Valerie Bertinelli is getting real about something she thinks others can relate to.
On November 17, the former Food Network star posted a video on Instagram informing fans of a difficult experience she went through over the weekend. Valerie bravely revealed she recently experienced an anxiety attack, which caused her to cry uncontrollably and made her hands shake in the process. Although she was initially fearful of sharing what had happened with her followers online, Valerie decided it was important for people to see and perhaps feel less alone.
“So I don’t know if you can tell from this video (and my heart is still beating a little rapidly as I write this) I had a really bad anxiety attack today,” she emotionally wrote in a long caption on November 17. “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.”
“I know I’m taking a chance, but, I want to share it because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one out here who has experienced this,” she added. “Gratefully these attacks have become much more infrequent, so this one took me a little bit by surprise today. This is the after effect. As I’m going through the actual attack (lol attack is such an appropriate word. My body and my mind feels like it’s actually under attack 😅) … Anyway … this little bit of vulnerability is brought to you by someone who wants you to know you’re not alone. Love you 🤍.”
When fans saw that Valerie let them in on a sensitive part of her life, they immediately rallied around her in the comments. What’s more, they made sure to thank her for being so open about her mental health online.
“God Bless You for your courage and bravery to share your struggles. Our society still stigmatizes mental health and I am glad to know I am not alone. ❤️,” one person wrote. “🙏🏻❤️ This is a real thing, and it’s not fun to experience, thank you for sharing and being vulnerable,” another penned. “Genuinely, thank you for sharing this …💗,” a different follower added.
Over the last few years, Valerie has been open about the self-care journey she’s been on. She revealed in July how she decided to stop drinking alcohol, and in October, she wrote a hopeful throwback post about slowing down and appreciating life for what it is.
Thanks for starting important conversations, Valerie!
As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
