“There was a hole inside of me”: Rebecca Gibney's secret struggles
TV star Rebecca Gibney has opened up about her mental health, revealing she has battled with crippling panic attacks.
The Kiwi actress spoke about her struggles during Monday’s episode of This Is Your Life, saying her mental health began to falter in the 1990s when she was rising to fame and her marriage to musician Irwin Thomas broke down.
“It was pretty tough,” she told the program.
“And that was the hard thing, you do put on a front. My career was going great guns.
"I just couldn't verbalise there was a hole inside of me and I was tumbling into it."
The Packed to the Rafters star said that at one point she was having 15 panic attacks a day, and recalled one of her lowest moments on a flight from France to Australia on which she said she needed five Valium to “survive”.
"I had anxiety attack after anxiety attack. I was in such a hole, and I thought I'm not going to make it," she said.
"I was struggling, and I couldn't verbalise what was wrong. I just knew there was a hole inside me and it was getting bigger and bigger, and I was tumbling into it.
"I didn't even tell Mum, I couldn't even tell my family, because I couldn't explain it.
"It's so important that now, people talk about their struggles. Because if you get the help, you can get through it.
"Now I know that if I start to slide into that pit, I know that there's a way out of it."
The 57-year-old credits therapy for helping in her recovery.
Following the airing of Gibney’s episode of This Is Your Life, the actress took to Instagram to thank those involved and described it as a “joyous and humbling experience”.
“So much laughter, so many tears,” she wrote, sharing a collection of snaps from the show.
“Thank you to all the beautiful people that showed up on the night and continue to show up in my life. I was blown away by the love - such a joyous and humbling experience.”
Host Melissa Doyle also took to social media both to praise Gibney, describing her as “one of the world’s loveliest people”, and shared how the star was told she would be on the show.
“The surprise is always the best part! We sprung @rebeccagibney_ in stunning New Zealand, on the set of ‘Under the Vines’,” Doyle wrote.
“I hid in the lighting truck waiting for the low-loader with her car on the back to arrive. To say she was surprised is an under statement (sic)!
“Rebecca is truly one of the world’s loveliest people. The applause on set from her colleagues is testament to how much she is loved.”
Image: @rebeccagibney_ (Instagram)