Liam Payne says ‘horrible anxiety’ stopped him from leaving his house

‘Unfortunately, it does happen to everybody in this industry’

Liam Payne has opened up about experiencing anxiety, revealing that at one point he refrained from leaving his house.

In a recent interview with Esquire Middle East, the singer explained that he developed agoraphobia, a condition which involves fear of being in situations from which escape is difficult.

"I developed a bit of agoraphobia. I would never leave the house," Payne said.

"And I do sometimes suffer with it a bit in the sense that I'll get days where I just don't want to leave my house. Even if it's just going to the shop."

Payne said that on occasion, ordering a coffee at Starbucks would make him sweat because he wouldn't know whether he was "doing the right thing or not".

"I would be thinking: 'F**k, I don't want to be here," he remarked.

Situations that can be stressful for an individual with agoraphobia may include leaving home, being in open spaces and travelling on public transport, the NHS outlines.

For Payne, going to petrol stations and paying for petrol was particularly anxiety-inducing for him.

"I can feel it now – it was like this horrible anxiety where I'd be sweating buckets in the car thinking: 'I don't want to do this'," the "Strip That Down" singer said.

"Unfortunately, it does happen to everybody in this industry," he added.

"I think at a certain point you just have to get over it as quickly as possible."

One measure Payne takes to cope with his anxiety is going for a run every morning at 5am.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately five minutes of aerobic exercise can "begin to stimulate anti-anxiety effects".

Earlier this year, singer Perrie Edwards revealed she suffers from anxiety.

The Little Mix star wrote about her mental health issues on Instagram, stating that she has "suffered really badly with anxiety and panic attacks" over the past few years.

Edwards said that when she first started experiencing anxiety, she "felt so alone".

“It affected me so badly that I didn’t even want to leave the house,” she added.