Emma Stone on Childhood Anxiety Plus, How She Conquered It in Rolling Stone

Actress Emma Stone got real about her childhood battle with anxiety in a new cover story for Rolling Stone, admitting at the height of her struggles, she had difficulty even leaving the house.

It doesn't sound much like the Stone we've grown to know and love over the years: the charming, witty, effortlessly gorgeous movie star who exudes confidence and an alluring, laid back attitude; that Stone seems to have everything figured out. But, the actress admits, it took a long time—and a lot of panic attacks—to get to where she is today (in both a metaphorical and a literal sense). "My brain [would be] naturally zooming 30 steps ahead to the worst case scenario," said Emma Stone on childhood anxiety symptoms. "When I was seven, I was convinced the house was burning down. I could just sense it. Not a hallucination, just a tightening in my chest, feeling I couldn't breathe, like the world was going to end. There were some flare-ups like that, but my anxiety was constant.... At a certain point, I couldn't go to friends' houses anymore—I could barely get out the door to school."

Stone's parents, as most parents would, took her to see a therapist, where she learned to control her anxiety by visualizing it as a tangible being (in her case, a monster). She explains,"I wrote this book called 'I Am Bigger Than My Anxiety' that I still have: I drew a little green monster on my shoulder that speaks to me in my ear and tells me all these things that aren't true. And every time I listen to it, it grows bigger. If I listen to it enough, it crushes me. But if I turn my head and keep doing what I'm doing—let it speak to me, but don't give it the credit it needs—then it shrinks down and fades away." Visualization is a trick often promoted by psychiatrists and psychologists to help patients manage psychological issues, such as anxiety and depression. Turning a feeling into a thing, something we can interact with, helps the patient learn to control the feelings that they're having difficulties with, according to calmclinic.com. For Stone, therapy was a breakthrough: It helped "so much," she admits.

---

Stone isn't the only star that has suffered from mental health issues:

1. The Real Reason Demi Lovato Keeps Speaking Up About Mental Illness
2. Amanda Seyfried on Her Mental Health, Her Dog, and Those Eyes
3. Lady Gaga Got Real About What It’s Like to Live With PTSD

---

Another thing that helped her manage her anxiety was, unsurprisingly, acting. "I started acting at this youth theater, doing improv and sketch comedy," she recalls. The practices helped keep her panic under control because, as Stone explains, "you have to be present in improv, and that's the antithesis of anxiety." Stone kept up with the acting, and, as they say, the rest is history. For an actress—and in particular, a young, beautiful, highly successful actress—to talk so candidly about such a personal issue is rare. But that openness and self-awareness is precisely what makes Stone so alluring. Well, that, and her brilliant sense of humor.

Head on over to Rolling Stone to read more from Emma Stone on childhood anxiety and remember: If you or someone you love is struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues, don't try to go it alone. Contact the National Institute of Mental Health or visit a certified health care professional for help.

Now learn learn how Candice Huffine maintains the balance between strong and sexy in her body-positive program: