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LOADINGERROR LOADING Gwyneth Paltrow spoke frankly on Tuesday about her mental health struggles after living a “very intense life in the public eye for a really, really long time.” During Tuesday’s episode of “the goop podcast,” the veteran actor opened up about feeling like she’s in her “hormonal phase of life” right now at 53 years old. Advertisement “I have a lot of anxiety for the very first time in my life,” Paltrow told moderator Zanna Roberts Rassi. “I think it’s an estrogen dominance thing. It makes you really anxious,” the “Marty Supreme” star continued. “So part of it is physiological, part of it is psychological, part of it’s emotional and part of it’s public life.” Paltrow, who is the daughter of parents in showbiz — actor Blythe Danner and director Bruce Paltrow — attributed her newfound anxiety to being in the public eye for decades. She began acting at the age of 17. Advertisement “And so I think whenever we’re at the mercy of people’s opinions and all the energy behind the opinions — I’m very sensitive, as most of us are — so I feel that and it kind of frays my nervous system,” Paltrow noted. The goop founder went on to say that “the past couple of years [have] hit me so hard,” before detailing that she’s been dealing with intrusive thoughts in addition to her anxiety. “But I know there’s something wrong because my cortisol [stress hormone] ... like I’ll get in bed exhausted and my heart will start to race,” Paltrow added. “And then I’ll have intrusive thoughts, which I’ve never had in my life, ever ... My sleep is still pretty OK, but sometimes I wake up first thing in the morning and I’m filled with dread.” Advertisement Paltrow revealed that even a negative work email can feel like “a slap in the face” to her. “So I would really like to rewire myself so that medium or bad news doesn’t feel so terrible,” she said. Noting that “it’s never been who I am” and “there’s a lot of parts to it,” she added that she “definitely” thinks “there’s a big nervous system component” to her symptoms. Advertisement Elsewhere in the interview, Gwyneth spoke about seeing two therapists, one of whom is a nervous system specialist, for support, in addition to finding calmness in spending time with her husband and kids. “And then I get a lot of healing from my family, from my kids and my husband,” she said. “If I can be with everyone, especially if all four kids — my stepkids and my kids — and my husband and I, if we’re under one roof, my nervous system calms down.” The “Iron Man” star also gave credit to the “amazing friends” and “amazing women” in her life for having her back. Advertisement Paltrow tied the knot with director Brad Falchuk in 2018. She shares daughter Apple and son Moses with her ex-husband, Coldplay musician Chris Martin. Paltrow is also a stepmom to Falchuk’s children, Isabella and Brody, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Suzanne Bukinik. Meanwhile, the Oscar winner said she’s working on being “more intentional” in her everyday life. “I think I have a bit of ADD and I can really sort of get pulled in lots of directions. I think I would love to try to not do that so much and feel more grounded throughout the day,” she added. TruthHas NoBias Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Your SupportFuelsOur Mission We Won’t Back Down As more major networks align with those in power, the space for fearless journalism is shrinking. By becoming a member, you support a newsroom that asks the tough questions, no matter who’s in charge. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. Support HuffPost Already a member? Log in to hide these messages. The term Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is an outdated medical term previously used to describe a mental health condition characterized by difficulties with attention, focus, and impulsivity. The term ADD was later changed to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 1987. Advertisement
