Getty/PAAriana Grande has spoken about the effects of PTSD in an Instagram story, sharing brain scans as a way to communicate about the mental health condition with her followers.
The 25-year-old singer shared scans of ‘normal’ brains side-by-side with those of people suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Scans from people with PTSD showed how parts of the brain were ‘lit up’ in regions where healthy brains would usually show mostly darkness.
Ariana proceeded to reveal four of her own brain scans which showed areas of brightness just like the ones with PTSD. She captioned the story ‘Hilarious and terrifying’.
Ariana has previously spoken about issues concerning mental health following the 2017 terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena, a bombing which left 22 people dead and over 100 injured at the conclusion of her show.
According to the NHS website:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events.
Someone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt.
They may also have problems sleeping, such as insomnia, and find concentrating difficult. These symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on the person’s day-to-day life.
Ariana via instagram stories 😞
explanation: (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event either experiencing it or witnessing it. symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. pic.twitter.com/G60t48VWMI
— tia💛 (@fakearianasmile) April 11, 2019
This isn’t the first time that Ariana has opened up about how the events of the Manchester attack have affected her.
Speaking with British Vogue in the summer of 2018, Ariana admitted:
I hate…yeah…admitting it but it very much is.
That’s what everyone was telling me. It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss. But, yeah, it’s a real thing. I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well.
Time is the biggest thing. I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about my own experience — like I shouldn’t even say anything. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.
She continued:
I think a lot of people have anxiety, especially right now. My anxiety has anxiety… I’ve always had anxiety.
I’ve never really spoken about it because I thought everyone had it, but when I got home from tour it was the most severe I think it’s ever been. Everybody thought I was crazy when I got home and wanted to hit the ground running.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvrxMlhh_BI/
The bravery Ariana has exhibited by speaking candidly about PTSD will no doubt resonate with a lot of people. I wish her all the strength and love she deserves as she continues to be a source of support and comfort to fans.
If you’re experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They’re open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year.
Their national number is 0800 58 58 58, and they also have a webchat service if you’re not comfortable talking on the phone.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.