Emmerdale star Paige Sandhu, who portrays village serial killer Meena Jutla, has spoken out about how she overcame her chronic anxiety.
The 24-year-old actress opened up about her ongoing battle with anxiety which she has spoken about publicly before.
Paige said: “I felt unsafe a lot. Not like someone was going to attack me. I just didn’t feel comfortable, especially around people that I didn’t know.
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“It was probably social anxiety, fear of judgement and fear about the future. When I left drama school, I moved back with my family and I became quite reclusive.
In an interview with Fabulous, the star explained: "I felt unsafe a lot. Not like someone was going to attack me. I just didn’t feel comfortable, especially around people that I didn’t know.
“It was probably social anxiety, fear of judgement and fear about the future. When I left drama school, I moved back with my family and I became quite reclusive.
“I didn’t leave the house a lot, I had terrible insomnia and suffered from food allergies and intolerances.”
The actress credited therapy for helping her manage her mental health, she also said she had sought advice from a nutritionist and read a lot of self-help books.
She added: “I found it really helpful, especially when I was in the thick of anxiety.
“I’m so grateful for that time now, because I taught myself how to really take care of my emotions and my mental health.”
And it's not the first time Paige has opened up about her struggles.
In an earlier interview Paige said: “When I left drama school, I was a very anxious person, I wasn’t getting any jobs and I was struggling. The anxiety took the form of insomnia, life was hard and a struggle.”
But the actress has found ways to cope when she is going through a hard time.
She added: “I felt a little bit anxious recently over nothing I could put my finger on, so I did some yoga and meditation and it made me feel like a different person.
“As long as you take care of yourself, anxiety won’t feel as overwhelming. That’s what my experience has taught me.”
The Meena Jutla actress who keeps her private life under wraps has also opened up about her relationship status but said she isn't willing to share any more information about her partner.
Paige said she will not reveal his identity in a bid to "protect" their relationship.
The star confirmed: “I have got a long-term partner, but I’m not going to talk about him because I just want to protect our relationship - sorry about that!”
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