Singer Peter Andre has opened up about his journey with mental health with his Instagram followers, specifically focusing on the panic attacks that he said made him think he was going to die.
The 51-year-old singer – widely loved for hits including Mysterious Girl – partnered with the free mental health search engine JAAQ in an Instagram post to share his personal story.
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‘I’m going to die’
“You literally think you’re going to die. A panic attack, the way I describe it was thinking I’m going to die,” Peter narrated directly to his followers.
He added: “Your heart’s beating fast, your palms get kind of sweaty, and you experience this brain fog. You don’t know what’s going to happen and I can’t get out of this.”
The singer added: “You think no one will understand, please call me an ambulance. You think everyone around you is going to think you’re crazy. It’s a very normal way to feel.”
Pete added: “What I will tell you is you’re not crazy. And nothing is actually going to happen to you. That’s the hardest thing to believe at this point.”
The NHS describes a panic disorder as “an anxiety disorder where you regularly have sudden attacks of panic or fear”. These attacks can manifest in various ways, including anxiety and panic attacks.
Peter Andre admits getting help was ‘best thing he ever did’
Peter Andre’s journey with mental health is not a new revelation. The star previously opened up in 2018 with Heat magazine as a part of the Where’s Your Head At? mental health campaign.
It was during this time Peter shared that seeking professional help was a transformative step in dealing with his anxiety and panic attacks.
“Once I started to understand what the problem was and that the panic attacks were so regular – every day – for years, I started to want to talk about it because it was the only way I could get better… It was the best thing I ever did.” Peter reflected.
Not only did Peter opt for therapy, but he also admitted that medication played a significant role in managing his condition.
However, he was quick to highlight that medication alone is not the magic solution many might hope for.
“Medication doesn’t solve the problem. What medication does, is put you in a frame of mind to be able to deal with the problem,” Peter explained.
He emphasised the importance of attending therapy in conjunction with medication to address the underlying issues.
In 2019, the singer-songwriter also shared a deeply personal moment of his life when he was hospitalised after suffering a mental health breakdown.
As he recovered, Peter revealed that he had been struggling with crippling anxiety for a decade.
Fans react
Viewers and fans flooded the star’s Instagram comments to send well-wishes and share their own experiences with anxiety.
“It is horrendous Pete. The palpitations, the nausea the absolute terror that feeling of doom. Just awful. Well done for speaking out,” one viewer commented.
“I understand what it feels like when have panic attacks and hope you’re,” another sent their love to the singer.
Many people expressed their gratitude towards Peter for opening up about panic attacks, a topic that is often overlooked or silently dismissed.
“Yep I’ve personally experienced this myself, thanks for sharing this,” one fan gushed.
“Thanks for sharing Pete x x creating awareness of what a panic attack is, is so important as it can be so easily confused with a heart attack,” a fourth agreed.
A fifth congratulated Peter: “Peter you have my sympathy, I’ve had several over the years & I’ve never experienced anything so awful, I wouldn’t wish a panic attack on anyone!”
Read more: Peter Andre hits out over Strictly partner Janette Manrara getting ‘dragged into’ scandal
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