Sheridan Smith “seizure five times” – symptoms
The actress has been nominated for numerous awards throughout her career, but it was at the BAFTAs, when she was nominated for her performance in The C Word, where the star she “got to the bottom of. things”. Thinking back on the night, Sheridan said she had been “humiliated” by jokes that she “was drunk”, but in reality it was that same night that her health took a shocking turn. disturbing.
Not realizing her actions were dangerous, Sheridan stopped taking her anxiety medication in a move she herself described as “the final straw.”
The actress addressed the incident in a recent documentary titled Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum, which chronicles her journey to motherhood, while going through her mental health issues.
In the documentary, she said: “Graham Norton was hosting and making a joke, basically at my expense, that I’m a drunk.
“I was so humbled, you know, it’s a room full of your peers. And people that you want to work with, or that you’ve worked with.
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“Tonight, for me, was like the final straw before my brain totally shut down.
“What people didn’t know was that I had become addicted to anti-anxiety tablets.
“I went to the hotel alone. In my crazy mind I thought, ‘I’m gonna do it [stop taking the tablets] myself’.”
However, what happened next nearly cost Sheridan his life. In no time, she had five seizures.
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“It’s like someone is taking care of me because what I didn’t realize is that if you suddenly stop these pills you have a seizure,” she added.
By some sort of “miracle,” Sheridan’s friend entered the hotel room to find her unconscious and quickly called an ambulance which took the star to A&E.
“She was the one who made me breathe again,” added Sheridan, praising her friend who had found her after the multiple seizures.
Anti-anxiety medications can help reduce symptoms of anxiety, including extreme worry and panic attacks, says the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
The most common drug is benzodiazepines, which are said to reduce symptoms of anxiety over an “extended period”.
According to the Mayo Clinic, common signs and symptoms of anxiety include:
- Feeling nervous, restless or tense
- Have a feeling of imminent danger, panic or doom
- Have an increased heart rate
- Rapid breathing (hyperventilation)
- Sweat
- Trembling
- Feeling weak or tired
- Difficulty concentrating or thinking of anything other than the current worry
- Having trouble sleeping
- Have gastrointestinal (GI) problems
- Having trouble controlling worry
- Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety.
However, as people experience anxiety and other mental health disorders differently, the symptoms can be very different.
CAMH continues to say that when used “appropriately”, benzodiazepines are safe and effective drugs, but admits that they have “potential” to be addictive.
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However, for people with anxiety, the muscle relaxation caused by benzodiazepines cannot be achieved without taking them.
That said, there are non-drug treatments that have been shown to be effective for people with anxiety and anxiety disorders.
Various types of exercise such as walking, running, yoga, and tai chi can help reduce stress in your life.
For Sheridan, however, the possibility that her past mental health issues [their] ugly head again â€is always a concern.
Something she talked about in her documentary was the miracle of giving birth to her son Billy, who she said gave her a “second chance at life.”