Actress and former Food Network star Valerie Bertinelli found herself in a vulnerable spot recently and it had fans praising her for doing so.
She opened up about a recent anxiety attack, her mental health and the impact it’s had on her since then.
The “One Day at a Time” actress turned to Instagram to share a new video on Nov. 17 that captured her hand above a table visibly shaking. “I’m doing my best. Oof, the aftereffects of an anxiety attack [expletive] suck,” she said in the clip.
She mentioned that she waited to post the update “because it’s incredibly vulnerable and that’s always scary to share,” but she finally found herself posting because “we’re all out here doing our best having a human experience and none of us want to feel like we’re alone in that.
“I had a really bad anxiety attack today. I haven’t had one like this in a very, very long time. A few hours ago, I was weeping uncontrollably, and my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest. I couldn’t stop shaking,” she explained.
Hoping others who might have been through the same anxiety attacks could relate, she detailed how, during the attack, “I almost disassociate and am focused solely on calming down and finding any road to a more relaxed and peaceful body. Because I know it’s just my brain overthinking and catastrophizing but my body goes into overdrive and I have no control over it.”
She then went on to explain how, even hours after, her body was still shaking and didn’t stop. Curious, she had asked if anyone had been through the same thing.
“Tell me I’m not the only one out here and is there anything that you have also found to be helpful?”
Fans flocked to the comments section of her post and provided supportive messages as well as helpful advice.
One user suggested that the actress should count deep breaths, while another user said a video they saw suggested “eating the most sour candy (straws, bites, strips) you can find. The more sour the better.”
Another user commented that they put their hands in ice water to help cease the shaking.
Other fans commended the actress for her vulnerability, where one user wrote, “I think it’s really beautiful you’ve chosen to share this because I’m sure it will help others out there feel less alone and realize it’s okay to be vulnerable and ask for help.”
