I'm a Celebrity's Emily Atack opens up about depression and therapy
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! runner-up Emily Atack has opened up about her mental health, revealing that she had a panic attack shortly before entering the jungle.
Speaking to The Sun, Emily explained that she has been seeing a therapist.
"I’ve only had one panic attack in my whole life and that was just before I left for the jungle. It was so, so horrible, totally out of the blue and really weird," she said.
"I was getting my eyelash extensions done and I'd had a really stressful few weeks in the build-up to doing the show. I was lying there and it just crept up.
"I didn’t know what was happening. I was sweating, my heart rate was creeping up and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. It was awful."
The actress, who is best known for her role as Charlotte Hinchcliffe in comedy The Inbetweeners, added that she feels her jungle experience has changed things for the better when it comes to her mental health.
"I honestly feel like a different person now," she said. "It’s hard to explain how much can change in three weeks and although I’m the busiest I’ve ever been, weirdly I’m also the most chilled. I don’t think I’ll ever have another panic attack."
Revealing that all the jungle campmates were constantly checked on by psychiatrists – and that "ITV were so protective of us all" – Emily said that she is happy to discuss her therapy experience.
"I’m not afraid to admit I have therapy. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and it really does help," she said.
"I have struggled in the past. I have been through a lot in my life, my parents divorced when I was 16 and it was a very difficult time. I am a very emotional person so, for me, it’s about someone listening to your feelings and giving their professional opinion.
"I’m naturally a very happy person but I’ve had times with depression, and have got through it with therapy. Sometimes it’s hard to admit though, especially if you’re known as a happy person, because you feel you’re letting people down if you’re not being happy 24 hours a day.
A post shared by Emily Atack (@emilyatackofficial) on Dec 13, 2018 at 9:18am PST
"I’ve never spoken about this publicly before but it goes with this whole honesty thing that I got from the jungle. I guess I just want to be honest now and say I’ve had depression spells."
The actress added that she now has "total self-acceptance" following her time in the jungle and hopes that she will be able to be more of a role model for young women.
She has already shown her strength by shutting down a stranger who told her to stop eating at a restaurant, saying that she wouldn't waste her food by throwing it at him.
We would encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
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