Camila Cabello opens up about struggle with anxiety, says it feels like a ‘bad trip’

The singer shares her best piece of mental health advice

Saman Javed
Wednesday 04 May 2022 17:06 BST
Comments
Camila Cabello says she initially felt shame around seeking therapy
Camila Cabello says she initially felt shame around seeking therapy (Getty Images for The Met Museum/)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Camila Cabello has spoken candidly about her struggles with anxiety during a new interview with Selena Gomez.

The singer described her anxiety as a debilitating “tightness” in her body, which she has been able to overcome with the help of therapy.

Cabello, who is the cover star of media platorm Wondermind’s May issue, likened the feeling of anxiety to a “bad trip”.

“In the moment, everything feels dizzying and overwhelming and like you’re on this ride thinking, Just help me get off,” she told Gomez.

“In my mind, it’s a loop, like obsessive compulsive stuff. In my body, it’s a tightness, almost like I can’t move, like my hands are tied and everything is just tied up.”

Cabello recalled feeling shame around her mental health struggles, partly due to the stigma attached to seeking therapy.

“People like my parents’ age have such shame about needing therapy or feeling anxiety,” she said.

“The stigma around saying that you need help is something that frustrates me because sometimes people can be like, ‘No, I don’t need that, I just need free time’, or whatever.

“Obviously that’s valid, but just because you’re in therapy doesn’t mean something is more wrong with you than other people.

“We all have things that we could work on, we all have tools that we could learn, and it doesn’t mean that you’re ‘crazy’ or ill. What if you are just trying to work through the stuff that makes you suffer? Don’t we all want that?”

The 25-year-old has also shared the “best mental health advice” she has received, which is being told that “faking or pretending is the worst thing for my mental health”.

“Saying the truth and being vulnerable and talking about it is basically what my therapist says to me in every session,” Cabello disclosed.

“Just telling the truth about how you feel, like, ‘I feel f*cked up today. I feel super sad today. I feel depressed. I’m feeling a little panicky’. That really helps so much.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in