Goldie Hawn opens up on her struggle with anxiety

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In a candid video, Goldie Hawn revealed her desire to live a “normal life”. “I wanted to go home, get married, open a dancing school, be happy, have children,” she revealed. “I wanted a normal life and it’s not exactly what I was getting. My career just went boom, boom, boom and I got an Academy Award.” Hawn is referencing the Oscar she won for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Cactus Flower (1969).

Aged 24 at the time, she would “go back into [her] dressing room and lie down”.

“I was really freaked out about this anxiety coming over me,” Hawn remembered.

“I literally, truly lost my smile. For someone who wanted to be happy their whole life, I wasn’t very happy.”

Wanting to “understand more about what was going on with [her] brain”, Hawn sought professional help.

“I decided to go to a psychologist,” she confirmed. “After a year I began to come back into myself.

“But, believe me, I know what it is to be depressed, I know what it is to be anxious.”

Anxiety

The leading mental health charity Mind explained: “Anxiety is what we feel when we are worried, tense or afraid.”

Anxiety is a “natural human response” when you feel under threat, especially during stressful life events.

The condition, however, can become debilitating for people when it interferes with everyday life.

Anxiety is considered a mental health issue if:

• Your feelings of anxiety are very strong or last for a long time
• Your fears or worries are out of proportion to the situation
• You avoid situations that might cause you to feel anxious
• Your worries feel very distressing or are hard to control
• You regularly experience symptoms of anxiety, which could include panic attacks

You find it hard to go about your everyday life or do things you enjoy.

Anxiety can cause an array of physical symptoms, from a churning sensation in the stomach to a thumping heartbeat.

The condition can lead to nausea, sleep issues, excessive sweating, and headaches.

Depression

“Depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time, and affects your everyday life,” Mind noted.

In its mildest form, depression can mean experiencing low mood, making everyday life feel harder to do and seem less worthwhile.

“At its most severe, depression can be life-threatening because it can make you feel suicidal,” the charity added.

Common symptoms of depression can include feeling:

• Down, upset or tearful
• Restless, agitated or irritable
• Guilty, worthless and down on yourself
• Empty and numb
• Isolated and unable to relate to other people
• Finding no pleasure in life or things you usually enjoy
• A sense of unreality
• No self-confidence or self-esteem
• Hopeless and despairing
• Suicidal.

Both anxiety and depression can be addressed through therapeutic means.

Talking therapies can be useful, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

“Your doctor or mental health professional can talk through the options available in your area,” Mind added.

Goldie Hawn stars in the classic film, The First Wives Club, airing on Sunday, August 28 on channel 5 at 4:25pm.

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