Rita Ora has gotten candid about suffering from panic attacks.
The singer opened up about her mother’s battles with breast cancer, which left her fearful for her own health, as well as feeling responsible to “step up” and “protect” her mum.
The 30-year-old told The Sun: “My mum battled it twice, and I had a lot of different emotions.
“I felt a lot of responsibility to step up and become a strong teenager. I wanted to protect my mother.”
“Even now, every time my mother has to have a check-up we get reminded of all those feelings of waiting for the result, and the fear factor of it all.
“Everyone has a way of dealing with their thoughts, and I am a big believer in therapy — certainly it has helped me a lot,” she admitted.
“I also exercise and meditate to try and keep my panic in check.”
Speaking about her panic attacks, Rita said: “They’re such a hard experience to explain.”
“Growing up when I was younger I didn’t know what a panic attack was. I don’t think a lot of teenagers realise what they are.
“You can’t breathe, your chest feels tight, you lose your vision — you go into a wormhole and this comes from personal experiences.
“I found music is a healer and I think I’ve gone through a lot to make sure I don’t get to that phase of feeling like I can’t breathe again.
“Aromatherapy, therapy in general, exercise, meditation and Âgetting checked, giving yourself the peace of mind — these all help me stay calm now,” she added.
