Emma Stone is a beacon of hope for those who suffer from debilitating anxiety. Anyone who’s ever stepped onto a stage or in front of a camera has to appreciate the ability to withstand a thundering heartbeat and furiously fluttering belly butterflies on the reg. But what Stone had to overcome to thrive as an actor was far worse than your average nerves. During a 2018 conversation with Child Mind Institute president Harold S. Koplewicz, M.D., she revealed that she was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder as a child. She also experienced panic attacks, the first of which she suffered at age 7. “It was really, really terrifying and overwhelming,” she said, recalling, “I was over at a friend’s house, and all of a sudden I was absolutely convinced the house was on fire and it was burning down.”
Stone’s parents realized that she needed professional help when she started visiting the school nurse daily because she wanted to get sent home. “I had deep separation anxiety with my mom,” she shared.
In an appearance on “The Late Show,” Stone revealed that her anxiety had taken on a monstrous appearance in her young imagination, and she shared a drawing of it that she made at age 9. “[It] looks a little bit like, someone backstage said, a uterus with ovaries,” she quipped. Stone revealed that she actually found doing improv beneficial, but added, “I still have anxiety to this day.”
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
