Busy Philipps was "so scared" at night following her battle with anxiety.
The 38-year-old actress has opened up about her battle with the mental heath disorder, claiming that she used to feel anxious as a child whenever she went to bed, but was terrified to tell her parents in case they told her there was "something wrong" with her.
She said: "I used to lie awake in bed at night and I would have spinning thoughts. It would be really hard for me to get to sleep and I would be so scared that I wouldn’t even go to my parents’ room. I didn’t want to tell them what was happening because I thought there was something wrong with me. Turns out, there’s nothing wrong with me."
The ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star eventually spoke about her anxiety and got the help she needed, and she’s now encouraging other people to do the same, as it felt "incredible" to know she’s "not alone".
Speaking as part of The Child Mind Institute’s #MyYoungerSelf campaign – in which stars share messages with their younger selves in the hope to end the stigma attached to mental health and learning disorders – she said: "Once I was able to start talking about it, it relieved a lot of the anxiety. I was able to get help – therapy, and sometimes medication. There’s nothing wrong with that either. I would’ve liked to tell my younger self not to be embarrassed or ashamed, and to open up and to talk about what’s happening … It feels kind of incredible to know that you’re not alone. So, you’re not alone."
The Child Mind Institute’s campaign features over 30 actors, Olympians, authors, comedians, and other influencers in the hopes of showing children and adolescents who struggle that there is a bright future ahead if they open up and ask for help.
Alongside Busy, the likes of Josh Gad, Emma Stone, Kristen Bell, Lena Dunham, and Gabrielle Union have contributed to the project.
Busy Philipps details ‘scary’ battle with anxiety
