Josh Gad thought he was having “a heart attack” when he was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder
The 37-year-old actor has revealed that when he was in college, he went through a period of “extreme anxiety” which left him unable to “breathe” and feeling as though he was suffering from a heart attack
21 May 2018
He said: “So when I was about 20 years old in college, I went through a period of extreme anxiety, didn’t understand what was happening to me, thought that I was having a heart attack, literally felt like I couldn’t breathe, would suddenly be prone to bursts of sadness. And I went to go speak to a psychiatrist and a psychologist, and I got the medical and professional help that I needed in order to overcome what, at the time I didn’t know, was General Anxiety Disorder.”
The ‘Frozen’ star went on to state that seeking help for his anxiety “saved [his] life”, and encouraged other people who are feeling a similar way to talk to a professional.
Speaking in a video 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 - Josh added: “Seeking that help and receiving that help truly not only saved my life, but it afforded me the opportunity to do what I love doing today. And so I encourage all of you who have similar struggles to speak about them and to go get the answers that you too need for help.”
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.
Emma Stone, Kristen Bell, Lena Dunham, and Gabrielle Union are among the other stars who have contributed to the project.
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