Kristen Stewart Opens Up About Struggling With Anxiety

Kristen Stewart found success early on in her career thanks to Twilight, but the pressure of being catapulted into the spotlight at such a young age wasn't easy, she says in a new interview. In Elle UK's September cover story, Stewart spoke candidly about having struggled with anxiety and panic attacks.

"I went through so much stress and periods of strife. I would have panic attacks," she told the magazine. "I literally always had a stomach ache. And I was a control freak and I couldn't anticipate what was going to happen in a given situation, so I'd be like, 'Maybe I'm going to get sick'... It's kind of remarkable. I just grew out of it, but that's not to say I don't get worried." It's not the first time Stewart has opened up about dealing with anxiety. Last year, she told Marie Claire magazine about the intense anxiety that she suffered from between the ages of 15 and 20: "I was constantly anxious. I was kind of a control freak. If I didn't know how something was going to turn out, I would make myself ill, or just be locked up or inhibited in a way that was really debilitating." Anyone who has experienced a panic attack might find Stewart's descriptions familiar. Though panic attack symptoms are diverse and can vary from person to person, they are often characterized by a sense of a loss of control, and can be caused by anticipation of an event, either past, present, or future. Experiencing occasional panic attacks can be a symptom of an anxiety disorder, which are the most common mental health problems in the U.S. Though Stewart says she personally "grew out of" her anxiety, not all of us deal with mental illnesses in the same way, and if you are experiencing anxiety and/or panic attacks, remember that there is no shame in seeking help.