Valerie Bertinelli had to take a “deep breath” before posting on Instagram this weekend. That’s because the One Day at a Time actress was doing something scary: getting vulnerable online and opening up about her mental health.
“I had a really bad anxiety attack today,” Bertinelli captioned the post, which showed a video of her hand shaking — an aftereffect of the episode. “I haven’t had one like this in a very, very long time.” Bertinelli described “weeping uncontrollably” during the experience, and feeling like her heart “was pounding out my chest.” She added, “I couldn’t stop shaking.”
The actress acknowledged that she was “taking a chance” by posting about her anxiety attack online, but decided to share because “I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one out here who has experienced this.” She also noted that her anxiety attacks have “become much more infrequent,” which contributed to her shock in experiencing one over the weekend.
Anxiety attacks are episodes of “extreme and excessive” worry, discomfort, or fear, according to VeryWell Health, with symptoms ranging from the physical, like shortness of breath and heart palpitations, to the mental, like uncontrollable thoughts or feelings of panic. They can be caused by stressful situations, mental health conditions, or medical conditions like heart arrhythmia or thyroid disorders. While anxiety attacks aren’t officially recognized as a mental health disorder (in contrast to panic attacks, which are defined as more severe), they can still be deeply unsettling — not to mention scary and confusing, especially if you haven’t had one before or can’t immediately point to a trigger.
For Bertinelli, the experience involves her body and mind feeling like they’re “actually under attack,” she said. She often dissociates (aka disconnects from herself) and focuses “solely on calming down and finding any road to a more relaxed and peaceful body,” she wrote. “Because I know it’s just my brain overthinking and catastrophizing but my body goes into overdrive and I have no control over it.”
Still, she wrote, she’ll continue to experience aftereffects for “hours” afterwards — including the shaking hands she documented on Instagram — despite using meditation and EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) to address the symptoms. Despite the discomfort, Bertinelli still approaches the experience with curiosity. “Part of me is fascinated by what the human body is capable of when our feelings can get in the way or override any reasonable thought,” she wrote.
Bertinelli said she hesitated to post the video and even waited a day before doing so. “It’s incredibly vulnerable and that’s always scary to share,” she wrote honestly, but she decided to share to help others feel seen.
The comments showed her instincts were right, as fans and followers thanked her for her openness and shared their own experiences with anxiety. One commenter said they’d been having anxiety attacks “more frequently,” triggered by grief. “My episodes happen with no warning,” they wrote. Others noted that anxiety attacks can be “debilitating” and “can happen even during the happiest moments.” One person said they went to the hospital once in the wake of an attack “and they laughed at me. It’s no joke.”
Also in the comments: followers coming together to share their strategies for overcoming anxiety attacks. One person recommended dipping your hands in ice water, which some research and cold-plunge enthusiasts say can help with anxiety and depression. Others recommended breathwork, visualizations, and anti-anxiety medication.
Even just talking about experiences like anxiety attacks can destigmatize them and make them feel less terrifying — something Bertinelli knows too. “I’m posting because we’re all out here doing our best having a human experience,” she wrote. “None of us want to feel like we’re alone in that.”
This article was originally published on sheknows.com.