

The caption read:

"To those struggling with anxiety, OCD, depression: I know it's mad annoying when people tell you to exercise, and it took me about 16 medicated years to listen. I'm glad I did. It ain't about the ass, it's about the brain."

Lena Dunham, well known for writing and acting in the HBO television series Girls, has also penned two books about her college years: Not That Kind of Girl and Is It Evil Not to Be Sure? The writer and actress posted a workout selfie to Instagram that included a caption about how exercise calms her anxiety symptoms. In a 2014 interview with the Guardian, she talked about her anxiety, the fact that she has been in therapy since childhood, and body acceptance issues. "You know, it gets easier and easier. My fears came true: people called me fat and hideous, and I lived. And now I keep living."

Adele has opened up about her fear of playing at large festivals and arenas.

Adele is best known for her powerful singing voice and big hits that include “Someone Like You” and “Hello.” But the songstress told Rolling Stone in 2011 that she has had anxiety attacks and even thrown up before taking the stage. "I just think that nothing's ever gone horrifically wrong. Also, when I get nervous, I try to bust jokes. It does work."

She added:

"I will not do festivals. The thought of an audience that big frightens the life out of me. I don't think the music would work either. It's all too slow. I'd hate to book a festival and have a fucking anxiety attack and then not go on stage."

In an interview with Access Hollywood Oprah described her anxiety after filming The Butler.

Amanda Seyfried spoke to Glamour about receiving therapy for her anxiety.

Chris Evans gave this advice about shutting your brain off.

He went on to say:

"I think in most of our lives the root of suffering is listening to that brain noise and actually identifying with it as if it's who you are. That's just the noise your brain makes. And more often than not, it probably doesn't have much to say that's going to help you. I've felt my best are the moments that I've been able to pull that plug and say, 'Chris … shhh … shhh.' And it's not quitting, it's not giving up, it's not washing your hands of the thought, it's rising above it. All the time I've spent suffering as a result of brain noise, hours of my life wasted. So that's what I'd say: 'Shhh.'"

Kirsten Stewart has also opened up about her anxiety and learning to let go.

Kristen Stewart, best known for her roles in movies like Twilight and Snow White and the Huntsman, had panic attacks and stomach aches when she was younger. Now, she says, she’s grown out of the symptoms but still worries they could return at any time. “I obviously hope everything going on right now will work out, but I am confident that life is good and I'll be OK whatever happens. So in moments when that [life] is cloudy and I feel saturated and unable to engage in how good life can be, however consuming those feelings are, they are so momentary…I'm think pretty good at being happy,” she told Elle in 2016.

Kate Moss spoke to Vanity Fair about being anxious as a young model.

John Mayer's friend Joe Beleznay told Rolling Stone how they shared the same anxiety issues.

Britney Spears spoke about her social anxiety in an E! documentary.

Demi Lovato told Nylon about her anxious thoughts.

Demi Lovato, who got her start on the Disney Channel and in the movie Camp Rock, is now best known for her music, with hit singles like “Heart Attack” and “Cool for the Sumer.” The songstress, who checked into a rehabilitation facility in 2011, has been vocal about her struggles with substance abuse, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. “I think the more people vocalize what they’re going through — their experience or just simply educating themselves so that they can learn more about what they’re talking about — that’s going to be the key to creating a conversation about mental illness and making it more understood. There’s a lack of compassion for people who have mental illnesses and there’s a lot of judgment. Once you make people realize that mental illness can happen to anybody — and it’s not anybody’s fault — then I think they’ll become more understanding of what mental illness really is," she told Huffington Post in 2015.

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