Actress Ashley Benson may have a solid group of friends to depend on when battling the crazy drama that goes down in Rosewood, but there was once a time when the Pretty Little Liars star didn't know where to turn when faced with a real-life health scare. Gracing the March 2016 cover of Health, Benson opens up about her crazy experience with panic attacks and fainting on set of the show.
Despite how open she is on social media and in interviews, many fans may be surprised to find out the 26-year-old California native suffered from severe panic attacks for two years straight (from 2011 to 2013). Benson admits the extreme rush of anxiety and fear was brought on by a lack of sleep.
They would happen at random times, which ultimately made it hard for Benson to fully carry out her work days. It became difficult for her to be on the Pretty Little Liars set, revealing she would often times have to leave. Driving even became a hassle, because they would also happen while she was behind the wheel. Benson went on to discuss how frequently the panic attacks would occur.
A photo posted by Ashley Benson (@itsashbenzo) on Feb 9, 2016 at 1:18pm PST
"Every single day," Benson told Health. "Because I had a crazy incident on set: I had heart palpitations, and I thought I was having a heart attack, so I fainted on set and turned blue. The paramedics were there. Once that happened, I was like, 'That's going to happen to me every single day,' and it was just that constant fear. So anytime I felt some sort of weird thing, I'd be like, 'Here it goes…'"
Benson revealed she didn't really have anyone to talk to about it. Her boyfriend at the time, and even her close friends, just didn't understand the complexity of her situation. She admits she "felt crazy." There were times when she would question why she was feeling a certain way, but wouldn't be able to come up with an answer. Benson believes anxiety is pretty common and that it should be talked about more often.
Luckily, she has found a way to manage the panic attacks. Although taking medication helped her for a long time, Benson found natural ways to eliminate the stress and anxiety. She cites hour-long naps as being one of the many ways she's taken control of her panic attacks.
"I do still get them a little bit," Benson said. "That's part of why I work out, too, because it has cancelled out the anxiety. I was on Xanax for a long time. It helped, but I decided I was going to be able to self-medicate through meditation, working out, sleeping, eating healthy and drinking more water. I have this meditation app on my phone. I use it at least three times a week."
Benson still suffers from anxiety, but she doesn't have full-blown panic attacks anymore. The anxiety episodes last for a couple of hours.
