Frankie Bridge has revealed that she was hospitalised for a month following a breakdown. Speaking in her new book Open: Why Asking For Help Can Save Your Life, the Saturdays singer spoke frankly about suffering from "uncontrollable panic attacks and paralysing negative thoughts".
The singer, now 31, was at the height of her career when she was admitted to hospital after filming the music video for single My Heart Takes Over in 2011, and Frankie remained there for four weeks until she was discharged because of upcoming work commitments.
Frankie has been promoting her new book on Instagram
The star explained: "For as long as I can remember I had suffered from anxiety, nervousness, the big black cloud, stress, low moods, sadness. I lived with it in silence and tried to conquer it alone… In my late teens and early 20s I’d had medical help of various kinds (in the six months before I was hospitalised, I’d seen two therapists and tried three different antidepressants - Prozac, venlafaxine and sertaline - but nothing had worked for long."
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Frankie and husband Wayne
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Frankie added that she had become "unable to function in everyday life" and that she "couldn't see the point of living" any more. Once admitted to the hospital, the star was prescribed new medication. Frankie also credits the support of footballer husband to her recovery.
"He was my constant, the person who knew me inside out and seen me at my worst and most vulnerable," she gushed. He made me feel safe and loved. I couldn’t have done it with anyone else."
By sharing her story, Frankie hopes that others will be inspired to share theirs, to "speak out" and "ask for help". The doting mum elaborated: "No matter how low I feel, I know I won’t ever be as low as I was when I went into hospital because I managed to speak out and ask for help."
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