Tom Odell has revealed that he was rushed to hospital, fearing that he was having a stroke, after splitting from his girlfriend.
The singer opened up about his anxiety after his split from his girlfriend, model Sydney Lima.
He didn’t realise he was having a panic attack, with the ‘terrifying’ physical symptoms alarming him.
‘I wasn’t aware omnipresent anxiety had a name, I thought that was just me until it exploded last year,’ the 29-year-old said.
‘I went through a very painful break-up with someone who I still love very much, I was increasingly worried about how I felt.
‘One day I collapsed in the shower in Munich. I felt like I couldn’t breathe and I was having a stroke. I ended up in an ambulance and in hospital,’ he added to Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place podcast.
Tom explained that even a door slamming could affect his anxiety and he believes that, had he been more aware of mental illness, the panic attack wouldn’t have been as bad.
Now, he has measures in place to deal with his attacks when they happen, including meditating twice a day and cutting down on drinking.
The star previously opened up to Metro.co.uk about using his music as a form of ‘therapy’.
‘I don’t even really think about it because it’s something I’ve always done, it’s only recently I’ve been writing and realised my lyrics are incredibly honest,’ he said.
‘It’s only recently when a friend said, “You really do write, there’s not many barriers up,” but I think it’s something I’ve always done.
‘Music comes from a place that is a bit deeper. It’s out of love or compassion, comes a great piece of art. In order to create something, I have to be able to access some sort of honesty. I find that easy to do if I write honestly.’
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