Millie Bobby Brown’s anxiety hits in cycles, lasts months: ‘Something big needs to happen’

Lately, we have become more open in our conversations around mental health, and when public figures speak candidly about their emotional experiences, it helps others realise that they are not alone. Millie Bobby Brown recently spoke about experiencing anxiety as part of a cycle: “My anxiety doesn’t come on a Monday and a Wednesday. My anxiety, if it is to come, something big needs to happen, and then it will probably last for two months, every day. Mine are cycles, and then I need to do something to change the cycle,” she shared on the podcast On Purpose with Jay Shetty.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.

“One of my longest cycles must have been three months. I got chased by someone in a place, and it sent me into a three-long anxiety-panic attack,” she further told Shetty.

Her candid admission speaks to a crucial psychological truth: anxiety isn’t always constant. For many, it comes in recurring phases, often not without reason, but rather under the influence of internal and external factors.

Rutuja Walawalkar, Psychologist at Mpower, Aditya Birla Education Trust believes that anxiety can be a cycle that affects people in a way. “For example, someone might feel fine for weeks or even months. Then they start to feel anxious again. They might feel restless; their body might feel tight. They might feel like they are overwhelmed,” she says, but this does not mean that they have gone back to how they were. It is just that mental health is like health; it can change over time.

Why does that happen?

According to her, there are a lot of factors contributing to constant incidence of anxiety among people. “Various factors like significant lifestyle changes, job-related tension, lack of sleep, fluctuations of hormones, past experiences unresolved, troubles in relationship, and doubts about the future can all combine to make emotional life more complex,” she explains.

How to do so?

Walawalkar says that the first step in getting rid of the persistent form of anxiety is to realize when it begins to appear. “When your sleep pattern, appetite, concentration or mood change or when I feel restless it is time to take action to prevent your anxiety from getting controlled,” she points out.

Dr Jagjot Singh, Consultant Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Hospital Ludhiana adds that breaking the cycle just starts by noticing it. Usually there are some physical signals before the spiral builds — look out for heaviness in the chest, shallow breathing, and a feeling of restlessness.

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According to him, breathwork shows great results. He says that the easiest technique is to consciously breathe long and slow. Postponing a reaction and staying with a difficult situation a little longer can also change outcomes.

“For a lot of people, talking or venting to someone helps more than anything else. And for others, a structured therapy like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help identify the specific thought patterns that keep the cycle in place,” he mentions.

Another protective factor is using coping strategies. “For example, one can use journaling, practicing mindfulness, leisure time and spending time with loved ones to cope with their feelings,” suggests the psychologist.

Finally, she advises sticking to a schedule can definitely give a greater sense of security. “As long as you hit the sack and rise up at the same time every day, as well as eat properly, work out and take proper amount of rest, your nervous system will function properly,” she says in conclusion.

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DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.