Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Holly opens up about PTSD following sexual assaults
The celebrity chef’s daughter revealed it took her over a year to tell her family about the attacks
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Your support makes all the difference.Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Holly has opened up about her experiences of PTSD after being sexually assaulted when she just 18-years-old.
The celebrity chef’s daughter admitted that it took over a year for her to tell her family about the attacks, which resulted in her spending three months at London’s Nightingale Hospital, a private mental health hospital.
Speaking on her new 21 & Over podcast, which focuses on mental health and wellbeing, the 21-year-old said: “I went to university, studied fashion design, and I loved it. But by the second half of the first year I was being affected by my PTSD and I had no idea that this was happening.
“I was going out a lot, missing class because I’d been out. I wasn’t enjoying myself at all. I was struggling a lot.
“The PTSD was a result of two sexual assaults when I was 18. I didn’t tell anyone about it until a year afterwards. I just buried it in a box in the back of my mind.”
She revealed that she ended up leaving university as a result of her experiences to receive treatment.
“I didn't have any time to actually think about what was going on,” she said. “I left uni after my first year because I was admitted to Nightingale Hospital as an in-patient for three months.
“That was where I was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression.
“Since then, I have been in therapy up to three times a week. I now have these diagnoses that I carry around with me.
“It’s confusing and I’m trying to take control of my narrative and use that to make something good.”
The fashion student, who is now studying at Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design said that her recovery is “definitely a work in progress”.
“It's going to be a journey,” she admitted. “There are still going to be bad days, great times and good days. I'll deal with them as they come.”
Ramsay cited her family as offering “amazing support”
She said: “Having three siblings and now an extra one has been great. It’s brought me closer to them in many ways and the same with my parents.
“I’ve lost friends. It’s definitely a journey. But I hope that by speaking out I can help other people,” she added.
According to the NHS, one in three people who experience trauma go on to develop PTSD, which can manifest in both mental and physical ways.
Symptoms vary between individuals but can include flashbacks, nightmares, irritability, sleeping problems and mental health problems, such as anxiety, self-harm, dizziness and chest pains.
If you are struggling with your mental health and would like to speak to someone about how you’re feeling, you can contact the Samaritans by calling them for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch.
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