Rebecca Gibney has revealed that she suffered from panic attacks so badly that she felt like she was slipping into a “black hole” from which she couldn’t escape.
The actress started showing symptoms when her first marriage to musician Irwin Thomas fell apart while rising to fame on Halifax fp in the 1990s.
“It’s been pretty tough,” the 57-year-old admitted on Channel Seven’s This Is Your Life on Monday night.
Rebecca Gibney (pictured) has revealed she suffered from panic attacks so badly that she felt like she was slipping into a “black hole” from which she couldn’t escape
“And that was the difficult part, you put on a facade. My career has been great,” she explained.
“I just couldn’t tell that I had a hole in me and fell in.”
Rebecca said she needed “five Valium” to survive a flight between France and Australia.
The actress started showing symptoms when her first marriage to musician Irwin Thomas fell apart while rising to fame on Halifax fp in the 1990s. Pictured at the show
“I had anxiety attacks after anxiety attacks. I was in a hole like this and I thought I couldn’t make it,” she said.
The actress revealed that her then-producer handed her a card for a therapist and called her the next day to make an appointment, after which she underwent two years of therapy.
The Packed to the Rafters star says she was paralyzed by the silence and couldn’t tell anyone she was suffering.
“It’s been pretty tough,” the 57-year-old admitted on Channel Seven’s This Is Your Life on Monday night. “I just couldn’t put it into words, there was a hole in me and I fell into it”
“I was struggling and couldn’t tell what was wrong. I just knew there was a hole in me and it got bigger and bigger and I fell into it,” she explained.
“I didn’t even tell mum, I couldn’t even tell my family because I couldn’t explain it,” she said.
“It’s so important that people talk about their struggles now. Because if you get help, you can get through this.
“Now I know that if I start slipping down this pit, I know there’s a way out.”
“I had anxiety attacks after anxiety attacks. I was in a hole like this and I thought I couldn’t make it,” she said
In April 2014, Rebecca revealed that she was “considering hospitalization” because her mental illness was getting so severe.
“I couldn’t talk about it because I didn’t know what was happening to me,” the star told the Sun Herald.
“I thought about hospitalization, but I didn’t want people to find out. I felt like I was at the bottom of a pit. Every time I tried to claw out, I would slide back down,” she said at the time.
For the six months following the breakdown, the actress saw a psychiatrist twice a week and later made weekly visits for the next year and a half
The actress suffered a severe breakdown after quitting a promotional tour for her TV series Halifax fp at the age of 30.
She struggled with agoraphobia and was unable to board her plane without five Valium, an experience that prompted her to seek psychiatric help.
Rebecca recalled suffering from 15 panic attacks a day at the height of her illness.
In April 2014, Rebecca revealed that she was “considering hospitalization” because her mental illness was getting so severe
She credits extensive and ongoing professional counseling for her recovery.
For the six months following the breakdown, the actress saw a psychiatrist twice a week and later made weekly visits for the next year and a half.
‘I am lucky. I’m through, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have down days. I just know how to deal with it now,” she said.
If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or at www.lifeline.org.au
“It’s so important that people talk about their struggles now. Because if you get the help, you can get through it,” she said. “Now I know that if I start slipping down this pit, I know there’s a way out.” Shown on Packed to the Rafters