![\"Perrie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SEI_254389040-8056.jpg\")
\n\t\tPerrie Edwards is on a mission to help others suffering from anxiety feel less alone (Picture: Mike Marsland\/WireImage)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tPerrie Edwards is on a mission to help others suffering from anxiety feel less alone (Picture: Mike Marsland\/WireImage)<\/p>\n
Little Mix<\/a> star Perrie Ewards<\/a> has tried everything to help her debilitating panic attacks, which cause her limbs to become limp, vision to go, and gave her a fear of leaving home. <\/p>\n After first opening up about her anxiety<\/a> in a candid 2019 social media<\/a> post, Perrie has continued to share her experience in the hope of helping others feel less alone.<\/p>\n Now, Metro<\/strong> can exclusively reveal Perrie is the newest celebrity ambassador for Mind, the UK\u2019s biggest mental health<\/a> charity. <\/p>\n \u2018When people are going through their journeys, the best thing you can do is being open and honest about your experiences,\u2019 she tells Metro<\/strong> of the partnership.<\/p>\n But while Perrie, 31, is open about her journey \u2013 she\u2019s very much still in it. <\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m trying to be at peace with the anxiety and the physical symptoms,\u2019 the Black Magic hitmaker says, explaining how she\u2019s learning to accept panic attacks when they appear, rather than fearing them. <\/p>\n \t\t \t\t \u2018I\u2019ve tried all different kinds of therapy, therapists. I\u2019ve tried everything,\u2019 she says, explaining how many professionals have talked her through what to do when a panic attack strikes. <\/p>\n But in reality, this rarely translates in the moment. <\/p>\n \u2018When it then comes into play, everything goes out the window,\u2019 she explains. <\/p>\n \u2018Last year, maybe in September, I started to take my therapist to work<\/a> with me, which I know is a very privileged situation. I understand that not many people even have a therapist. <\/p>\n \u2018So I thought, I\u2019m going to make the most of it. I\u2019m going to take her to work with me every day, and when I\u2019m having the panic attack, she\u2019s going to coach me through it there and then.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s the best thing I\u2019ve ever done. And I wish I did it sooner, to be honest,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n Perrie\u2019s key takeaway from this experience is that her panic attack isn\u2019t going to kill her, and will not last for \u2018hours and hours and hours\u2019. <\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s taken me years to learn that my anxiety is not against me, it\u2019s just trying to keep me safe,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\tHow to help manage panic attacks\t\t\t<\/p>\n Panic attacks are a type of fear response. They\u2019re an exaggeration of your body\u2019s normal response to danger, stress or excitement. <\/p>\n During a panic attack, physical symptoms can build up very quickly. These can include a racing heartbeat, feeling faint, hot or cold, sweating, trembling, nausea, chest or abdomen pain, struggling to breathe, jelly-like legs, and feeling disconnected from your mind, body or surroundings. <\/p>\n Mind recommends during a panic attack you should: <\/p>\n Perrie takes bitter, dark chocolate with her everywhere, which grounds her senses when she\u2019s feeling anxious. She also always have a big bottle of squash with her and face mist. <\/p>\n \u2018It sounds so silly, people might think that\u2019s so random, but there\u2019s scientific facts behind why these things actually work,\u2019 Perrie says. <\/p>\n \t\t As Perrie suffers with agoraphobia\u00a0\u2013 a fear of being in situations where escape is difficult \u2013 driving to London for work was a trigger. <\/p>\n \u2018When you suffer with agoraphobia, the fear is the further away from home you get, the worse it is, and the worse you feel, because you have no escape, then you feel a bit more trapped, like you can\u2019t get back to your safe space quick enough,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n \u2018I think that\u2019s taken me a long time to get to where I am. And I\u2019m not perfect. I suffer and I struggle, and it\u2019s a lot, but at the same time I\u2019m proud of where I am now to where I was even last year,\u2019 she reflects. <\/p>\n When Perrie\u2019s panic attacks began, she internalised it. <\/p>\n \u2018I felt like I was going insane, if I\u2019m totally honest,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n The first time, Perrie thought she was dying and rang a doctor to tell them she was having a heart attack.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWhat is agoraphobia? \t\t\t<\/p>\n As per the NHS, Agoraphobia is a fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or that help wouldn\u2019t be available if things go wrong.<\/p>\n Many people assume agoraphobia is simply a fear of open spaces, but it\u2019s actually a\u00a0more complex condition.<\/p>\n Someone with agoraphobia may be scared of:<\/p>\n If someone with agoraphobia finds themselves in a stressful situation, they\u2019ll usually experience the symptoms of a\u00a0panic attack, such as:<\/p>\n They\u2019ll avoid situations that cause\u00a0anxiety\u00a0and may only leave the house with a friend or partner. They\u2019ll order groceries online rather than going to the supermarket. This change in behaviour is known as avoidance.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018It then developed into fear, then I got a phobia of panic attacks, then it became a disorder,\u2019 she explains. <\/p>\n \u2018I wasn\u2019t vocal about it publicly, because I thought I\u2019d be judged. I thought people would think I was crazy. It\u2019s heartbreaking. So many people go through it alone.\u2019 <\/p>\n Twice now Perrie has been housebound because of her agoraphobia. The first time she was touring with Little Mix<\/a>, and she\u2019s experienced it again recently. <\/p>\n \u2018My anxiety at the time started from not wanting to be on my own, and the fear of having a panic attack on my own, so being on tour helped massively,\u2019 she recalls. \u2018My comfort was being around the girls.\u2019 <\/p>\n While her Little Mix bandmates \u2013 Jade Thirlwall, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock- helped support Perrie, the industry itself was less forgiving. (Especially when you are launched into the spotlight on a show like The X Factor at 100mph.)<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t \u2018As much as we had each other, and we kind of battled through all the trolls, there is only so much a human can take on the chin and think, \u201cThat doesn\u2019t affect me.\u201d Because it does,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n \u2018I think it definitely had a part to play in my anxiety and for why I feel like I\u2019m kind of going on this journey with it now, but at the same time, I loved everything I did, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.<\/p>\n \u2018So it had a pros, and it had its cons, for sure, but I don\u2019t blame [my anxiety] on the industry, because I think I was born with this.\u2019 <\/p>\n As a young girl, Perrie remembers worrying an abnormal amount. <\/p>\n \u2018It would consume me. I can\u2019t explain it, I wouldn\u2019t be able to sleep at night. I wouldn\u2019t be able to eat. I\u2019d be really, really worried and really overthinking everything from a very young age,\u2019 she remembers. <\/p>\n The thought of asking for ketchup in a restaurant made Perrie feel \u2018physically sick\u2019 and in her first job at a hairdresser she felt paralysed with fear over phone calls.<\/p>\n It begs the question: how did Perrie go from this to performing on stage in front of thousands \u2013 and on TV for millions \u2013 in one of the biggest UK girlbands of the 21st century? <\/p>\n<\/p>\n The above Behind the Song YouTube conversation with Frankie Bridge was made possible thanks to the players of People\u2019s Postcode Lottery. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\tMind helplines \t\t\t<\/p>\n Support Line: 0300 102 1234\u00a0 (lines open 9am \u2013 6pm, Monday \u2013 Friday, except bank holidays)<\/p>\n Mind Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am \u2013 6pm, Monday \u2013 Friday, except bank holidays)<\/p>\n Welfare benefits line: 0300 222 5782 (lines open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays).<\/p>\n Legal line: 0300 466 6463 (lines open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays).<\/p>\n Mind\u2019s online mental health community Side by Side is a safe space where anyone aged 18 and over with experience of a mental health problem can share their story, connect with others, access Mind\u2019s wider information and resources, and give support in return. <\/p>\n Find out more at\u00a0www.sidebyside.mind.org.uk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018I think just having the support of the other girls, because then it didn\u2019t feel like I was solely on my own. It was like a team,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n Perrie was close to dropping out of The X Factor in 2011 before she was grouped up with the other girls. <\/p>\n \u2018I remember going to boot camp on X Factor, and I rang my mom on the bus, and I was crying my eyes out, sobbing. I was like, \u201cPlease pick me up. I don\u2019t want to be here. Everyone\u2019s singing everywhere, everyone\u2019s confident, and I\u2019m embarrassed. I was horrified,\u201d\u2018 she says. <\/p>\n \u2018My mom was like, \u201cIf you\u2019re being serious, I will drive there and I will pick you up. But if not just try and make friends, try to speak with people.\u201d <\/p>\n \u2018Then my mum actually said to me on the phone, \u201cYou know what, darling, if you\u2019re lucky, they\u2019ll put you in a group.\u201d\u2018 <\/p>\n While Perrie \u2018did\u2019 feel supported by The X Factor, she felt \u2018more supported\u2019 by the girls and her family. <\/p>\n \u2018I think that was all I needed at the time. I was so young, I was a baby. I was only 17 or 18 when we won,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n What would be the one bit of advice Perrie would give that 17-year-old girl, embarking on the biggest adventure of her life? <\/p>\n \u2018Have therapy sooner,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n Got a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff<\/a> page \u2013 we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n Arrow![\"Celebrity](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2147540023-e1749122506347.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Little Mix star says bringing her therapist to work was the best thing she\u2019s ever done(Picture: Neil Mockford\/GC Images)<\/p>\n![\"BBC](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-689302850.jpg\")
\n\t\tFrom the left, Jade Thirwall, Jesy Nelson, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock have been a huge support to Perrie over the years (Picture: Jo Hale\/Redferns,)<\/p>\n\n
![\"Jason](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-508644474.jpg\")
\n\t\tPerrie\u2019s song Me, Myself & You is all about her anxiety (Picture: C Brandon\/Redferns)<\/p>\n\n
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![\"Little](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-495566968.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe star is Mind\u2019s newest celebrity ambassador (Picture: Tibrina Hobson\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Celebrity](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-131390973.jpg\")
\n\t\tPerrie only got through those early years of fame because of her Little Mix bandmates (Picture: FilmMagic)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-136094518-e1749123099732.jpg\")
\n\t\tPerrie almost dropped out of The X Factor before she was put in the group (Picture: Mike Marsland\/WireImage)<\/p>\n
\nMORE: I get why women say Jason Statham\u2019s hair is \u2018ideal\u2019 \u2014 I\u2019m more attractive bald<\/a><\/p>\n