Amanda Seyfried admitted she began suffering from panic attacks when she starred alongside her now-husband Thomas Sadoski in the off-Broadway show The Way We Get By. “I started having panic attacks every six or seven shows”, she says, “It feels like you’re going to die”. It feels like you need to leave the stage”.
Seyfried (35) says that self-care “has been essential to discover the silver linings”. The actress also adds that endorphins from swimming and jumping rope are the key.
Seyfried has been open about her obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. In a podcast with Dr. Berlin (Dr Berlin’s informed pregnancy) Seyfried talks about how having her future husband with her on stage helped her calm down. “I would act through them (the panic attacks) and I would just connect with Tommy. He recognized that thousand-yard stare. He would bring me back and we’d get through it”.
She also addresses that everyone may not have someone with you who knows you and will be there for you without judging. There are other things that friends or loved ones can help with such as:
- Talk – A voice breaking through can help. Even if it seems the person is not paying attention, just keep talking.
- Respect distance even though you may want to hug and comfort.
- If in a crowded environment, go somewhere quiet and stay close by.
Seyfried is a board member of the NGO INARA which helps refugee children injured as a result of conflict, by providing them the treatment they need.
