Elizabeth Olsen Reveals Why She Used To Have Panic Attacks 'Almost Every Hour'
Elizabeth Olsen is opening up about how debilitating her anxiety used to be.
In an interview with The Guardian published Sunday, the âHis Three Daughtersâ star admitted that she used to have panic attacks daily in her 20s.
âMultiple times, like, almost every hour!â Olsen said, noting that tiny changes around her would often trigger them.
âIt was literally, like, any time there was a shift in something: hot to cold, hungry to full. I thought, âOh, is this OK?â And then it would spiral and it just became this habit,â she said.
The âWandVisionâ star added that when she was younger, conversations regarding mental health werenât as prevalent, and she had no idea how to deal with her physical response to anxiety.
âNo one talked about panic attacks in the mid-2000s,â Olsen said. âI thought it meant you just write a list and check things off and get over it. I didnât realize it was something you had no control over, but I had to figure out how to have some control.â
She said that she finally got a handle on it when she figured âout what works for me, or what works enough.â
The âLove & Deathâ star explained that when she now feels an attack coming on, she has to âinterrupt the thinking process,â by naming everything she saw in her head to disrupt the pattern.
She also told the outlet she doesnât wear heels because they made her feel like sheâd get vertigo, which would bring on the anxiety. She explained that is why sometimes when she wears heels during public appearances, she takes them off as soon as sheâs seated.
âPeople thought it was a feminist choice,â she recalled to the outlet. âLike, nah! If I wear them and Iâm standing in front of you guys, Iâm gonna panic. Iâd rather have my feet on the ground.â
Olsenâs husband, musician Robbie Arnett, also has anxiety, and in 2022 they released a childrenâs book they co-wrote titled, âHattie Harmony: Worry Detective.â The book follows a cat named Hattie Harmony and teaches young readers how to deal with the condition. While promoting their second book, âHattie Harmony: Opening Nightâ in 2023, Olsen opened up to People about her struggles with panic attacks.
âI absolutely thought something was medically wrong with me,â Olsen told the magazine at the time. âTheyâre pretty terrifying when they happen. I learned games to play in order to keep myself present and not spin.â
âWe both wanted a Hattie when we were younger,â Arnett added at the time.