Miranda Hart health: ‘I’ll always be a slightly anxious person’-star on crippling disorder
Miranda Hart recalls ‘mortifying’ time she met Prince Harry
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The popular comedic is set to star in a BBC pantomime of Beauty and the Beast, all in aid of Comic Relief. The panto was filmed via zoom and will star a whole host of celebrity faces, including Lily James as the titular character Belle, aka Beauty. In the past, Miranda has had to mysteriously pull out of some of the projects she was involved in. Usually keeping details of her private life quite hidden, the star spoke out back in 2018, revealing that she suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia.
The star who is best known for her roles in Call The Midwife, and comedy film Spy alongside Melissa McCarthy told You magazine that although she makes millions of people laugh, she struggles to make herself happy.
She said: “When a low mood sinks in, you find yourself almost revelling in the awful world news and feeling self-pityingly about the tiniest things.
“I went into a fury simply because I couldn’t find a Biro.
“It’s easy to spiral into seeing just the negative around us and then simply not smiling.
“I think we all have days when we just want to hole up, cancel friends and cocoon in a duvet.
“I found nothing could prompt an upward turn to my mouth — not even a cheeky dollop of ice cream with my favourite comedy.”
The actress also previously compared having anxiety as like “wading through treacle,” saying that it greatly hindered her day-to-day life.
She continued to write: “I think I’ll always be a slightly anxious person. It’s just bad genes, bad luck really.
“I’ll always have to force myself to see the positive, because I’m wired badly.
“I’m just naturally a bit under, a bit depressed.”
As well as dealing with unpredictable anxiety, Miranda suffers from agoraphobia – an anxiety disorder in which individuals are fearful and tend to avoid places or situations that might cause panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed.
“I thought the world was a bit scary,’ the star explained. “Some people get depressed for six months then pull themselves together.
“I just hid in a room in the house and didn’t really go out. It was my blip.”
The Mayo Clinic explains that anxiety is caused by the fear that there is no easy way to escape or get help if the anxiety intensifies. Agoraphobia is no different, and usually develops after an individual has one or more panic attacks.
Individuals with the condition often feel unsafe in any public place, especially ones were crowds tend to gather. They will often need someone to accompany them, or they will rarely leave the house at all.
General anxiety can affect us all, and the condition is one of the more prevalent mental health conditions in the UK. Although most individuals only suffer from occasional anxiety, for some the feeling can be overwhelming and affect their everyday lives.
The Mayo Clinic explains that common signs and symptoms of anxiety include the following:
- Feeling nervous, restless or tense
- Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
- Having an increased heart rate
- Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Feeling weak or tired
- Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
- Having trouble sleeping
- Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
- Having difficulty controlling worry
- Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety.
In order to conquer anxiety, and especially anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia individuals commonly find success through a combination of drugs and therapy. For agoraphobia in particular, individuals also find success in facing their fears. Although this might be difficult.
Methods of therapy include psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. Psychotherapy involves working with therapists in order to set goals and learn practical skills to reduce anxiety symptoms. Cognitive behavioural therapy on the other hand directly challenges your worries, gradually returning to the activities you have avoided due to anxiety.
Miranda gave her own advice for those who suffer from anxiety. She said: “Number one rule for any of you suffering from anxiety: love and look after yourself and from there you can heal broken wings and start to soar.”
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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