She shines bright on the screen when she's in the shoes of Days of our Lives' Sarah Horton and The Bold and the Beautiful's Caroline Spencer, but actress Linsey Godfrey reveals that some days are extremely challenging for her due to mental health diagnoses.
In a heartfelt post on social media, Godfrey has opened up about her struggles with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Instagram message was written in response to actor Bill Hader (IT Chapter Two, Saturday Night Live) revealing that he frequently deals with anxiety.
"I have GAD. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I was diagnosed at 14. I was diagnosed with PTSD at 19. I live with them. I manage them. Some days are easier than others, some days are harder. But you are not alone! I am here. I see you. I love you. Thank you Bill Hader for this," Godfrey posted.
I have GAD. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I was diagnosed at 14. I was diagnosed with PTSD at 19. I live with them. I manage them. Some days are easier than others, some days are harder. But you are not alone! I am here. I see you. I love you. Thank you Bill Hader for this ❤️😍👏🏻 https://t.co/0AIqcCqjzp
- Linsey Godfrey (@linseygodfrey) September 6, 2019
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, as explained by the Anxiety and Depression Association, is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about a multitude of various things, including money, health, family, work, the possibility of disaster, and other issues. Sometimes just the thought of getting through the day produces anxiety, but people with GAD don't know how to stop the worry cycle and feel it is beyond their control, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. Generally, a diagnosis is made if one struggles to control worry on more days than not over a six-month period.
Rethink.org defines Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as an illness that occurs in some people after they have experienced a serious and/or frightening event. Symptoms of PTSD include anxiety, having traumatic memories, dreams and flashbacks, avoiding things that recall memories of the event, not being able to sleep, and feelings of isolation and disconnection from others. For some people, the condition can become chronic.
Godfrey doesn't go into detail about the causes of her GAD or PTSD, but she has experienced a multitude of uncomfortable and traumatic events in her life that could have had a hand in her health issues. The actress is a sexual abuse survivor who bravely shared her horrific story of being molested by her stepfather; she was struck by a car in 2015, which resulted in significant ankle injuries, multiple surgeries, and intense physical therapy; and she experienced a horrendous health battle after she was diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma -- which she thankfully has won, having shared in 2017 that she was celebrating ten years of being cancer-free.
What do you think about Linsey Godfrey's message of solidarity and support in response to Bill Hader's reveal that he suffers from anxiety? How do you feel about learning that she also suffers from anxiety as well as PTSD? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
