15 celebs who positively raise awareness for mental health

Ariana Grande

It comes as no surprise that Ariana Grande was dealt a tough round over the past couple of years, between the terrorist attack at her concert in the UK that claimed 22 lives to experiencing the death of an ex who took his own life. It’s been hard for this Grammy-winning pop star.

After the attack in 2017, she tells Elle that signs of anxiety began to affect her more than they ever had before. Things started to get physical, as she explained: “I would be in a good mood, fine and happy, and they would hit me out of nowhere. I’ve always had anxiety, but it had never been physical before.”

Physical symptoms of anxiety can be frightening. Unlike an uneasy feeling of being overwhelmed or sad or worried, physical symptoms can hurt. Literally. It can feel like you’re having a heart attack, like you’re about to pass out, and, ultimately, it can bring on a sense of dread that you might not even make it through. It’s not fun.

But we need people to be talking about that. The first time my anxiety had taken over my body in a physical sense, I was rushed to the hospital for heart issues. Nobody thought it was a panic attack, nobody knew it was anxiety exposing itself in a physical way.

The more we talk about it, the more people can be exposed to the fact that anxiety can attack in multiple different ways. And maybe, it can relieve even the slightest bit of fear from someone experiencing it for the first time.

From her Elle interview, Grande shared, “I’m also going to be a human being who cares about other human beings; to be an ally and use my privilege to help educate people.”