Millie Mackintosh opens up on 'consuming thoughts' and begins anxiety medication

ok.co.uk:

Millie Mackintosh said she began taking medication after becoming “more anxious than ever” during lockdown.The former Made In Chelsea star, 33, wrote a lengthy Instagram post describing how her anxiety had worsened after becoming a mother.

Millie is married to Hugo Taylor, who also starred in the E4 reality series, and they share two young daughters. She said: “I have had anxiety most of my life and found helpful tools [to] manage it. “However, since lockdown & becoming a mother my anxiety (particularly social anxiety) really started to take over, consuming my thoughts leading me to feeling trapped." She added: "I engaged with therapy, to try and understand where the anxiety stems from, which meant visiting some painful experiences from my teenage years in (the) hope it would release some of the association and anxiety, Instead I found it really triggering & became more anxious than ever.” After talks with her therapist, Millie said she decided to take a “low dose” of medication while continuing with talk therapy. “Although I knew this was the best decision, I found it difficult to admit to myself & to my family that I needed this kind of help,” she said. “I would always encourage and support friends and family in their own mental health journey but I guess it’s different when you are the one in need.” After a few months of medication, alongside regular exercise and sleep, Mackintosh said she was feeling “so much better, lighter”.

She added: “I can focus on being the best version of myself for my girls & Hugo without my anxiety stealing the joy from what should have been happy moments. “I’m more in control & like myself again!” The reality TV star welcomed her first child, daughter Sienna, with Hugo in May 2020.Their.