Jamie Laing gets candid about when he was diagnosed with anxiety
Jamie Laing has shared a candid reflection on his mental health.
In recent years, the former Made In Chelsea star has been open about his struggles with anxiety disorder.
Now, after raising over £2m for Comic Relief last month by running 150 miles in five days, Jamie has chosen to open up about his lowest moments with anxiety.
Earlier today, the 36-year-old took to his Instagram stories to share an extract from his new interview with The Times, in which he described what it was like to live with “crippling anxiety” throughout his twenties.
"It was awful. I never spoke about it, ever. I thought it was weak. I thought I would lose my job. I thought I'd be alienated,” he admitted.
"I was meant to be this outgoing, confident individual, and inside I was crippled with this … I didn't even know what it was. I went to a doctor and said, 'Something's wrong with me. I don't know what's going on.' He said, 'You have anxiety, and I think it's GAD – generalised anxiety disorder,’” Jamie recalled.
“I went, 'How do I get rid of it?' He said, 'You can't.' I went, 'Come on, tell me what I need to do. I need to get rid of it.' They told me, 'You can't. You have to accept it.' I said, 'I can't accept this,’” the reality star confessed.
Alongside the extract, Jamie then went on to note that his running challenge made him realise that “mental health is like lava running through villages and towns throughout the UK."
“We live in a world where anxieties, stresses, burnout are like lava running through cities, villages & towns across the world – we need to make sure we are able to talk to one another about our feelings,” he wrote.
“We've become so connected in this digital world that we've become disconnected and we've forgotten what real connection is. So remember to put down your phone and speak to your neighbour, friend, loved one or stranger, it doesn't matter,” he pleaded.
