It's a strange thing how a lot of Hollywood actors and actresses can have self-esteem issues, just like normal poeple. We see these celebrities on TV and secretly wish that we looked almost as perfect as them. But then, who are we to blame them. These artists are just human too. And that means they also have issues with their weight, their look, and even with the silliest things. Being in the limelight as well as having the pressure to maintain an image can play a big role in anxiety disorders.
Amanda Seyfried is among actors that suffers this type of disorder. She has admitted to getting therapy sessions to be able to handle panic anxiety attacks that's been caused by her rise on fame. She says she especially gets these attacks whenever she has upcoming premiers or interviews. In a recent interview, she expresses how she is not comfortable with her stardom status. She even asks "Why am I considered an 'it girl'?"
Anxiety for Amanda Seyfried
Seyfried reveals that she worries about how her appearance. She says she diets to keep her career going. She thinks that if she was bigger, she wouldn't have landed a role in the movie Mamma Mia! She also gets awkward talking about her life thinking fans might find it too personal, especially on the fact that she's on medication for anti-anxiety. The Mamma Mia! Star is taking Lexapro, a drug used to treat panic disorders. She tries not to look at the mirror too much so she won't have to stress about her appearance.
Amanda is also thought to be very self critical. A movie director who she had worked with shares that each time there's a cut, Amanda would always give a frustrated look like she did not do enough in her acting. Somehow, this colleague of Amanda has found this trait of hers endearing as it show her dedication to her work. James Earl Jones, a veteran actor in Hollywood for 50 years, even says that once you become an actor, self criticism becomes a given and it's about being curious, not flippant.
Career-wise, this may be one of the reasons that Amanda has gained respect as an actress. But is it helping her to cope with anxiety?
The 27 year old star says, her anxiety has been keeping her from enjoying things as she should in her age. Her medication makes her tired most of the time. She describes the attacks that she gets as scary, as if she feels like she is going to die.
Actors and Anxiety
A creative person has a very active mind. Actors are considered to be one of the most creative people in the world. A very active mind can lead to anxiety. Often times, anxiety causes self criticism and self deprecating. Healthy criticism can help us be on the road to excellence. But when self criticism is made of extreme perfectionism and self concept, it can become very destructive to a person, even to the point of losing one's gifts. Self deprecating people usually have issues with their self esteem, thus resulting to eating disorders and getting addicted to surgery.
How Amanda Copes with Social Anxiety
Therapy has been a great help to Amanda. She explains how this great tool has been promising for her as her therapist had told her that she passed with flying colors. "We'll see how things go." She added. Although, despite the help that she's getting, she declares that she still gets nervous. She gets anxious over her parents, even her pet dog. She imagines her dog opening the window to her apartment and falling out of the building, even though she can't get to open the window herself. The artist concludes that stressing out over these things is a result of her overly thinking and over analyzing things.
Amanda Seyfried started her acting career at age 15 with uncredited roles. She debuted in the movie Mean Girls, with stars Lindsay Lohan and Rachel Mcadams. She had her big break after landing a role in the musical Mamma Mia! where her singing ability was discovered as well. After that big break, she landed major roles in other box office hits with famous actors, such movies were Jennifer's Body, Chloe, Dear John, Letters to Juliet and Red Riding Hood. She has been linked to her Mamma Mia! fellow actor, Dominic Cooper and Ryan Philippe.