Samia Longchambon says doctors thought her anxiety was asthma

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Speaking on Loose Women she said to Janice Street-Porter: “Anyone who knows me, knows I am quite an anxious person and I am known for being a bit of a worrier. I have had anxiety since I was a child and when my mum took me to the doctors and they first diagnosed it as asthma because I couldn’t get a deep breath, so they ended up giving me inhalers when I was 11, but it was anxiety.”

This is not the first time the actress has spoken out about her mental health.

To mark World Mental Health Day 2020 Samia took to Instagram to share how she had suffered an “awful” panic attack on the train to London to film television show Celebrity Juice.

In the post she said: “I guess my point is that nobody knows when someone else might be struggling…the signs aren’t always obvious and behind someone’s smile you never know what they might have going on. #bekind.”

After posting publicly about her experiences with anxiety she received an influx of love and support from fans and fellow cast mates.

This included Kate Ford who plays Coronation Street baddie Tracy Barlow, who said: “Love to you my friend. I’m so glad that we can talk so openly to each other. I’m blessed to know you x”

A year on from the Instagram post, the actress still honestly opened up about her experiences.

When asked about how the Covid pandemic affected her she said: “It was completely anxiety inducing listening to the news.

“Especially in the last few years my anxiety has been quite bad. The last three plus years it’s been really bad.”

In order to cope with her anxiety, Samia has gone through multiple forms of therapy.

So much so, that she has achieved a diploma in cognitive behavioural therapy, in order to “be her own therapist.”

Although not at the stage where she could treat other people, she said it has been “eye opening” to understand what is behind the methods of the therapy.

Symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety, as defined by the NHS is a feeling of unease such as worry or fear that can be either mild or severe.

Although it is perfectly normal to feel anxious about things such as sitting exams or a job interview, when these feelings start affecting your daily life it is best to seek medical advice.

Generalised anxiety disorder or GAD, can include both physical and psychological symptoms including:

• Feeling restless or worried
• Having trouble concentrating or sleeping
• Dizziness or heart palpitations.

GAD is a longer-term condition that causes you to feel anxious about a wide range of situations and events rather than just one specific thing.

It is those who suffer with GAD that often struggle to remember the last time they felt relaxed or a time when anxiety did not rule their lives.

Although it is not fully understood what causes this mental health disorder the NHS suggest it is a combination of several factors.

This includes overactivity of the brain, an imbalance of chemicals such as serotonin and noradrenaline or having a history of stressful and traumatic experiences.

It is estimated that GAD affects up to five percent of the UK population.

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