"I thought I was having some sort of heart attack"@homeandaway star Emily Weir opens up and shares about her battle with anxiety, plus she reveals how her character Mackenzie is keeping a BIG secret from Alf!#homeandaway airs Monday to Thursday at 7pm on @channel7 and @7plus pic.twitter.com/SOeLBXbyqW
— The Morning Show (@morningshowon7) April 29, 2022
The part of Mackenzie Booth on the iconic drama series Home And Away was not only a career triumph for actress Emily Weir; it also helped her find her “happy place” in her personal life.
Weir only lately begun speaking publicly about her anxiety episodes, as well as revealing that she is now a member of Alcoholics Anonymous after overcoming a drinking addiction.
Weir revealed her mental health troubles began shortly after high school in an interview with Kylie Gillies and guest host Sam Mac on The Morning Show.
“I was 19 when it all first started to come to the surface, and it’s just so scary and you’re so vulnerable and you’re so unaware of what’s happening,” she said.
“So to get really knowledgable about mental health and what the triggers are and where it all started from with trauma and all of that, it was super important.
“Now I’ve learned how to cope with it and deal with it in a healthy and productive way.”
Weir’s problems led to her having a drinking addiction, and she explained that she is sharing her story to help others who may be experiencing similar problems.
“I decided to open up because I feel like you have to give a little and be transparent. We have such an amazing platform to share with people,” she said.
“I think the main thing with mental health is you don’t want to feel alone. You can feel really alone in your own skin and I think when you have people that you look up to who are talking openly and honestly about mental health and their struggles, it’s hopeful.
“It opens up a dialogue for people to get help and heal which is the main thing.”
Weir also went into great depth about how her anxiety attacks made her fear for her life at first.
“It’s different for everyone but for me particularly, which is a common way, it started with feeling like I wasn’t able to breathe, which I thought I was having some sort of heart attack and then it turned into shaking and just trying to catch my breath,” she said.
“It really feels like you are on the brink of passing out and all of that. It’s very traumatic and the repercussions of that is you start to not trust yourself as much because you feel that you have no control.
“To really dissect that and find some coping mechanisms and talking to the right people and having the right support, it’s really important to thrive after.
“Because you can go and experience it and you can come out the other side.”
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