Max George thinks fame would have sent him "insane" if he hadn’t had regular therapy.
The ‘Barcelona’ singer "struggled" with anxiety when his group The Wanted enjoyed their first number one single, ‘All Time Low’, in 2010 because he didn’t know how to "handle" life in the spotlight.
He said: "I struggled for about three months. We got to number one and it was everything we dreamed of but I didn’t know how to handle it.
"I suffered bad anxiety. I was struggling with becoming Max from The Wanted, rather than just Max George. I couldn’t sleep. I had bad shakes and was just trapped in my own head.
"Thankfully with the right people around me I got out of it, otherwise I could have gone insane."
And Max struggled again after leaving Warner Music in America.
He said: "I had a similar episode for a few months when I wasn’t doing so much. I was living in LA and trying to figure out what to do next."
The 29-year-old singer still makes time for regular counselling sessions because they help him to "feel good".
He admitted in an interview with the Daily Star Sunday newspaper: "I’ve had therapy throughout The Wanted and afterwards. I see counsellors when I’m not suffering from any problems as well. It’s not just a therapy for anxiety but just to help me feel good."
Max has released ‘Barcelona’ on his own label, SilverMAX, because he was "worried" fans would never get to hear his solo material, but now he’s looking forward to the future.
He said: "It is hard to get signed to major labels nowadays.
"I was worried that it might not see the light of day but the response has been incredible.
"I have done over 100 songs. So there are loads to choose from.
"We are already talking about the follow-up single in September and then hopefully an album will follow."
Max George has therapy
