La La Land star Emma Stone has revealed she has been suffering from anxiety since she was a child.
The actress spoke about her struggles in an interview with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show.
She revealed that attending therapy sessions as a young girl helped her cope with the disorder.
Emma shared an emotional drawing from one of her therapy sessions with the talk show host.
The picture is a drawing of Emma as a young child with her anxiety. The picture shows Emma standing tall above her anxiety. She wrote ‘I am bigger than my anxiety’ on the page.
The Oscar winner admitted that she was extremely anxious as a child. She went on to share that she often suffered from panic attacks when she was younger.
The 28-year-old said, “I benefited in a big way from therapy.”
Emma started treatment for her anxiety disorder when she was seven years old. She believes the therapy sessions helped her come to terms with her anxiety.
The Easy A star is still managing her disorder, she feels like she owes a lot to her therapist who has helped her put a stop to the panic attacks.
She said, “I still have anxiety to this day but not panic attacks, knock on wood.”
Emma has often spoken out about her mental health and previously opened up about the first time she had a panic attack.
She revealed that the first time she experienced a panic attack was in her friend’s house. Emma, who was only seven-years-old at the time, thought the entire house was burning down, “I called my mom and she brought me home, and for the next three years it just would not stop."
The Help actress spoke fondly of her mum, who has been a huge support to Emma when her mental health was poor.
When Emma was in school she relied heavily on her mum when she was feeling very anxious, I would ask my mom to tell me exactly how the day was going to be, then ask again 30 seconds later".
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders amongst young children. Symptoms include trouble sleeping, shortness of breath, constant worrying and trouble concentrating.
Emma understands that attending therapy at such an early age can be overwhelming, but she praises the service.
It is advised that children who suffer from anxiety seek professional treatment. Emma says, “great therapists and great cognitive behavioral tools” can help children manage their anxiety.
