Perrie Edwards 'could barely leave the house' due to mental health battle
Little Mix star Perrie Edwards has opened up about how a mental health condition devastated her life last year. The 32-year-old has disclosed in a fresh interview that she "could barely leave" her home towards the end of 2024.
The former X Factor singer, who was appointed as an ambassador for the mental health charity Mind earlier this year, has been championing awareness around conditions like agoraphobia.
BRIT Award winner Perrie has also previously discussed her battle with anxiety and panic attacks. She's now provided an update in an interview published this week, as detailed in the Mirror.
Perrie disclosed that she has a habit of "catastrophising" situations and battled to leave the home she shares with her fiancé Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and their son last year.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Perrie said that she's "in her element" on stage, describing herself as "empowered". She added: "But as soon as I'm back home behind closed doors, that's when the anxiety kicks in and I'm just me again."
She told the outlet that she can't help but "catastrophise" over "everyday things," such as getting into her car and driving to London. She said: "At the end of last year my agoraphobia got so bad I could barely leave the house."
Agoraphobia is "a fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or where help wouldn't be available if things go wrong," according to the NHS.
It further states that the condition can lead to symptoms of a panic attack, and the NHS adds that it can itself develop from panic disorder, something Perrie has previously disclosed that she suffers from.
During an episode of Alison Hammond's Big Weekend released in May, she confessed: "I've developed panic disorder, so it's the fear of having a panic attack."
She explained to Alison Hammond that this condition emerged after she began experiencing "severe" panic attacks a few years ago. She admitted: "I then developed like a fear of having one again. So I was like, if I'm on my own and I have a panic attack, I might die, and nobody will be here to help."
Giving a glimpse into how this affects her daily life, she continued: "So that's why I'm never on my own." When asked if she ever stays home alone, she responded: "No, never. Never! I'm always with somebody. Because I just ... I don't like the feeling of feeling like I'm gonna die."
Later in the episode, Perrie told Alison that her first panic attack occurred after consuming an over-the-counter caffeine shot during a trip to Las Vegas with her bandmates some years ago.
On the BBC show, Perrie recalled: "I honestly thought I was having a heart attack from whatever was in I.T.." She recalled "pacing" around her room at the time and suffering panic attacks before eventually ending up in hospital.
Perrie, who suggested that the experience had been a "trigger" and caused her anxiety to skyrocket, added: "After that incident, I just kept having them like again and again."
The Little Mix star has since disclosed that she's enlisted help from therapists to manage her panic attacks. In a June interview with Metro, she revealed she's "trying to be at peace" with her anxiety and its physical manifestations, rather than dreading potential panic episodes.
She explained to the publication that she has "tried everything," noting she has experimented with "all different kinds" of therapy.
Perrie acknowledged that whilst she had previously been equipped with coping techniques, "everything goes out the window" when an attack strikes.
The singer revealed: "Last year, maybe in September, I started to take my therapist to work with me, which I know is a very privileged situation."
She explained they could guide her through any panic episode "there and then," describing it in the interview as: "It's the best thing I've ever done."
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