Camila Cabello opens up about struggle with anxiety, says it feels like a ‘bad trip’

The singer shares her best piece of mental health advice

Saman Javed
Wednesday 04 May 2022 12:06 EDT
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Camila Cabello says she initially felt shame around seeking therapy
Camila Cabello says she initially felt shame around seeking therapy (Getty Images for The Met Museum/)

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Camila Cabello has spoken candidly about her struggles with anxiety during a new interview with Selena Gomez.

The singer described her anxiety as a debilitating “tightness” in her body, which she has been able to overcome with the help of therapy.

Cabello, who is the cover star of media platorm Wondermind’s May issue, likened the feeling of anxiety to a “bad trip”.

“In the moment, everything feels dizzying and overwhelming and like you’re on this ride thinking, Just help me get off,” she told Gomez.

“In my mind, it’s a loop, like obsessive compulsive stuff. In my body, it’s a tightness, almost like I can’t move, like my hands are tied and everything is just tied up.”

Cabello recalled feeling shame around her mental health struggles, partly due to the stigma attached to seeking therapy.

“People like my parents’ age have such shame about needing therapy or feeling anxiety,” she said.

“The stigma around saying that you need help is something that frustrates me because sometimes people can be like, ‘No, I don’t need that, I just need free time’, or whatever.

“Obviously that’s valid, but just because you’re in therapy doesn’t mean something is more wrong with you than other people.

“We all have things that we could work on, we all have tools that we could learn, and it doesn’t mean that you’re ‘crazy’ or ill. What if you are just trying to work through the stuff that makes you suffer? Don’t we all want that?”

The 25-year-old has also shared the “best mental health advice” she has received, which is being told that “faking or pretending is the worst thing for my mental health”.

“Saying the truth and being vulnerable and talking about it is basically what my therapist says to me in every session,” Cabello disclosed.

“Just telling the truth about how you feel, like, ‘I feel f*cked up today. I feel super sad today. I feel depressed. I’m feeling a little panicky’. That really helps so much.”

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