Former Coronation Street actress Natasha Naomi Rea was hospitalised after becoming convinced coronavirus pandemic was her fault.
The star has told how her bipolar disorder made her believe she caused the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Natasha, 31, has written a book about her struggles with living with bipolar and admitted that she ended up in hospital after having a panic attack while suffering from hypomania.
It is a state of over-active behaviour less severe than mania but still serious.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects moods and regulating them meaning they can swing between extremes.
Read more: Corrie’s Samia Longchambon reveals lockdown has helped her anxiety
She said to the Manchester Evening News: “In a state of hypomania my speech is a lot more rapid, I want to get a lot more done and my mind is two hours ahead of where I am now.
“I was already productive with it but it can slip into mania. My mum writes shopping lists which are never in order and I had a panic attack.
“I started to think the virus was my fault. I was dancing around the house and I was pacing the floor.”
She ended up in hospital following the panic attack.
The actress played a prisoner locked up with Sally Metcalfe in 2018 when she was framed for fraud.
She has also written a book about bipolar disorder called Me, Myself and Bipolar Brenda.
Read more: Suranne Jones claims she was ‘used’ by Coronation Street
The book inspired a social media campaign to raise awareness.
The #speakoutlikeBrenda campaign has seen Corrie star Catherine Tyldesley, Emmerdale’s Joe Gill, Samantha Giles and Lisa Riley perform extracts from Natasha’s book as powerful monologues.
When will Corrie return?
Coronation Street is still shut down with bosses saying episodes will run out at the end of June.
Bosses are hoping it will be safe to resume filming in June so there is no gap.
But one thing is for sure – Weatherfield will show the effects of the pandemic.
Coronation Street filming
Iain MacLeod said: “The Coronation Street that we love is the one that reflects modern Britain, albeit in a more heightened way sometimes.
“It just felt that if there were to be no coronavirus in Coronation Street, it would stop being a reflection of modern Britain and would instead be a parallel fantasy land.
“So we took the view that it has to exist in our world.”
Corrie airs Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm on ITV.
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