Charli D'Amelio opened up about her mental health and how she's overcoming 'scary' panic attacks in therapy
TikTok star Charli D'Amelio opened up about her mental health on her friend and fellow TikToker Avani Gregg's Facebook Watch show "Here For It."
D'Amelio said she's been in therapy, partly to help her deal with the bullying she gets from the internet.
She also said she's been having panic attacks since the third grade, where she feels like she's "not even Charli anymore."
"I'm just this emotional person that doesn't function properly," she said. "And I get into these, like, really, really bad places, and it's scary for me."
TikTok star Charli D'Amelio had a raw, honest conversation with her friend, fellow TikToker Avani Gregg, about mental health and the value of therapy.
D'Amelio appeared on Gregg's new Facebook Watch show "Here For It" where they discussed the online hate she receives being the biggest TikTok personality in the world with over 103 million followers.
"I used to have such bad panic attacks in the third grade," said D'Amelio, who is 16. "This is what happened and this is how it affected me up until literally three weeks ago. It hurt so bad I didn't want to talk about it."
She said sometimes the panic attacks get so bad she will "cry for three days straight" and it feels like she's "not even Charli anymore."
"I'm just this emotional person that doesn't function properly," she said. "And I get into these, like, really, really bad places, and it's scary for me. I'm not myself, and I don't know what takes over, but it's just so much built up that I'm trying to get out all at once, and it's really tough. Especially when you feel like everyone has an invitation to say anything about you."
D'Amelio recently came under attack after a YouTube video was posted on her family's channel on November 16, in which some characterized her behavior as "rude," "entitled," and "ungrateful." While talking to her dinner guest James Charles in the video, D'Amelio appeared to complain about not hitting 100 million followers on TikTok within a year, which prompted a million people to unfollow her.
In a tearful Instagram livestream she said it's the mean comments, including death threats, that were so hard to deal with.
"Blatantly disrespecting the fact that I'm still a human being is not OK at all," she said, adding that she wasn't sure she wanted to continue being on the internet.
"If this is the community that I'm in, and the community that I've put myself, I don't know if I want to do that anymore," she said.
D'Amelio's comment section on her livestream was flooded with hearts and supportive messages from her fans in response. She has since gained back all the lost followers, plus four million more.
Mental health has been an important topic for D'Amelio, and she has spoken publicly about her struggles with body image and an eating disorder several times before.
In an Instagram story in September, she spoke about living with an eating disorder for the first time, and apologized if she has ever unintentionally triggered anyone with her content.
"I've always tried to use my voice when it comes to issues surrounding body image, but I've never talked about my own struggles with eating disorders," she wrote. "It's so uncomfortable to admit to even your closest friends and family, let alone the world."
She added that eating disorders "are something that so many people are also battling behind closed doors."
"Some days can be worse than others," she said. "I need you to know you are not alone. Remember it's ok to reach out and get help. We all need help sometimes. I love you all and please stay strong."
Read more:
TikTok is breeding a new batch of child stars. Psychologists say what comes next won't be pretty.
Read the original article on Insider
