DANNY Jones broke down in tears tonight as he opened up on his 20-year struggle with anxiety on I’m A Celebrity.
The McFly star showed his vulnerable side during a chat about tattoos, which soon turned personal.
Danny with bandmate Tom Fletcher[/caption]
Danny is well-known a member of McFly[/caption]
Rocker Danny revealed the story behind a tattoo on his chest that reads, “The day’s worthwhile when you make someone smile”, explaining it was a mantra his grandad lived by.
The campmates laughed as Jane recounted her own tattoo story, confessing to abandoning a bluebird tattoo in her youth, and she joked: “It’s like a golden eagle now because my arse has got bigger!”
The conversation took a poignant turn when Danny pointed to the tattoos on his wrists that read, “Don’t worry, be happy”.
He explained: “It’s because I’m always constantly worrying, but that’s what I’m working on.”
Opening up further, Danny revealed that he has been in therapy since he was 19 to cope with anxiety.
He also recalled a harrowing experience of having a panic attack on live TV during an interview.
The lead singer told his campmates: “I was freaking out and I couldn’t answer the question that got asked to me.
“My heart rate goes crazy, I went white, and I felt like I was going to puke.”
When asked by Jane if his anxiety stemmed from childhood or the pressures of being in McFly, Danny admitted: “I think I escaped a lot.”
He became overcome with emotion, putting his head in his hands as tears welled up.
Fellow campmate Tulisa told Danny: “It’s really good to let it out and it’s really brave to be vulnerable, people respect it.”
Speaking previously to The Bolton News, the musician said claustrophobia turned into panic attacks and he would think that he was dying.
Revealing he hadn’t had an anxiety attack since 2013, Danny said: “At times it was so horrible.
“I experienced claustrophobia, coming out in cold sweats, feeling a band tightening around my chest and worrying I was having a heart attack.
“It’s so scary and I’ve felt like I was dying on occasions. You can’t believe your body can do that to you. I was also plagued with dark thoughts I couldn’t control.”
What actually is anxiety?
Anxiety is what we feel when we are worried, tense or afraid.
It is a natural human response when we feel under threat, and most people experience it at times.
Anxiety becomes a mental health problem if it impacts your ability to live your life as fully as you want to. For example:
- If your feelings of anxiety are very strong or last a long time
- Your fears or worries are out of proportion to the situation
- You avoid situations that might cause you to feel anxious
- Your worries feel very distressing or are hard to control
- You find it hard to go about your everyday life
- You regularly experience symptoms of anxiety
There are dozens of symptoms of anxiety that can affect the body and the mind.
This can be everything from a churning feeling in your stomach to sleeping problems to feeling like the world is speeding up or slowing down.
Around one in 10 people in the UK have anxiety at any one time.
There are various treatments available, including self-help resources, talking therapies, and medication.
If you struggling with anxiety, speak to your GP or call Mind’s infoline on 0300 123 3393.
Source: Mind
